The Eagles Autism Foundation is the latest of a fast-growing list of groups and companies to honor recently retired Eagles legend Jason Kelce.
The foundation will match the first $62,000 in online donations from Eagles Autism Challenge participants, the Eagles announced Monday.
The $62,000 matching gift --- honoring Kelce, who wore number 62 --- comes courtesy of the Bantwal family and Goldman Sachs Gives. The Bantwals are lifelong Birds fans and passionate supporters of the Eagles autism community.
"This donation not only recognizes the impactful career of the All-Pro center, it also helps Eagles Autism Challenge participants meet or even exceed their fundraising goals for the year," said Ryan Hammond, executive director of the Eagles Autism Foundation. "We thank the Bantwal family and Goldman Sachs Gives for their continued support of our Eagles autism community."
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The matching gift applies to all online donations made between March 4 at 2 p.m. to April 1 at 11:59 p.m., or until the $62,000 total is reached. Each donation will be matched up to $1,000 and all donations must be made through a personal fundraising account.
The Eagles Autism Challenge, championed by Eagles CEO Jeffery Lurie, is a one-day bike ride and family-friendly 5K walk and run that begins and ends at Lincoln Financial Field.
The event features three cycling routes --- Wawa Classic 30-mile Ride, Wawa Shorti 10-mile ride and Wawa Junior 10-mile Youth Ride --- the FreedomPay 5K Run and Walk, and the West Sensory Walk. All five routes end on Lincoln Financial Field with participants crossing the finish lines on the field.
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There will also be a virtual participant option for those who want to fundraise but are unable to ride, walk or run on event day.
Kelce, who officially retired after 13 NFL seasons on Monday, has been an avid supporter of the Eagles Autism Foundation. He appeared as a guest bartender at Ocean Drive in Sea Isle for the annual "Beach Bash."
Following Kelce's emotional retirement press conference, fans flooded the Eagles Autism Foundation with donations to support the legendary center.
The Philadelphia Flyers also honored Kelce by donating $10,000 to the foundation.
Kelce spent every year of his career with the Eagles, helping lead the franchise to its first-ever Super Bowl victory in 2018. He became a staple of Philadelphia off the field. dressing up in costumes and giving legendary speeches to fans. His persona grew even more with the release of his "New Heights" podcast, co-hosted with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
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