GREATER GLENSIDE PATRIOTIC ASSOCIATION CALENDAR
GENERAL MEETING
7:30 pm 2nd Tuesday of every month. Glenside Weldon Fire Company
Easton Rd., Glenside, PA
Dear Committee Member,
Following is the list of dates for this year's meetings. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month. If you are unable to attend any meeting please let Mike or Ann know.
July 8
August no meeting
Sept 9
Oct 14
November 11
Dec 9
Ann Langdon 267-481-1351
Mike Gillespie 215-884-3597
Meeting are Open To The Public
GLENSIDE'S EXCITING 'REAL AMERICANA'
JULY 4 INDEPENDANCE DAY CELEBRATION
“To exclusively advance and perpetuate the spirit of Independence Day (July 4)…to honor the birth of the U.S.A.; to organize and supervise an annual parade and other activities on July 4 (or rain date) in celebration of Independence; to encourage the citizens of the community to participate and join in with the association in the spirit of patriotism.”
As expressed in its by-laws, the above states the mission of all-volunteer membership of the Greater Glenside Patriotic Association (GGPA), a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501©(3) group whose sole, year-round effort is sponsorship of Greater Glenside’s Annual Independence Day Celebration each July 4.
In a feature story about Glenside in its newspaper editions of Sept. 27, 1992, THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER observed: “It’s real Americana here!” On every 4th of July…there has always been a parade so big, so important that the (sponsoring) Greater Glenside Patriotic Association needs to hold fundraising activities for it. It’s an opportunity for everyone to come together. Glenside is THE 4th of July parade! It’s something that links the Cheltenham and Abington sides of the community.” (Glenside is an unincorporated area of Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County shared by Abington and Cheltenham Townships.)
Within recent years, Greater Glenside’s July 4 celebration has become suburban Philadelphia’s largest, most ambitious, best attended and widely acclaimed Independence Day staging throughout the tri-state Delaware Valley area.
The morning-into-night, free admission to all events’ gala begins with a 10 a. m. to 12:30 p. m. We Love America Children’s Program at a Cheltenham Township park. Festivities for the 1,500-2,000 attendees include decorated bike/stroller parades and competitive, award winning field/sports contests, followed by lunchtime refreshments.
The 4 p. m. Grand, Glorious, Patriotic Parade is a 2-plus hours, 1.5-mile, colorful, exciting march through the business heart of Glenside. Consisting of 3 divisions – United We Stand, American Patriots and Heroes and Let Freedom Ring – the parade is among America’s oldest 4th of July marches, and now into its 2nd century (the 100th parade occurred in 2003). Police estimate yearly spectator attendance at about 25,000.
The celebration’s rousing finale is an after-dark America The Beautiful Aerial Fireworks Spectacular at Abington High School grounds. Police have estimated annual attendance of 10,000-12,000, with many spectators coming from neighboring or nearby areas of eastern Montgomery County, lower Bucks County and Northeast/Northwest Philadelphia County locales.
Besides bringing the community together in a patriotic sense, each celebration has a positive economic effect on Greater Glenside businesses that remain open each July 4 to serve the celebratory throngs.
In 2002 the Greater Glenside Chamber of Commerce presented its yearly Distinguished Community Service Award to the patriotic association for its annual and effective sponsorship of the entire independence Day Celebration. The latter has also won first place in the “Favorite Local Event” category of the Montgomery Newspapers’ Annual Readers’ Choice Awards..
Thank you!
1 /4/06
EDGE HILL ‘BEST APPEARING’
IN FIRE COMPANY PARADE VOTE
GLENSIDE, PA – Judged as the “Best appearing volunteer fire company,” the Edge Hill Fire Co., of North Hills, PA was among six winners in competition in conjunction, with fire-rescue units participating in Glenside’s 101st Grand, Glorious Patriotic Parade and Independence Day Celebration last Sunday, July 4.
The Abington, PA, and LaMott, PA, Fire Companies finished second and third respectively, in the best appearing category.
Other winners and runners-up were: best appearing engine: Oreland (PA) Fire Co., first; Lamott, 2; Roslyn (PA) Fire Co., 3; best appearing aerial apparatus: Abington, first; Edge Hill, 2; Willow Grove (PA) Fire Co., 3; best appearing rescue squad: Wyndmoor, PA, first, and Horsham, PA, 2; best appearing ambulance: Cheltenham (PA) Emergency Medical Services, first, and Second Alarmers of Montgomery County, 2; and best appearing antique: Willow Grove, first, and Independent Fire Co. of Jenkintown, PA, 2.
Because they are considered host fire companies for the July 4 parade, the Weldon Fire Co., of Abington Township, and the Glenside Fire Co., based in Cheltenham Township, do not vie in the Independence Day Celebration competition.
Wm. B. Hall, III
Media/Publicity Director
215-357-5189
215-887-1847