Wawa to Give Thousands to ‘Hero' Non-Profits on July 4th
By Sara Smith ••
Wawa wants to recognize heroes in the community giving away $80,000 in grants.
The Wawa Foundation is asking people to share heroic stories about the work being done by Philadelphia-area non-profits "serving the greater Philadelphia area by assisting others and building stronger communities through preserving our independence, protecting our safety and mentoring and inspiring our youth."
The winning organization will receive a $50,000 grant with three runner-ups getting $10,000 each. The winners being announced on July 4th at the Wawa Welcome America festivities, said Wawa.
“The Wawa Welcome America! Festival is built around activities and events celebrating the everyday heroes who have made our country and city great, so we are thrilled to present the second annual Wawa Foundation Hero Award during this very appropriate time,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa’s President and CEO.
Complete the online registration form and share a video of 4 minutes or less to sumbit your nomination. The deadline for entries is May 21.
maryjblige.com
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Big news! Musical pioneer and “the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” Mary J. Blige will headlinethis summer's Wawa Welcome America July 4th concert.
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Blige has made music history with a record eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy Awards (plus a staggering 32 nominations), a 2012 Golden Globe nomination, and five American Music Awards. Blige is a global superstar who sells out arenas around the world. She has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. Among female R&B singers, only Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston have sold more albums.
boyziimen.com
Wawa Welcome America will honor Philadelphia hometown icons Boyz II Men, the best-selling R&B group of all time with an astounding 64 million albums sold. Boyz II Men will perform on the Parkway July 4th. They will also appear at the “Celebration of Freedom Ceremony” at 10 a.m. on July 4th at Independence Hall where the City of Philadelphia will officially recognize their historic achievements in music and philanthropy.
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Boyz II Men music will also be honored during the big, free July 4th celebration on the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia.
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Kidz Bop will be performing along the Parkway again to bring family-friendly activities in the afternoon of July 4th.
Joseph Kaczmarek
Marking the 25th anniversary of Wawa Welcome America, performing in the Wawa Welcome America July 4th Concert will be the Philly POPS® BIG Band. The POPS were the first performers at the very first free concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in 1993.
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The Philly POPS BIG Band will be joined by Mandy Gonzalez from the Tony Award-winning hit musicals "Hamilton," "In the Heights" and "Wicked."
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Billboard Top 10 jazz singer, pianist and songwriter Tony DeSare will also join The Philly POPS BIG Band.
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The Wawa Welcome America July 4th Concert on Independence Day is free, open to the public and begins promptly at 7 p.m. “We are excited to once again partner with Welcome America, Inc. to produce the Wawa Welcome America July 4th Concert,” Live Nation regional president Geoff Gordon said. “The 2017 lineup of artists will appeal to a broad audience and have viewers both on the Parkway and at home singing and dancing along.”
Bob Bilyk
It culminates with one of the largest and most beautiful fireworks displays in the country at 9:30 p.m.
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And, you can watch all the July 4th festivities free in person or broadcast LIVE on NBC10 and NBC10.com from 10 a.m. to noon and concert and fireworks from 7 to 10 p.m.
