As we continue to monitor the current situation regarding COVID-19 in our community, the Eagles Autism Foundation has announced that the 2021 Eagles Autism Challenge presented by Lincoln Financial Group – originally scheduled for Saturday, May 22 – has been postponed.
"We have been closely monitoring developments over the last few months, and while much progress has been made in terms of turning the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, we feel at this time that it is best to postpone the 2021 Eagles Autism Challenge," said Ryan Hammond, Executive Director of the Eagles Autism Foundation. "This decision was carefully made in the best interest of our loyal participants, Eagles fans, volunteers, support staff, and the wider Philadelphia community.
"Despite the challenges of this past year, our supporters have proudly stood by our side with great patience and understanding. For that, we are so grateful and are also humbled by the fact that, with their help, we were able to eclipse the $10 million raised milestone for the Eagles Autism Foundation last month. More information on the new date will be communicated at the appropriate time with the goal of rescheduling for later in 2021. We look forward to coming together again as a community and celebrating yet another transformational day for individuals and families affected by autism," said Hammond.
Championed by Philadelphia Eagles Chairman & CEO Jeffrey Lurie, the Eagles Autism Challenge is a one-day bike ride and family-friendly 5K run/walk that begins and ends at Lincoln Financial Field. Since launching in May 2018, the team's signature fundraising event has contributed more than $10 million to leading Philadelphia institutions that specialize in cutting-edge autism research and care. Through these fundraising efforts, a total of 35 research projects and community grants have been funded for exploratory work in the field of autism over the past three years.
The 2020 Eagles Autism Challenge was held virtually on Saturday, September 26 and raised more than $3 million thanks to donors from 14 countries, 284 fundraising teams, and nearly 3,000 participants.
