As PGN goes to press, millions of people are preparing to get decked out in midnight green, black, charcoal and silver for a historic celebration in Philadelphia sports history. The Eagles were crowned the Super Bowl champs Feb. 4 in their competitive game against the New England Patriots and fans were ready to honor the team’s first-time win with a parade along Broad Street Thursday.
While a few Eagles and Patriots fans were involved in less-savory post-game activities, our community also delivered on various acts of charity. Many local businesses and organizations participated in friendly wagers with Massachusetts-based groups in advance of the big game.
And these were not your typical bets.
MANNA, a local nonprofit that provides meals to those with life-threatening illnesses, made a bet with Community Servings, of Massachusetts. The organizations share similar missions and made sure to capitalize on their wager. If the Patriots won, the Philadelphia-based group would have delivered soft pretzels and Tastykakes to Community Servings. However, with the Eagles victory, MANNA will receive supplies of clam chowder and Boston cream pies for its clients
Woody’s Bar participated in a wager with Club Café in Boston, which made good on the bet with a $500 donation to Philadelphia FIGHT. However, leadership at Woody’s is planning to take the victory a step further by matching that $500 donation to FIGHT and donating an additional $500 to Harbor to the Bay, an all-volunteer AIDS-benefit bike ride in Boston.
Even though the Eagles, the Patriots and their fans have had a longtime rivalry, it was encouraging to see the communities put their differences aside and give back. We may have beaten the Patriots by eight points, but everyone came out a winner in the end.