Philly school kids go on field trip thanks to Lane Johnson T-shirt sales

CAMDEN , NJ (WTXF) - The Eagles' Super Bowl victory is the gift that keeps on giving to school kids in Philadelphia. The birds' post-season success has taken a charitable effort by offensive tackle Lane Johnson to a whole new level.

FOX 29's Bruce Gordon has the story.

The trio of yellow busses that transported 120 Bregy Elementary School kids from Philadelphia to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden Monday would have cost the school and the kids' parents $828 had it not been for a certain local football star. Which may explain why the kids were singing, "Fly, Eagles, Fly, on the road to victory!..." on their way in the door.

"So that means that all children get to go," said principal Shakeera Warthen of the class trips. "And we get to go on that many more trips because we're not taking other fundraising money to pay for busses and things of that sort."

Offensive tackle Lane Johnson came to Bregy last fall and made a pledge that proceeds from the sale of his 'Follow My Block' T-shirts would go to The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia.

The first few thousand dollars, back in November, paid for transportation to three different Bregy class trips.

When Johnson donned a dog mask after the Eagles January playoff win over Atlanta, things got crazy.The masks sold out and Johnson created T-shirts with the 'underdog' theme.

"The orders were coming in faster than they could make and ship the shirts," said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, president and CEO of The Fund. "It exploded. Winning helps!"

Frisby-Greenwood says the Johnson T-shirts put The Fund on The Map. Now, it wasn't just education foundations donating money it was regular folks who wanted in on the Eagles "feel good' story, while helping city school kids get the "extras" they deserve.

These kids had a ball and their teachers built lesson plans around the trip.

"How much fun are you having today?" asked FOX 29's Bruce Gordon of one young student.

"Like a hundred percent!"

And the kids knew whom to thank for their day, offering a shout out to big Number 65.

"Thank you Lane Johnson!" they yelled. "Go Eagles!!!"

Officials at The Fund say the explosive sales of the Johnson T-shirts led the NFL, the league's players' association and Modell's Sporting Goods to join the effort.

Frisby-Greenwood says updated donation figures are due in within the next week or so, and should reach the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Turns out, that Eagles super Bowl victory is the gift that keeps on giving.

For more information, please click here.