A recipient of a 2006 Eddy Award presented by the Philadelphia Education Fund on Tuesday, the Eagles Youth Partnership was honored for putting its focus, funds and celebrity on our city's public schools.

For more than a decade, EYP has drawn on the Eagles' popularity to inspire children about everything from reading to chess to eyeglasses. Their work touches the lives of more than 50,000 under-served children in the Philadelphia region each year, and by doing so they have set the bar for professional sports teams when it comes to successful philanthropic efforts.

"The Eagles Youth Partnership has provided books and much-needed eye care to thousands of Philadelphia students," says Carol S. Fixman, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Education Fund. "They are a model for how other sports organizations can use their popularity to positively impact the future of our region."

The Eagles Youth Partnership meets the critical and urgent needs of Philadelphia's children through signature programs, including the Eagles Book Mobile, Eagles Eye Mobile, annual Eagles Chess Tournament, Eagles Top Achiever Awards and the annual revitalization of public school playgrounds.

The Eagles Eye Mobile provides free comprehensive eye examinations and prescription glasses to students in the school districts of Philadelphia and Chester-Upland; while the Eagles Book Mobile spreads the joy of reading and provides new books to children at schools, libraries, recreation centers and shelters throughout the region.

Former Eagles fullback Cecil Martin accepted the award, along with EYP's Executive Director, Sarah Martinez-Helfman.

The Eagles Youth Partnership received the 2006 Star Commitment to Education Eddy Award from the Philadelphia Education Fund.

Approximately 300 people attended the event, which was held at WHYY and included live interviews by WHYY's Tracey Matisak. Also being honored were Grammy Winner Jill Scott, GlaxoSmithKline, the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, as well as Philadelphia Scholar and Villanova sophomore Tiffany A. Flippen.

This year's Star Alumna Eddy Award was presented to Grammy Winner and Poet Jill Scott. Ms. Scott, born and raised in North Philadelphia, is a graduate of Thomas M. Peirce Elementary School, Albert M. Greenfield School and Philadelphia High School for Girls.

She released her debut album, "Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1," in July 2000, and won a Grammy in 2005 for Best R&B Urban/Alternative Performance for "Cross My Mind." Her book of poetry, "The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours," was released in April 2005. In addition, Ms. Scott is the founder of the Blues Babe Foundation, which offers scholarships to students between the ages of 16-21 residing in the Philadelphia region, among other philanthropic interests.

Receiving the Star Business Commitment to Education Eddy was GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The pharmaceutical company is being honored for its continued support of education programs in under-served communities, including teacher development, middle-grades education and its flagship Science in the Summer program. GSK's Director of Community Partnerships, Mary Linda Andrews, was on hand to receive the award.

The Philadelphia Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity was honored with the Star Community Commitment to Education Eddy Award. The city's Alumni Chapter works with young African-American males to combat the negative influences in their lives through programs like Guide Right, which stresses positive values, direction and self-esteem. Louis Williams, Polemarch, accepted the award for Kappa Alpha Psi.

In addition, Tiffany A. Flippen, a promising participant from the Ed Fund's College Access and Philadelphia Scholars programs, received the Rising Star Eddy. A sophomore at Villanova University, Tiffany is an accounting major with a minor in African American Studies and is an active volunteer for Villanova's Black Cultural Society. She was also the valedictorian of her class at University City High School.

The 2006 Eddys were sponsored by WHYY, Fox Rothschild LLP, IBM and Firstrust Bank. An open nomination process was conducted by the 2006 Eddy Awards Committee in June 2006. Anyone in the greater Philadelphia community was welcome to submit a nomination.