Zach Ertz helps donate $30,000 worth of sports gear to Chester youth athletics group

Zach Ertz made an appearance at a Delaware County youth sports group on Tuesday night, and he made sure he wasn’t empty-handed.

In partnership with several local Dunkin’ Donuts shops, Ertz announced a $30,000 donation of sports gear to the Chester Panthers Youth Empowerment and Athletic Association. He visited kids and parents involved in the association, which is run by volunteers. The association has been receiving donations from Dunkin’ Philly as a part of its “Touchdowns for Kids” program since 2013.

Ertz pledged to donate $250 for every touchdown the Eagles score in a season, with all the proceeds going to Good Sports, an organization that raises money for youth sports equipment nationally. Dunkin’ Philly adds another $250 per score.

“It was really fun to be out there," Ertz said after Wednesday’s practice. “All those kids have a lot of energy, obviously, running around all day. I just told them that they’re not doing this by themselves, there’s a lot of people that care about them. Not only with my wife and me, but the people at Dunkin’ and the people at Good Sports.”

Ertz said it’s his fifth year donating to a local youth sports organization.

“They always say, ‘How do you get to the NFL?’ “ Ertz said. "But I wouldn’t be in the NFL without going to Stanford [University], getting good grades, and playing for [former coach Jim Harbaugh] and coach [Brian] Shaw,”