A 9-year-old patient at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia had one wish this summer: meet the Philadelphia Eagles. So she asked. The team said yes, inviting Ava Clopton and other young CHOP patients to a training camp session, turning a simple request into a sideline visit at the club's South Philly practice facility.
Ava's invitation was first reported by CBS News Philadelphia, which detailed how the young CHOP patient's question to the team turned into a personal invitation to camp. The visit took place at what is now known as the Jefferson Health Training Complex, the South Philadelphia facility the Eagles renamed earlier this year as part of a multi-year healthcare partnership, according to prior Hoodline reporting on the facility's rebrand. The complex was known as the NovaCare Complex from 2001 until earlier this year, per that same coverage.
How Young Patients Get Sideline Access
Most summer practices at the training complex are closed to the public, but the Eagles carve out sideline access for community partners, Make-A-Wish recipients, and pediatric patient ambassadors from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Sports Illustrated reports. That arrangement is why a request from a young CHOP patient like Ava could turn into an actual camp visit rather than a form-letter response. Public access to camp is otherwise limited to a single open practice at Lincoln Financial Field.
Ava's visit also fits into a broader, formal relationship between the two institutions. The Eagles and CHOP run a collaborative recognition program called CHOP MVP, which highlights pediatric patients facing rare or complex conditions during home game broadcasts and team community events, according to the Philadelphia Eagles. Patients featured through the program in 2025 included children recovering from congenital organ diseases and brain tumors.
A Nationally Ranked Hospital Behind the Invitation
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where Ava is a patient, is not a small operation. U.S. News & World Report placed CHOP on its 2025-2026 Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll, ranking it No. 1 in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic region with top-five national scores across all 10 evaluated pediatric specialties, FOX 29 Philadelphia reported last October. The hospital ranked second nationally in both pediatric orthopedics and pediatric cancer care.
Founded in 1855 as North America's first hospital dedicated exclusively to children's health, CHOP now operates nearly 600 beds at its West Philadelphia campus and handles more than 1.6 million patient visits annually, per PR Newswire. The hospital was established by Dr. Francis West Lewis and colleagues, and it remains the nation's oldest pediatric hospital.
Executives on Both Sides Have Deep Ties
The connection between the two institutions runs through leadership as well as programming. Eagles President Don Smolenski is a longtime volunteer at CHOP and joined the hospital's CEO, Madeline Bell, on the Breaking Through podcast in January to discuss joint community health outreach, according to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Smolenski used the appearance to talk about building community trust through shared civic values.
It's not the first time Eagles players have worked directly alongside CHOP medical staff. Back in December 2019, players joined CHOP physical therapists at Lincoln Financial Field to build customized motorized toy cars for pediatric patients with severe mobility limitations, part of the Go Baby Go! program, CBS News Philadelphia reported at the time. Therapists modified the accelerator pedals so young children could drive the cars independently.
Funding the Partnership
The Eagles' charitable ties to pediatric health extend to team leadership and fundraising as well. Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie received the ENSPIRE Sports Humanitarian Award during ESPYS week this month for his philanthropic leadership supporting children's health programs, autism research, and the Lurie Autism Institute, the team announced. Money for these efforts flows through several channels, including ticket sales from the team's single open training camp practice at Lincoln Financial Field, priced at $15 for general admission and $50 for VIP sideline access, with proceeds going to pediatric and community health initiatives through the Eagles Autism Foundation, Sports Illustrated notes.
The Eagles also partnered with Audacy this month to launch the annual Eagles Radiothon on SportsRadio 94WIP, aiming to top the $610,000 raised in 2025 through auctions of player meet-and-greets and autographed memorabilia, with all auction proceeds benefiting health initiatives, according to the team. For a 9-year-old CHOP patient who simply asked to meet her favorite team, that infrastructure of hospital partnerships, executive volunteerism, and fundraising is what made her afternoon on the practice field possible.
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