October 26, 2026
Molly McVety/PhillyVoice
A student at Clara Barton School in Northeast Philly holds up a sign for Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Blinking back tears, Principal Colleen Bowen of Clara Barton Elementary School said her community owes a debt of gratitude to Jalen Hurts after his foundation gifted its Northeast Philly building a new HVAC system in 2024.
Prior to the installation of the air conditioning units, Bowen said the K-2 school had to rely on a limited amount of temporary cooling systems, which were prone to breaking down. The school was frequently forced to close early during the warmer months.
"When we found out that Jalen gave us this gift of air conditioners in every single space, it changed the trajectory of my students' learning," she said. "It created a situation and space that they could function in, that they could learn in and that they could be comfortable in."
With the Eagles quarterback out for the season after he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis last week, Bowen and administrators from other schools that received donations from Hurts held pep rallies and wrote get-well-soon cards on Monday to show their support for their favorite philanthropist.
"(Hurts) means a ton to them," Bowen said Monday, hours before the Eagles' game against the Dallas Cowboys. "He is the heart of Philadelphia. He is the picture of hard work, dedication and perseverance — all of the traits that we try to enforce in our students. … We are just hoping and praying that he heals. All my kids are rooting for him."
First graders at Clara Barton gathered markers and colored pencils and practiced spelling phrases like, "Get well soon," "Go Eagles," and “Thank you, Mr. Hurts." Those encouraging words were often accompanied by drawings of hearts, footballs, smiley faces and rainbows.
Donning her mom's A.J. Brown jersey that "feels like a dress," Ivette Santiago Tavarez, 6, said she loves the Eagles' QB — even though she's not a big football fan. Her card featured a smiling eagle holding a football with a message for Hurts to feel better soon.
"Dear Jalen Hurts, We hope you feel better very soon," another student wrote. "Thank you for the air conditioner. We love you!"
The first graders joined students from the neighboring Feltonville Intermediate and Feltonville School of Arts and Sciences to pass on their notes to Swoop, the Eagles' mascot who triumphantly held the collection box in the air.
Eagles mascot Swoop holds a box of supportive cards for Jalen Hurts.
Yelitza Nuñez, a first grade student at Clara Barton, holds up her card for Jalen Hurts.
Molly McVety/PhillyVoice
Four miles away, students at Northeast High School gathered on their athletic field for a Hurts-themed pep rally. Holding homemade posters with supportive messages, they altered their typical Vikings cheers to chants of "Go, Jalen, go," "Get better," and "Recover." Last month, the Jalen Hurts Foundation finalized a $600,000 donation to upgrade the school’' aging HVAC system — the largest contribution from the charity to date.
"We are thankful, we are grateful and this is our way of showing our gratitude — by having a rally and wishing him well," Principal Andrew Lukov said. "You can't thank somebody enough, and we're appreciative of all his hard work."
Students at Northeast High School hold up a handmade banner wishing Jalen Hurts a speedy recovery.
Students at Northeast High School hold a pep rally for Jalen Hurts.
Northeast High student Asher Coles, 17, said the event represented an opportunity for him and his peers to pay it forward.
"Ever since we found out that he's going to be out for the year, it's been, 'How can we give back?'" Coles said. "Through thick and thin, he's our QB1 and we will always support him."
The rallies of support from local schools followed a wave of tributes from football players and fans. In Fairmount, people have used chalk to write get well soon messages onto a mural of Hurt.
"Even though it's not money, we just want to give back to him and show that we support him no matter what," said Samirah Martin, 16. "We want to do this for him. He's done so much for our school."
