Signed photo of Jalen Hurts stolen from ALS charity raffle in South Philly

A raffle at an ALS charity event ended early Saturday in South Philadelphia after someone stole its grand prize, a framed signed photo of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, before a winner was drawn.

Held at Xfinity Live!, the event was part of the National 50 in 1 Bar Crawl for ALS to raise funds for several ALS foundations. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative disease for which there is no known cure.

The photo of Hurts was valued at about $500, but its theft forced organizers to stop selling raffle tickets for it, causing a blow to the fund-raiser.

“We don’t know how much money these organizations missed out on,” said Larry Kaplan, a West Chester-based volunteer with the event.

Kaplan said that between 8:15 and 8:45 p.m. Saturday, a woman in her mid-20s with brown, curly hair picked up the photo from the charity table and walked out with it. Security guards did see the woman leaving with the photo, but Kaplan said she told them that she had won it and was planning on giving it to her uncle, who was a big Eagles fan.

In all, about 200 people, including several ALS patients, attended the event, Kaplan said. Organizers had walked away from the charity table, and had security keep an eye on it while they watched an event attendee, a man with ALS, ride a mechanical bull. After about 15 minutes, Kaplan said, they returned to the area, and the photograph was gone.

While the piece isn’t particularly high-dollar, Kaplan said he is more upset that the event missed out on funds that could have gone to the organizations the event was benefiting. Those included the ALS Hope Foundation at Temple University Hospital; the New Jersey-based Hope Loves Company, which offers camps and support for kids with parents who have ALS; and Team Gleason, an organization started by former NFL player Steve Gleason, who has ALS.

“These families were horrified that someone did this,” Kaplan said. “It’s not about the piece. It’s about this person who stole from these families. It’s disgusting.”

The photograph has an unusual, hologram-style serial number, WA570204, embedded under the glass. Because of the attention the theft has received online, it’s unlikely to be seen as valuable at a reputable sports memorabilia dealer. But Kaplan said he believes the piece can be found.

“We know she had to have shown it to someone,” Kaplan said. “To walk out and put it in an Uber, you’re not stealing it just to hide it.”

Kaplan said that a police report has been filed over the theft and that South Detectives are investigating the incident. He has not heard back about any leads.