January 26, 2023
Provided Image/9.14 Pictures
'A Philly Special Christmas,' a holiday album by Eagles center Jason Kelce and two other lineman, has raised more than $1 million for charity. Philly schools will receive a $250,000 donation.
"A Philly Special Christmas" continues to provide cheer well past the holiday season.
The holiday album was created by three Eagles linemen in hopes of raising $30,000 for a toy drive at the Children's Crisis Treatment Center. That goal was surpassed, and then some. After three pressings, the album has raised $1.25 million.
The Children's Crisis Treatment Center received a $250,000 donation earlier this year. But because that figure has been more than quadrupled, the Eagles players are spreading the proceeds among various organizations.
Another $250,000 is being funneled to Philadelphia schools through the nonprofit DonorChoose, a crowdfunded platform that allows people to donate directly to public schools. The donation from the Eagles will be used to meet the requests of 400 teachers, which include books, paper, pencil, fine art supplies, sporting equipment and technology upgrades.
"We wanted to find another organization that fit the original goal of 'A Philly Special Christmas,' which was to provide gifts for kids in need around the holidays," Eagles star Jason Kelce said. "DonorChoose is an organization teachers can utilize to help fulfill their classroom wish lists. Philadelphia school teachers face many obstacles, one being classroom funding that our kids desperately need. Teachers often have to spend their own money to get the items their students need, which they often cannot and should not have to do."
The rest of the money generated by the album will be given to 23 organizations in the Philadelphia region, including Boys and Girls Club Camden, Center for Black Educator Development, Food Bank of Delaware, Germantown Friends School, Philly Goat Project and the Women's Coalition for Empowerment.
"A Philly Special Christmas" was created by Kelce, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. It features local musicians and appearances by several other Eagles, including Brandon Graham, Haason Reddick, Jalen Hurts and AJ Brown. Former Eagle Connor Barwin served as the executive producer.
The limited edition vinyl copies, which cost $75, sold out quickly, prompting a third pressing in mid-December. The first two pressings were limited to 6,000 copies; the third resulted in another 20,000, Barwin told the Inquirer.
The album was released on Spotify and Apple Music on Dec. 23. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard compilations album chart, selling the equivalent of 11,000 records in the U.S. in its first week, primarily through digital downloads.
