Eagles defensive end Chris Long is donating his entire 2017 salary to education charities

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Eagles defensive end Chris Long is donating his entire 2017 salary to education charities

chris long

Rob Carr/Getty

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Eagles defensive end Chris Long had already proven himself to be a giving person, having donated his first six game checks of the 2017 season to help fund scholarships in his hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, in an effort to promote education equity.

On Wednesday, Long announced that his charitable giving was not yet done for the year, and that his final ten game checks would be used to launch the "Pledge 10 for Tomorrow" campaign.

According to a press release from the Chris Long Foundation, "The campaign encourages fans, businesses and every person with a desire to join in his pursuit of equal education opportunities for all students to make a donation. The goal is that Long's donation will be matched by pledges made by those inspired to join the effort - because together we can accomplish more."

Long's commitment to education equity has been a staple of his charitable giving for some time. "My wife and I have been passionate about education being a gateway for upward mobility and equality," Long told The Associated Press. "I think we can all agree that equity in education can help affect change that we all want to see in this country."

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Over the course of his career, Long has spent time playing in St. Louis, New England, and now Philadelphia, and he has selected four organizations based in those communities to help support through this new initiative, with each group receiving a $100,000 donation from Long to start. Local supporters of the campaign will be encouraged to make a recurring $10 donation for every week remaining in the NFL season, and the city that raises the most money will receive an extra $50,000 for their cause.

"By joining forces we will have the power to make a bigger impact and create a rich, educated culture for all of our youth," said Long. "These kids will be the kids that can propel positive change in their communities."

You can learn more about the Pledge 10 for Tomorrow campaign here.