Some of Philadelphia’s biggest wins in 2025 didn’t just happen on the field. They came from team owners using their platforms to give back, write Olivia Kram and Courtney DuChene for The Philadelphia Citizen.
Wynnewood resident and owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jeffrey Lurie made headlines with a $50 million donation to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine to launch the Lurie Autism Institute. The gift was described as the largest single donation to a U.S. academic medical center focused on autism research. Lurie’s long-standing advocacy through the Eagles Autism Foundation has contributed more than $40 million to research and support programs since 2018.
Lurie’s leadership has also helped make the Eagles a model for inclusion, including becoming the NFL’s first team to create a sensory room inside its stadium—an initiative that has resonated with families across the region, including many here in Montco.
Meanwhile, Bryn Mawr’s John Middleton is preparing to share a different kind of legacy. The Phillies owner will open his previously private Middleton Family Collection to the public next spring. A massive exhibition titled Nation of Artists which features roughly 1,000 works will be displayed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
To learn more about Philadelphia sports figures giving back in 2025, visit The Philadelphia Citizen.
