Eagles defensive end Chris Long announced through the Chris Long Foundation that he will be donating his entire 2017 salary – a base of $1 million – to charity.
At the beginning of the season, Long announced that his first six game checks would go to a private school in his hometown of Charlottesville, Va. Now, he has pledged his last 10 game checks to the three cities he’s spent his football career in. The money will be distributed to organizations supporting educational equity and opportunity in Philadelphia, St. Louis and Boston.
“I’m playing the entire 2017 NFL season without collecting income because I believe that education is the best gateway to a better tomorrow for EVERYONE in America,” Long said in a statement.
But he won’t stop there. Long is encouraging his fans to join him in supporting equal education opportunities. Anyone can visit Long’s Pledge It page to donate to one of the four campaigns (Philadelphia, St. Louis, Boston and a general fund). The campaign with the most pledges by the end of the season will be given an additional $50,000 from Long.