Penn Medicine and the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they will continue their partnership supporting various Philadelphia community initiatives.
Penn Med’s Oct. 9 announcement referenced four specific Philadelphia initiatives: Penn Medicine Assist, Nurse of the Game, Gritty 5K, and broader efforts to expand innovation and community support. The expansion marks the continuation of a partnership that began in 2020 — when Penn Med became the Flyers’ official health care provider.
Since then, the organizations have conceived several projects centered around the health of Philadelphia residents.
“Penn Medicine serves a region that prides itself on hard work and determination, so I’m happy that we can continue a partnership between a pair of organizations that really reflect those qualities,” Penn Med CEO Kevin Mahoney wrote in the announcement.
Penn Med Assist is a program that donates 50 pounds of food to a local charity, Philabundance, for every assist recorded by the Flyers. This year’s Gritty 5K took place on Oct. 4, and has raised over $750,000 for Flyers Charities, contributing funds that support families affected by cancer and grow hockey in the Philadelphia community.
Nurse of the Game occurs at Flyers home games, where the team recognizes “outstanding” Penn Med nurses who demonstrate clinical “excellence” and an “unwavering commitment” to care. They’re emphasized as an example of dedication to the people of the city, demonstrating what it means to serve their community.
The Flyers have also left their mark on Penn’s campus. Snider Hockey — owned by the Flyers — donated $7 million to renovate the Class of 1923 Ice Rink, $2 million of which was donated by Flyers Alumni. The donation allows the rink to remain open year-round and provide youth programming at no cost to participants from the community.
The organization’s sports–related collaborations are not limited to the Flyers: Since September 2022, Penn Med has been partnered with the Philadelphia 76ers. In August of this year, the two organizations worked to update an outdoor basketball court and surrounding park for the Philadelphia community.
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Penn Med’s place in the Philadelphia sports scene has also been bolstered by a recent donation of $50 million by the Philadelphia Eagles to build the Lurie Autism Institute — in conjunction with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
