The Philly Specials released their third and final record in the Philly Special Christmas trilogy earlier this month. As with the two previous releases, this album was made with the goal of caring for the people, especially the children of Philadelphia.
This year, the Philly Specials are rolling out an ambitious aim of providing a gift for every single child in the School District of Philadelphia in an effort to make them feel seen and celebrated.
Ahead of the launch of Operation Snowball, Jason Kelce discussed the initiative on his podcast, New Heights.
“We have ‘Operation Snowball’ we’re trying to execute on this year,” Kelce said. “I haven’t even told anybody about this yet. I don’t even know if I’m allowed to share this, but our goal this year, Operation Snowball, is a citywide special initiative to try and get a gift to every kid in the Philly public schools. So we’re partnering with the Philadelphia public school system, as well as some other organizations in the city and people in the private sector to try and get gifts to every single school for the kids throughout Philadelphia, which is a lot of kids. And the only reason we’re able to do that is because the city supports it.”
“People buy the album; they listen to the album. But more importantly, and I really felt this from the moment I got to Philadelphia, it’s really just such a city entrenched with pride and joy for itself. The sense of community and family is so strong. I don’t know that it would be done anywhere else but I think we’re gonna be able to pull it off with how much the community is willing to support it.”
So far, Operation Snowball has been a smashing success, making it over halfway to their goal. The additional support Kelce and the rest of the Philly Specials has received has certainly gone a long way. Television star and Philly native Quinta Brunson has signed on to support, as has two-time Olympic gold medal winner Carli Lloyd, Philadelphia 76ers rookie sensation Jared McCain, and rapper Gillie Da King.
If you would like to join in on the holiday fun, here are three ways you can support the Philly Specials in the journey to serve the children of Philadelphia:
- Purchase A Philly Special Christmas Party on vinyl via the official website.
- Buy a limited-edition CD available in select retailers on 11/22.
- Donate directly to The Fund for The School District of Philadelphia, with a note designating that donation for Operation Snowball.
The Philly Specials have raised over $4.5 million in funds for local charities, including Children’s Crisis Treatment Center’s Holiday Toy Drive and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s (CHOP) Snowflake Station through their first two albums. To learn more, visit phillyspecialchristmas.com
