Hoagie Day in Philadelphia Features Seven-Ton Hoagie Salute to Service Members & Everyday Heroes:
10,000 Hoagies Donated to Philabundance and Veterans Center; 15,000 Hoagies Distributed During Afternoon Event
WAWA, Pa. — As part of Wawa Welcome America, Wawa Hoagie Day will feature a celebration that brings together the community for a heartfelt salute to our local and national heroes!
About the Hoagie Day Celebration in Historic Philadelphia
On Thursday, June 27, Wawa is inviting Philadelphians and hoagie lovers from across the region to take part in its great hoagie tradition—Hoagie Day! This year will feature a total of 25,000 hoagies made from seven tons of ingredients along with a celebration dedicated to honoring our military, veterans, fire and police, everyday heroes, and The Wawa Foundation’s ongoing partnership with the USO. During the event, Wawa will distribute 15,000 free turkey hoagies to the public, as well as donate 10,000 hoagies to Philabundance, the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia, and the Veterans Multi-Service Center. In addition, admission to Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center will be FREE all day, courtesy of Wawa.
The inaugural Hoagie Day was held in 1992, when the hoagie was proclaimed the “Official Sandwich of Philadelphia” by then-Mayor Ed Rendell. Since Hoagie Day’s inception, the event has always focused on honoring our military service members. This year will continue the tradition, as Wawa celebrates its ongoing partnership with the USO,the leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the well-being of the people serving in America’s military and their families. During this year’s Hoagie Day event, The Wawa Foundation will make a formal check presentation of $900,000 from Wawa’s in-store customer fundraising campaign to support USO programs. USO Regional President Rebecca Parkes will share acceptance remarks and the impact the support has on the organization’s mission.
Hoagie Day will also feature a doubleheader “Hoagies for Heroes” competition emceed by WMMR’s Preston and Casey, where Philadelphia’s police officers and firefighters will face off in a hoagie-building competition to benefit charities of their choice. Members of the PA Army National Guard and Pennsylvania Air National Guard will then go head-to-head in a competition of their own to benefit the USO. Wawa will make individual contributions of $3,000 to the charities of all four teams.
Chainwide Hoagie Day Donations
In addition to the local celebration in Philadelphia, all 1,050 Wawa stores across its operating area will participate in Hoagie Day by making a donation of 30 hoagies to everyday heroes serving their local communities for a total donation of 30,000 hoagies chainwide!
“Wawa Welcome America is an incredible series of community events that honor our local heroes as we lead up to our nation’s birthday, and each year, Hoagie Day becomes even more exciting, meaningful and delicious,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa CEO. “We look at Hoagie Day as a tradition of giving back and a way to bring the community together to show appreciation to those who serve. We are so grateful to our heroes and want to wish them and everyone in our communities a very happy July 4th!”
About Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 in Pennsylvania as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama and Washington, D.C. with more than 1,050 locations to date. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, hand-crafted specialty beverages, a dinner menu including burgers and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #20 of America’s Largest Private Companies, #1 in Convenience Category for America’s Best Customer Service by Newsweek, one of Forbes 2023 America’s Best Employers for Women and New College Grads.
