General overall view of a Philadelphia Eagles helmet. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Eagles creating popcorn facility to employ adults with autism

By Bruce Ewing | Last updated 8/7/23

The Philadelphia Eagles hope you’ll get your popcorn ready and support a good cause when you visit Lincoln Financial Field next year.

Prior to the team’s open practice Sunday night, team owner Jeff Lurie announced that the team will open a "Popcorn for the People" concession stand at the stadium that will employ local members of disabled and autism communities.

”Our hope is that a partnership like this can serve as a model for other organizations here in Philadelphia and around the country,” Lurie said. “To take the same kind of action and leverage their strengths, and put their resources together in the very same way, being collaborative and offering employment to the disabled community."

Ahead of the team’s public practice tonight, owner Jeffrey Lurie is announcing a new initiative with the Eagles Autism Foundation.

The team is building a new popcorn concession stand at Lincoln Financial Field that will employ adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. pic.twitter.com/2YbYUk9mjw
— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) August 6, 2023

"Popcorn for the People" was established in 2014 by Let's Work for Good Inc. to fill a gap in the employment market by creating respectable job opportunities and equitable pay for disabled individuals. All profits of "Popcorn for the People" are reinvested into the organization.

Since 2018, the Eagles Autism Foundation has raised more than $20M for autism research, care programs and community grants. This summer, the team held its annual Eagles Autism Challenge, a 5K run/walk/bike event with the help of 40 players from their roster.

Over the next few months, Wawa convenience stores will help the team transform a vacant Center City store into a "Popcorn for the People" production facility. The project should be finished by early 2024.

There’s no word on how much the popcorn will cost, but one dollar from every bag of popcorn sold will go directly to the Eagles Autism Foundation. Where’s Terrell Owens when we need him?

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