Defensive end Connor Barwin and his Make The World Better (mtwb) Foundation raised $200,000 at their 3rd annual benefit concert at Union Transfer on Friday. All proceeds from the sold-out concert, which were matched by Barwin, will be donated directly to the foundation's next major park renovation project in Philadelphia, Waterloo Playground (2501 Waterloo Street). The site is located in the West Kensington section of Philadelphia. Over the past three years, Barwin and mtwb have raised more than $685,000 for park renovations in the City of Philadelphia through their annual benefit concert.

"I want to thank Union Transfer for hosting us for a third year in a row," said Barwin. "We could not have a better partner in putting on these concerts. I also want to personally thank our all-Philly lineup of musicians Amos Lee, Waxahatchee and Hop Along, as well as my teammates and fans for coming out. Opportunities in athletics and the arts should be available to every child, and it was inspiring to see both musicians and athletes come together in support of this vision. The concert is always very exciting to me because it represents the start of a new project, this year Waterloo Playground."

The evening featured a special surprise performance by acclaimed Philadelphia singer-songwriter Amos Lee, in addition to Philadelphia-based musicians Hop Along and Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield. Joining Barwin in the crowd of 1,300 were Eagles teammates Nelson Agholor, Beau Allen, Trey Burton, Brent Celek, Chase Daniel, Jon Dorenbos, Zach Ertz, Taylor Hart, Josh Huff, Malcolm Jenkins, Jason Kelce, Chris Maragos, Jordan Matthews, Cody Parkey, Ed Reynolds and Marcus Smith. Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie and his wife Tina, head coach Doug Pederson and Eagles great Harold Carmichael were also on hand to show their support. Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers and Union Transfer owner Sean Agnew relaxed with guests and dined at a pre-show barbecue reception which featured an array of grilled appetizers donated by James Beard Award-winning chef Marc Vetri of Philadelphia's Vetri Family restaurants and special guest chef, Kevin Sbraga.

"The revitalization of Waterloo Playground will begin with a community engagement process to identify key priorities for renovations, building off of the Community Design Collaborative's Play Space Design Competition that featured this site as a case study last year," said Claire Laver, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Projects for mtwb and Urban Roots. "The playground currently features a pool, recreation center, play space and two basketball courts."

The mtwb Foundation, founded by Barwin in 2013, is a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of Philadelphia's youth by providing safe and fun places for artistic and athletic development. The foundation's previous two benefit concerts raised more than $485,000 for major renovations at Ralph Brooks Park (S. 20th Street) and Smith Playground (2100 S. 24th Street), both located in South Philly. Renovations at Waterloo Playground in the West Kensington section of the city will begin in Summer 2017 with pre-construction planning and design phases kicking off this summer. For more information on the mtwb Foundation, please visit www.mtwb.org.