‘A Philly Special Christmas’ raises over $3 million for local children

For the past three years, current and former Philadelphia Eagles have worked together on a series of holiday albums solely dedicated to serving the children of Philadelphia. With the third and final record in their trilogy of albums, ‘The Philly Specials’ have made a tremendous impact again, and we’ve yet to reach the holiday.

Ahead of Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanza, the Philly Specials have announced that their most recent album, ‘A Philly Special Christmas,’ has raised over $3 million for the children of Philadelphia, being donated in various forms including the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center, fulfilling the wish lists of Philadelphia School District teachers via Donors Choose ad, of course, through ‘Operation Snowball,’ which saw the Philly Specials provide a gift to every single child – and teacher thanks to the generosity of those who contributed – in the Philadelphia school district.

On Tuesday, Dec. 17, The Philly Specials put ‘Operation Snowball’ into effect. Current and former Eagles Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, and Conor Barwin – who executively produced the album – alongside Grammy award winner Charlie Hall, who produced and directed the album, traveled to schools throughout Philadelphia and delivered gifts to children throughout the Philadelphia school district.

“When the guys said they wanted to give each student and teacher in the School District of Philadelphia a gift from the record this year, I knew it was ambitious, but I also knew if we could tap into that special spirit in Philadelphia, we could do it, ” said Connor Barwin. “And together, many people who care and love this city came together and willed Operation Snowball into existence.”

“Visiting the schools with Kelce, Lane, Jordan, and our partners was incredibly rewarding and a day that none of us will forget,” Barwin continued. “Seeing the joy and happiness throughout the schools on all of the students’ and teachers’ faces is what it’s all about and a perfect way to celebrate the success of what has been an incredible three years making a holiday trilogy with these guys!”

This charitable act could not have been accomplished without the community’s support or the work of Kelce, Johnson, and Mailata. Between their hours of recording and promoting, partnering with sponsors, and much more, the Philly Specials helped every child in the Philadelphia school district celebrate this holiday season.

“These guys truly give their all in everything they do,” said Charlie Hall. “We set out to do something filled with joy and friendship and bringing all those feelings from the studio into our schools was an incredible way to spread the fun to the students and teachers. One thing that was clearly evident in our school visits is that regardless of one’s faith or how one celebrates the holidays, joy is universal. As the parent of children in the Philadelphia school district and spouse of an educator, I know that everyone involved will remember this day for years to come.”