The Philadelphia Eagles and the Eagles Autism Foundation will host their Eagles Autism Challenge this Saturday, May 17, 2025. The Eagles Autism Challenge is a one-day bike ride and a family-friendly 5K run/walk. All the proceeds from participant-raised funds go directly to scientific research for beneficiaries like the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson University, and Drexel University.
Due to high demand, registrations are closed for the 2025 Eagles Autism Challenge this weekend. Eagles fans who participate will bike, run, or walk around the Philly sports complex and the Navy Yard for a 3.3-mile journey before finishing back at the home of the Super Bowl LIX Champions, Lincoln Financial Field. Participants will have access to a kick-off party on Friday and on-field access the following day at the Saturday Finish Line Celebration. Runners (and walkers) will receive free food and beverages, a FreedomPay 5K T-Shirt, a Finisher’s medal, and a complimentary gift bag.
Established in Sept. 1999, the Eagles Autism Foundation was formed “to centralize all of the team’s autism activities into one organization, while strengthening its core mission of turning autism awareness into action.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in 54 people living in the United States is on the autism spectrum.
A meaningful event for the Eagles
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie has a personal connection with the impacts of autism – his brother, Peter, was diagnosed on the spectrum when Jeffrey was six years old. “It’s been a daily party of my life for the last 60 years,” Lurie said in 2019. “You’re so concerned with your own brother and his well-being growing up; it puts you in a mode to think of other people’s well-being than my own, which I find liberating because you can focus on how others are and not be so inward looking.”
The Birds have set a gold standard for supporting a charitable cause through their work with the Eagles Autism Foundation. In August 2019, Philly became one of the first sports franchises to build a sensory room inside their home venue. Additionally, the Birds and Aramark have partnered for the Popcorn for the People, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating meaningful employment for those with autism and developmental disabilities. A portion of popcorn sales from the Linc benefits the Eagles Autism Foundation. Philadelphia was the first professional sports team to partner with Popcorn for the People.
The two-time Super Bowl champions hold open training camp events at Lincoln Financial Field that benefit the foundation. In August 2019, 45,000 fans packed the house for a training camp practice that contributed over half a million dollars ($506K) to research.
Fans attending a home game can also contribute to the cause through the Eagles Autism Foundation Raffle. Half the jackpot for the in-stadium 50/50 raffle drawing goes to the Eagles Autism Foundation, while the winning raffle ticket claims the remainder. All winning ticket information is provided on the team’s website following the event. Last season’s top jackpot reached $421K during the NFC Championship win over the Washington Commanders.
Since starting the Eagles Autism Challenge in May 2018, the Eagles have raised more than $10 million in funding to provide “critical resources, support medical discoveries, and help to position Philadelphia as a base for scientific research.” Individuals who want to learn more about the Eagles Autism Challenge can visit EaglesAutismChallenge.org for additional details.
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
