On Monday, January 3, 2005, Jevon Kearse joined other NFL players on Wheel of Fortune to play for the charities of their choice. Kearse plays defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that has gone 13-3 this 2004-05 season. While growing up in Fort Myers, Florida, Kearse was a Boys & Girls Club member at the Lee County Shady Oaks Unit in his hometown. He chose to give back to an organization that has been a part of his childhood.
That Monday evening, 30 teens from Germantown Boys & Girls Club gathered around the Club’s television to watch Kearse represent their Club. The Eagles had just clinched a playoff seat the month before, and the Germantown members were extremely excited that a key player would be advocating for them on national television. That night Kearse played against Torry Holt of the St. Louis Rams and Hones Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Each NFL superstar was teamed up with a fan that evening for a chance at winning prizes and money for their charities.
The Germantown teens cheered Kearse on even when he struck “Bankrupt” twice. Although Kearse and his teammate only won $500 during the course of the night, Wheel of Fortune will be donating $10,000 to the charities of his choice. The contribution will be split evenly between Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County. Kearse’s journey to the NFL from the Boys & Girls Clubs only reinforces what an important role the Clubs play in many children’s lives. Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia continues to be The Positive Place for Kids.
