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Simmons Brings Philly's Star Athletes Together to Promote 'The Philly Pledge'

Sixers superstar Ben Simmons recently launched 'The Philly Pledge' to help with coronavirus relief. And recently, he brought all of Philly's star athletes together to promote.
Justin Grasso|
Simmons Brings Philly's Star Athletes Together to Promote 'The Philly Pledge'
Simmons Brings Philly's Star Athletes Together to Promote 'The Philly Pledge'

Multiple Philadelphia 76ers players are looking for ways to help out during this tough time in America. A few weeks ago, the coronavirus pandemic was spreading like wildfire across the nation. Eventually, it made its way into the NBA when Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.

Once his results were out there, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was left with no choice but to stop the league's operations for the time being. Now, we're nearing three weeks without a single basketball game, and the pandemic is only growing worse at the moment.

So right now, NBA players are forbidden from doing pretty much anything it seems. Many were told to self-isolate, and now they can't even work out anywhere unless they have a gym in their own home. Therefore, a lot of them don't have much to do.

Some will wait for everything to blow over -- and some will decide to lend a helping hand. Sixers' star point guard Ben Simmons is doing the latter during this time. On Friday morning, Simmons launched what is now known as 'The Philly Pledge.'

The Philly Pledge is a site, which encourages Philadelphians to donate to two specific organizations to help with coronavirus relief in the city. The first is the PHL COVID-19 Response. The second is a popular one that has been around for some time called 'Philabundance.'

The Goal of The Pledge

"With so much uncertainty facing us all around COVID-19, there's one thing that we shouldn’t be uncertain about. And that's our willingness to extend a helping hand to those in need during times of crisis. After all, we ARE the City of Brotherly Love."

"But knowing where to turn and how to help can be overwhelming and confusing. That's why we've done the research and found two causes that will help positively impact the areas of our community that need it the most during these tough times."

"As a city, we always band together. And no matter how far away we move in this world, Philadelphia is always home. Through thick and thin, wins and losses, championships or bust, we always come together in a time of need and leave no one behind."

Who Else is Getting Involved?

Hours after Simmons made The Philly Pledge public, the Sixers' point guard received a shoutout from Philadelphia's Mayor, Jim Kenny, during a Friday briefing. Then on Saturday, Simmons got a plethora of Philly athletes involved as they promoted it as well.

Flyers' Claude Giroux

Phillies' Rhys Hoskins

Eagles & Chicago Red Stars' Zach and Julie Ertz

Eagles' Jalen Mills

Phillies' Andrew Knapp

Sixers' Tobias Harris

If you would like to help out and donate, check out 'The Philly Pledge' here.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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