The Edward Gideon School in North Philadelphia desperately needed a makeover. Trash-littered sidewalks and abandoned houses characterized the North Philadelphia area school.
This past week, the kids and faculty at Gideon got a little help -- a visit from the Philadelphia Eagles.
And this visit wasn't just from stars such as Terrell Owens, Donovan McNabb, Brian Dawkins and Jevon Kearse. The entire Eagles organization was on hand for the eighth annual Playground Build.
When the players arrived shortly after 1 p.m., they quickly got to work in order to make the most of their 90 minute appearance.
Like on the field, each player contributed his specialized skills in an effort to tackle the project.
Defensive tackle Darwin Walker, owner of a structural engineering company, immediately aided in the construction of the playground. He was accompanied by Kearse, the new foundation of the Eagles' defense.
In front of the school, offensive tackle Jon Runyan helped with the ceramic tiling on the wall and running back Brian Westbrook drilled into railroad ties.
The Eagles' intervention not only improved the physical surroundings of Gideon, but also introduced positive messages to the children.
Upstairs in a classroom, safety Clinton Hart spoke from his heart and his experience about overcoming tough times and making the right choices in life.
The hard work payed off.
Where there was once barren concrete with two basketball hoops, there is now a new playground that was constructed with a portion of the $75,000 donated by the Eagles Youth Partnership.
The Eagles have given the community a beautiful playground to be proud of.
But in so doing, they have given the children of Gideon something far more important -- hope.
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