Jalen Hurts Donates $200,000 to Install New Air Conditioning Units in Philadelphia Schools
Hurts' donation will benefit more than 5,000 students in the Philadelphia area, the school district's superintendent said
Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts is a hero on and off the football field.
Hurts, 25, donated $200,000 to local Philadelphia schools for the installation of 300 new air conditioning units, according to Good Morning America.
The superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia, Dr. Tony B. Watlington Sr., told the morning show that Hurts' donation will benefit 10 local schools and will impact more than 5,000 students in the area.
Watlington Sr. said that "more than half" of the schools in his district "lack appropriate air-conditioning" to accommodate a comfortable environment when temperatures rise.
"When the temperature climbs higher than 86 to 90 degrees, we too often have to let our kids go home early," he told GMA. "And that really impacts student achievement," the superintendent added.
According to GMA, Hurts spoke at a Philadelphia school as he announced the donation.
"I think back to my time as a student, not being able to imagine some of the things that you guys have to go through," Hurts reportedly said during his visit to the school.
Related: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Continues to 'Be the Best Version of Myself' as He Earns Master's Degree
The Eagles quarterback added, "I just want to serve you guys and help in any way I can."
The quarterback's generous donation will also benefit Philadelphia's teachers, Watlington Sr. said, per GMA, explaining, "It benefits teachers, as well, because when teachers have optimal teaching conditions, they're more likely to return as teachers."
According to GMA, the district has started installing the air conditioning units and Watlington Sr. expects all 300 units to be installed by the beginning of the next school year.
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The news of Hurts' donation comes shortly after he and Eagles teammates Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce (who has since retired from the NFL) made cameos on the season 3 premiere of Abbott Elementary, the popular sitcom set inside a Philadelphia public school.
In the episode, the Eagles players surprised the school's teachers and students via Zoom.
“The world’s finest starting quarterback is here,” Principal Ava, played by Janelle James, said as word of Hurts’ appearance spread around the school in the season premiere.
In another scene, the Eagles quarterback teased Janine Teagues (series creator and star Quinta Brunson) about her height when she ran into the room to find him on the screen.
Related: Jalen Hurts Pays for Funeral of 18-Year-Old High School Football Player Who Died in Shooting
Later in the episode, Kelce and Graham tell Hurts he is late for practice, after the quarterback's Hail Mary attempt at setting up a marriage proposal involving Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter) went awry.
In May 2023, Hurts signed a historic five-year, $255 million contract extension with the Eagles.
Just before the extension, Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie described Hurts' "incredible passion for being phenomenal," at the NFL Annual Meeting in March 2023. "You see that in the great ones. We all know in other sports and with certain quarterbacks in this league, you can define them by their obsession with detail and work ethic."
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