Kidneys For Communities Honored by Philadelphia Eagles Community RedZone Program at Jan. 4 Game

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kidneys for Communities, a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to life-saving kidney transplants through community-centered living donation, was honored to be recognized in-stadium as a featured partner of the Philadelphia Eagles Community RedZone program during the Eagles' Jan. 4 home game at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles Community RedZone program recognizes nonprofit organizations making a meaningful impact in the Greater Philadelphia region. Kidneys for Communities was selected for its innovative work connecting individuals in need of a kidney transplant—particularly first responders and children —with potential living donors through coordinated community outreach and education.

A key part of that impact is the organization's new partnership with the City of Philadelphia, led by Adam K. Thiel, the City's Managing Director and former Fire Commissioner.

"This partnership reflects Mayor Parker's and all City of Philadelphia employees'  commitment to taking care of the men and women who have spent their careers taking care of us," said Thiel. "By working with Kidneys for Communities, we are helping to bring real solutions to first responders and children facing kidney failure — and ensuring they know they are not alone."

Through the partnership, Kidneys for Communities and the City of Philadelphia are working together to raise awareness of living kidney donation within the city's first-responder community, remove barriers to donation, and accelerate life-saving matches.

The first successful outcome of this collaboration is Daulton "DJ" Riddell, a 24-year-old Philadelphia-area resident and aspiring law enforcement officer who recently found a living kidney donor match through Kidneys for Communities. Riddell is the son of two retired law enforcement officers, his mother of whom is a National Board Member of the Police Unity Tour and President of Chapter IX of the Police Unity Tour.  Riddell is scheduled to receive his transplant on Jan. 15, 2026, marking a major milestone for the city-nonprofit partnership and offering hope to other first responders in need.

"We are incredibly proud to stand alongside the City of Philadelphia and the Eagles in support of the children and first responder community," said Atul Agnihotri, CEO of Kidneys for Communities and a kidney transplant recipient himself. "DJ's story shows what's possible when a city, a nonprofit, and a community come together with a shared mission — saving lives." 

More than 90,000 people nationwide are currently waiting for a kidney transplant, including approximately 5,000 in the Philadelphia area. Killing more people than breast cancer or prostate cancer, kidney disease has, in recent years, been named by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a leading cause of death in the U.S. CDC data shows that kidney disease affects an estimated 35.5 million people in the U.S., and approximately 90% of those with kidney disease don't know they have it.

Media Contact:
Stacey Doss, APR
PR Director
COHN Marketing
949-285-2362
[email protected] 

SOURCE Kidneys for Communities