Franco Harris Pittsburgh Promise Memorial Donations Rolling In

PITTSBURGH, PA — Even after his death, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris is giving back to the community.

The Pittsburgh Promise, which has provided collegiate scholarship money to thousands of city students, has received more than $100,000 in contributions from 330 donors since he died in December.

The Promise organization announced the amount on Wednesday. Harris was the Promise's founding board chair and led the organization for 16 years following its 2007 launch.

Saleem Ghubril, Executive Director of The Pittsburgh Promise said, “We were so moved by the Harris family’s request for memorial gifts to be directed to the Promise and are deeply grateful for the incredibly generous gifts that continue to come from donors across the country," Promise execuitve director Saleem Ghubril said.

"Franco often said, ‘A scholarship changed my life’, and he worked tirelessly to ensure The Promise scholarship would provide that same opportunity for Pittsburgh’s youth. Franco’s impact on our work is incomparable."

Memorial gifts to the Promise ranged from $10 to $25,000 from the Heinz Endowments, where Harris served as a board member for 19 years.