Eagles players help unload and redistribute used sporting goods to children in need

SHARON HILL, Pa. - Leveling the Playing Field and the Philadelphia Eagles joined forces to collect sports equipment for children from disadvantaged communities. With the start of the new school year in full swing, so are school sports, so some Eagles players helped unload boxes of donated equipment.

Eagles linebacker, T.J. Edwards and his teammates personally unloaded bags of boxing gloves, hockey sticks, water coolers and much more at the Leveling the Playing Field warehouse in Sharon Hill. The players went through all the equipment individually, thinking about each child who will be delighted to receive it and use it.

"Sort it, inventory it, organize it, throw it on the shelves, so that we can quickly get it back into the hands of kids who need it," said Program Director at Leveling the Playing Field, Danielle Miller. 

Leveling the Playing Field is a nonprofit that redistributes lightly used sporting goods to children in need. The need for donated equipment grows more and more every year as one in five youth sports households are underserved, according to Miller. 

With inequity growing between those who can afford to play sports and those who can not, Edwards wanted to step in to help. 

"We knew a couple kids growing up who, you know, were new to the area, so they didn’t really understand how to get involved or how to do things like that, so the fact that we had a little distribution center where I’m from as well that had equipment for kids, that really helps out a lot," said Edwards. 

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Since opening in Philadelphia last fall, the nonprofit has collected more than 800 thousand dollars worth of sporting goods with the goal of equipping kids from head to toe. The nonprofit has also supported more than 160 programs that aim to give every child a chance to play sports. 

"There could be someone out there in Philly going to school right now and playing for the birds soon, so that's exciting," said Edwards. 

Coaches can go to the Leveling the Playing Field warehouse to pick up equipment if their team needs certain items for their sport. 

Leveling the Playing Field will continue collecting sports equipment, so if you are interested in making a donation, you can access the website here.