In its first year, the Ertz Family Foundation did its best to make an impact in communities across the United States.
Inspired by a trip that Zach took to Haiti in April 2018 with teammates from the Philadelphia Eagles, Zach and Julie launched the Ertz Family Foundation, an organization dedicated to empowering others by sharing faith, learning through sports and advancing education to build supportive communities.
So far, so good, and with unanticipated benefits, too.
“It’s brought Julie and I closer together,” said Zach, “if that was even possible.”
The foundation’s inaugural event, held in July in Northern California, proved incredibly successful. With $200,000 raised, the foundation was able to:
- Send money to The Mission of Hope in Haiti for scholarships
- Fund a college readiness program at Kennedy High School in Richmond, CA with College Is Real
- Help save Kensington High School’s football program in Philadelphia after all their equipment was stolen
Months later, on November 29th, the Ertz Family Foundation had its second event, the City of Love Auction and Fundraiser in Philadelphia. Once again, foundation supporters showed their generosity, helping the Ertz Family Foundation to launch the City of the Love Fund in conjunction with Impact Philanthropy Group.
Through the fund, the foundation will be able to provide grants to charities in Philadelphia that are working hard to make a difference.
“It was amazing to see how much support we had,” said Julie.
In addition to the foundation’s two major events, the Ertz Family Foundation also participated in two ongoing fundraisers during the NFL season. Working with PledgeIt, Zach’s Catches for the Community Campaign raised money for every catch he made, while his partnership with Chegg raised $65,448 from Zach’s first downs and touchdowns.
The Ertz Family Foundation’s other outreach included:
- Partnering with Bringing Hope Home and ACME at Thanksgiving to help Philadelphia families get their Thanksgiving meals
- Partnering with Campbell’s and Philabundance in December to donate over 20,000 cans of soup
- Donating over 200 backpacks for kids in Philadelphia and New Jersey
- Launching an online store to raise money for the City of Love Fund
As the foundation heads into 2019, there are already plans for a spring football camp in Philadelphia and a summer golf tournament in Northern California. The future is bright.
“Zach and I aren’t going to have these platforms forever,” explained Julie. “But it’s amazing what a little bit of hope, or compassion, or even just a little bit of opportunity to help someone succeed can accomplish.”
If you are interested in supporting the Ertz Foundation Family, please contact us at info@ertzfamilyfoundation.org, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.