Eight years ago, in May of 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the inaugural Eagles Autism Challenge: A one-day bike ride and family-friendly 5K to raise money for autism research and care.

Due to the success of the challenge, the Eagles Autism Foundation was then founded in 2019, headed by Eagles Owner Jeffrey Lurie, to centralize and expand the team's efforts in the community. Since then, the Eagles Autism Foundation has raised more than $56 million due to initiatives like the annual Eagles Autism Challenge, funding more than 223 research projects and community grants worldwide.

2025 was a landmark year for Lurie and the Eagles Autism Foundation. The Lurie family donated $50 million to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine to establish the Lurie Autism Institute. A joint initiative between the two hospitals, it's the largest single donation to U.S. academic medical centers focused on autism research across the lifespan.

In the past decade, Lurie's efforts have contributed to more than $106 million in autism research and care. Under his leadership, every member of the Eagles organization takes part in the Eagles Autism Challenge. The foundation serves not only children and adults on the spectrum, but also parents, caregivers, and medical communities researching autism spectrum disorder.

For his work supporting the global autism community through the Eagles Autism Foundation and the Lurie Autism Institute, Lurie has been named the recipient of the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award. The honor is part of ESPN's Sports Humanitarian Awards, held during ESPYS week in July.

"I am truly humbled to be recognized as the recipient of this year's Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award," Lurie said. "This honor exemplifies the transformative power of sport and the life-changing impact it can have on people. Stuart was a trailblazer whose legacy was built on integrity, professionalism, and bravery. His authentic character and fearlessness in the face of adversity will live on forever through this distinguished award.

"I have always envisioned that the impact of owning a professional sports franchise could extend beyond the field and into the global health community. The Eagles Autism Foundation and Lurie Autism Institute have been created to support individuals with autism and their families by funding innovative and potentially groundbreaking research rooted in science and data, in addition to providing programming and services to those in need. Autism is a global condition that is not only underfunded and under-researched but just in the United States alone affects one in 31 children.

"It is a privilege to now follow in the footsteps of past recipients who have leveraged their platforms to inspire change in their own unique ways. Thank you to ESPN and the family of Stuart Scott for this extraordinary honor."

According to ESPN, the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award "celebrates people that have taken risk and used an innovative approach to helping the disadvantaged through the power of sports. Successful candidates will personify the ethos of fairness, ethics, respect and fellowship with others."

The award was created in 2015 to honor the life and legacy of sports broadcaster Stuart Scott, who passed away from cancer earlier that year.

Previous winners of the Stuart Scott ENSPIRE Award include fellow NFL owners Robert Kraft (2016) and Stephen Ross (2017), Billy Bean (2025), Brice Christianson (2024), Dr. Richard Lapchick (2023), Chris Evert, Steve Gleason, and Dikembe Mutombo all in 2022, Frank Kipp (2021), and more.

Lurie's family has a long history of funding autism research. Back in 1977, Jeffrey Lurie's mother, Nancy, founded the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation, leading to the establishment of the Lurie Center for Autism at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In May, the Eagles Autism Challenge celebrated another record-breaking year – raising more than $16 million alone through nearly 40,000 donations and 6,832 participants.

Through the Eagles Autism Foundation and the Lurie Autism Institute, Philadelphia has become an international hub for autism research and care. Resources funded through the Eagles Autism Foundation are reaching neurodiverse individuals and families in schools, clinics, employment programs, and inclusive community spaces. Daily experiences of people whose access to support, opportunity, and belonging have been meaningfully expanded because of what Lurie has championed. – Written by Caroline Connor