Connor Barwin, Eagles players team up with local charities

The Philadelphia Eagles’ preseason kicks off this Saturday, Aug. 12, and some of its players have their minds on charity, as well as football.

Several past and present-day ballers will hit up the Fashion Touchdown Launch Party for Big Brothers Big Sisters on Aug. 15, presented by Philadelphia’s Marrone Law Firm, LLC, with men’s and women’s fashions curated by Boyds Philadelphia.

Before that, on Aug. 12 and 13 at The Mann Center, local band Mt. Joy will join forces with Sharing Excess for a non-perishable food drive, while raising funds for Connor Barwin’s Make the World Better and Jason Kelce’s (Be)Philly.

“We want every kid in Philadelphia to have a safe and fun place to play,” said Barwin, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013-16, is now Director of Player Development for the team. “We want to show there is a way to work directly with community to build a playground in their vision and do it in a efficiency and sustainable way. There is so much work to do and when you find good partners it makes all the difference. Building parks, or putting on shows are best when a lot of people that care get involved.”

While the main event, the Fashion Touchdown Eagles runway show for Big Brothers Big Sisters, is in November, Tuesday’s launch party — with legendary Eagles Harold Carmichael, Vinny Curry, Freddie Mitchell, Mike Quick, Ike Reese, and Kevin Reilly in the house — is meant to remind everyone how crucial the BBBSI event is to area youth.

“It’s an honor to be part of the uniquely influential Fashion Touchdown, an event which marries football, fashion and philanthropy, culminating in a runway show featuring Eagles players modeling clothing by Boyds,” said Joseph Marrone. “The 2023 event has aligned itself with powerful strategic partners, allowing Fashion Touchdown to raise significant money to support the impactful nonprofit, Big Brothers Big Sisters.”

Music to your ears

Connection is everything to Mt. Joy’s Matt Quinn, who still calls “Olde Kensington” home.

Together since 2016 with three albums under its belt, Mt. Joy have a knack for changing its game around when it comes to its psych-folk roots. Their most recent album, ‘Orange Blood’, included desert vibes to go with what feels like a new brand of anthemic (spacious, grander chord-filled) songwriting.

“There was an inspiring trip to Joshua Tree, and an appetite for desert psychedelia born during that trip,” said Quinn about recording amidst the sand and the rocks. “That’s also probably closer to the music I grew up listening to and really love, so I think it maybe was a natural progression in that way too.”

Yet, no matter what they write and how they arrange it, every album of Mt Joy’s is steeped in Philly soul, with its lushness of harmony.

“That’s from growing up in Philly, listening to as much homemade music as I possibly could: Hall and Oates, legendary stuff from the Philadelphia Sound, even more contemporary stuff like Dr. Dog, War on Drugs, Tierra Whack. Whenever I hear an artist is from Philly, my ears perk up. And hopefully I soaked some of that goodness up and onto some Mt. Joy stuff… I’ve traveled all over and lived in various places, but Philly is home.”

And since charity begins at home, Mt. Joy looked forward to connecting to Philly charities when planning its huge Mann homecoming gigs.

“We’ve just been on a pretty magical run, following the music wherever it takes us, and to get to share that with so many people in our hometown is insane,” said Quinn. “Working with Connor’s MTWB is an awesome charity, another opportunity to help make safe spaces in our city so we jumped at it. We’re also working with Jason Kelce’s (Be)Philly who help provide public education resources within the city, and Sharing Excess to collect some non-perishable food items. This city truly means the world to us and we wouldn’t be where we are without Philly. We want this city to know we’re committed to trying to do our part to give back.”