“What I strive to do is serve, mentor, progress, give people opportunities they don’t even know they have.” — Jalen Hurts

The Philadelphia Citizen began as an experiment — the city’s first nonprofit solutions journalism organization. We were something new: equal parts a website (and podcast) that were less about breaking news and more about fixing it, and an organization dedicated to bringing people together in person to share ideas, especially proven solutions, to apply and scale here in Philadelphia. During our nearly 10 years in existence, we have worked to elevate the people behind the organizations that are doing the work to make positive changes in our communities and the world.

Last year, true to our name, we began a new tradition: Honor regular (and not so regular) Philadelphia citizens in an awards show-type event — the Philadelphia Citizen of the Year Awards.

Last night, February 25, 2025, we held our second annual Citizen of the Year Awards, presented by FS Investments and Michael Forman and Jennifer Rice. You might have heard about the event because one of our awardees just so happened to be Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback who not only defied doubters on football’s biggest stage, but has also spent his four years in Philly giving back to causes that have touched his heart: Philly kids in need of mentors, Philly schools in need of air conditioning, Philly girls who play sports, and patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“This award holds a special significance for me, knowing everything that we have in common in this room.” — Jalen Hurts

Joining Hurts were nine other Citizen of the Year awardees (see below), PA Governor Josh Shapiro, former Governor and Mayor Ed Rendell, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Philadelphia City Councilmembers Kenyatta Johnson, Jamie Gauthier and Isaiah Thomas, former Canadian Ambassador David Cohen, and MSNBC host and Citizen board member Ali Velshi.

Jalen Hurts shows up, again

We swear, we decided to honor Hurts weeks before the playoffs, having no idea (but hoping a lot) that he’d lead our Birds back to the big show, seeking redemption and another million-person parade. That Hurts showed up after he’d become the country’s foremost athlete was just a testament to who this guy really is. When Jalen Hurts makes a promise, he keeps it.

But Hurts did more than that. He and his fiance Bry Burrows flew back from Houston to be part of the whole evening. Seated alongside Citizen leaders Larry Platt and Roxanne Patel Shepelavy, they watched and listened to Block Captain of the Year Dianna C. Coleman stand with two junior block captains and speak about bringing neighborhood kids and city stakeholders together to turn a vacant lot into a community garden in Southwest Philly. They heard Educator of the Year Njemele Anderson, an ELA teacher from Science Leadership Academy at Beeber, tell of her inspirations and challenges in the classroom.

They listened to presentations about rock concert promotion pioneer Larry Magid, former Philadelphia Mayor and Governor Ed Rendell, businesswoman extraordinaire Judee von Seldeneck, CHOP doctors Stephan Grupp and Alexis Thompson, contributors to a new gene therapy to treat patients with sickle cell disease, and Social Justice Champion Marsha Levick, who has spent her career working to make the justice system actually just for youth. By the time Governor (and diehard Birds fan) Shapiro took the podium to introduce Hurts, Hurts himself had been inspired.

Speaking to the audience of 300, Hurts talked of his namesake foundation, and said, “I’ve received a ton of awards. God’s blessed me with so much in my life. This award holds a special significance for me, knowing everything that we have in common in this room. Everyone has a certain level of drive, a certain level of passion, a will about what they do. I think that’s a quality that oozes throughout the city of Philadelphia — tough and gritty people that don’t take no for an answer.”

He added, “I don’t know if I’d be here without a lot of individuals like yourselves in this room today throughout my development, throughout my transition to manhood.”

A Citizen of the Year grand finale

The night didn’t end with #1, however. Following Hurts was Independence Blue Cross President and CEO Greg Deavens, recognized for his corporate leadership and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. And the night’s grand finale: Youth Citizen of the Year Declan Cassidy, a 15-year-old from Northeast Philadelphia, wearing a tux and Eagles green bowtie, and thanking his family for supporting Socks for the Streets, a nonprofit he began in elementary school to honor his sister who went through homelessness, and that has distributed more than 79,000 pairs of socks, 6,000 hygiene kits, and hundreds of meals and wound care kits to those in need.

In true Philadelphia Citizen style, guests, at the urging of City Council’s Isaiah Thomas, made generous end-of-night contributions to Socks to the Streets, furthering a local mission that inspires us all — and works in love to solve a problem.

Watch the Citizen of the Year Awards:

More Citizen of the Year Photos:

Correction: A previous version of this post mischaracterized the role of CHOP doctors Stephan Grupp and Alexis Thompson in a new gene therapy to treat patients with sickle cell disease. They contributed to the creation of the therapy.

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