Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Eagles, along with REFORM Alliance, came together to bring a special, once-in-a-lifetime holiday experience for more than 30 children in the area who have been “negatively impacted” by the criminal justice system.
The afternoon kicked off with the first “Eagle for a Day” experience inside the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia, where attending children and families were greeted by Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin alongside fellow REFORM co-chair and award-winning musician Meek Mill who gifted the guests special Eagles merchandise and bags to wear during their participation in a Jr. Combine experience.
Inside the NovaCare Complex indoor practice facility, kids listened to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, threw passes with Meek Mill, and sprinted a 40-yard dash alongside Philadelphia Eagles players including Darius Slay, Avonte Maddox, Jordan Mailata and Dallas Goedert. The children also received an exclusive VIP tour of the facility that concluded with a Free Agent ceremony in which each individual child signed their very own one-day contract with the Eagles complete with the gifting of a special team jersey. The “Eagle for a Day” experience concluded in the facility auditorium with Eagles Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman’s welcoming of the 12/13/22 free-agent class and a special address by Rubin, Meek Mill and quarterback Jalen Hurts.
After that, participating families made their way to the Wells Fargo Center for the “76ers VIP Gameday experience” where the kids had the opportunity to take part in an intimate Q&A with 76ers head coach Doc Rivers.
Shortly after, guests arrived at their VIP suites for dinner where they were surprised with a holiday package equipped with custom Sixers jerseys and Fanatics gear. Right before tip-off, all children made their way to the court to participate in a special pre-game bell-ringing ceremony alongside Rubin and Meek Mill. Guest families were able to enjoy the Sixers vs. Sacramento Kings matchup both from their VIP suite boxes and courtside seats. The kids provided the halftime entertainment with a scrimmage on the court.
Children selected for the events either have a parent in prison for technical probation violations, have a parent who has been incarcerated for technical probation violations or had their probation extended due to a technical probation violation.
