See what Patient First is doing in the community.
We "got our Irish on" during Allentown's annual Irish Cultural Community Day event, presented by the Allentown St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee, Inc.
Patient First has participated in this event many times over the years, and it has always attracted a great crowd, with lots of fun and spirited families, organizers and folks from all over the Lehigh Valley and beyond. This year was no exception. There were plenty of activities for families and children to enjoy all day.
The crowd for Community Day was enormous this year, and part of three days of Irish-related fun, including a Friday evening event, as well as the 64th Annual St. Patrick's Day parade on Sunday.
The return of our complimentary blood pressure checks was well received, and we were delighted to provide many during this event. We are always so happy to work with this great group of organizers who always put together a well-run and well-attended event. We were stationed at a perfect location, too, which gave us a great interaction and many conversations with event participants. We also got to enjoy the very talented Irish dancers, bagpipes and other instrumentalists and vocalists that made for an awesome day!
"Playing music fills the soul like no other activity, and it provides an incredible and thorough brain workout," says Mr. Jay Dorfman, instrumental music teacher at Delran Intermediate School. "Thanks to a most generous monetary gift from Patient First, we have been able to improve the band experience for our student musicians."
Each year Patient First provides select schools near its centers with financial support for innovative and creative programs, projects and activities. This year was no exception. Band is a "co-curricular" activity at Delran Intermediate School, where students receive small group lessons during the school day. The full band rehearses during after-school hours, and presents concerts in December and May, which are open to the public and free of charge.
Patient First has helped aspiring young musicians in Delran through the purchase of instruments to create an awesome band experience. New items include an electric stage piano, 24 ukuleles, various hand percussion items, an electric mallet station, percussion emulator, and much more.
Ms. Kim Hickson and Mr. Chris Sheridan, the school's principal and assistant principal agree that "Patient First's contribution has helped meet the needs of our students, and with the development of the arts and other creative outlets at our school-- especially the band program. Thank you!"
What started as an Eagle Scout project and construction of flower boxes at Uwchlan Hills Elementary School in Downingtown, PA has grown into something much larger. Through a monetary gift from Patient First, this project continues to bloom and grow, with harvests produced throughout the year benefitting the school's "Helping Hands" families as well as the Chester County Food Bank.
Each season 40 to 50 students in first, second and third grades participate in "Garden Club" where they hear gardening stories, assist with planting, weeding, watering and cutting flowers for bouquets. They also help with weighing and bagging veggies the garden produces at harvest time.
School principal Robert Giering along with two faculty advisors, Ms. Kate Cool (second grade teacher), and Ms. Alicia Reiner (first grade teacher) lead the project from school staff. School families and parent volunteers also help the program continue to thrive. Two parents have been particularly instrumental with this project - Heather Landgarden and Ali Bruenderman. They are the "garden experts" and have worked side by side with school staff every step of the way.
Planting begins in April each year and continues in June and August, with crops planted during the appropriate season. Harvesting begins in spring and continues into November. Patient First's donation has helped the Garden Club purchase hoses, gloves and tools for the children as well as added soil and compost, additional native plants and flowers and even umbrellas and cabling for vining vegetables.
Our Bethlehem, PA center is literally right down the street from the Hanover Township Community Center, and we are sure happy to be able to share the neighborhood with such a great organization. It was fun to return to participate in the annual Tree Lighting event December 2nd on campus. This year's event was likely their largest to date, and the campus was filled with cheerful holiday lights and beautiful decorations. Many activities for children and families were set up inside, as well. There was a whole lot of outdoor activity happening, too, which made the evening such fun for participants, and for us! Among the biggest hits were hot dog and marshmallow roasting over the huge charcoal grill, and of course the visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus, reindeer, and culminating in the lighting of the huge tree in front of the center.
We were amazed at the number of folks from the community who came out to participate in this year's event. Our safety blinkers and light-up yo-yos proved to be a huge hit and fun to see twinkling throughout the darkened campus.
As an annual sponsor of the Community Center, this is just one of several events we enjoy participating in each year there. It was great to kick off the 2022 Holiday Season and to wrap up our 2022 event season in the Lehigh Valley at this location. Bring it on, 2023! We are ready for even more fun ahead!
This year marked our second year of participation in Bethlehem's Christkindlmarkt, and once again it did not disappoint. We were there for Opening Weekend for a full day of fun from morning until evening, and although temperatures didn't rise above mid 20-degrees during the day, it was well worth every hour we were on site. We had a blast and although it was chilly outside, our enthusiasm and the crowd's enthusiasm never chilled. The event runs weekends through December 18, 2022.
We enjoyed a fantastic outdoor location near huge tents that showcased traditional artisans and vendors, food, St. Nicholas and even a German ornament manufacturer. It was so exciting for us to be part of an event that is embedded in the Lehigh Valley, and named one of the top holiday markets in the world by Travel + Leisure, and one of the top holiday markets in North America in USA TODAY'S 10 Best Readers' Choice competition, as well as OprahDaily.com. The event is known for its unique holiday shopping experience featuring thousands of unique handmade gifts. As you might imagine, a visit to the fun events puts everyone in the holiday spirit. We are already looking forward to returning in 2023!
Each year the amazing Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, PA hosts its annual "Boo at the Zoo" event in October, and this year was no exception. We were able to join the fun on site on Saturday, October 29 and it was a sensational day. Mother Nature was beyond kind to us, and everyone who came out to enjoy this fun day. We loved the temperature in the mid 60's and the bright sunshine we had all day.
Organizers encouraged participants to bring out their little ghouls and ghosts for this annual Halloween event as the entire Zoo gets transformed for a "kooky, spooky Halloween celebration." And that they did. This family-oriented event attracted hundreds of children and their families. It was such fun to see all the fun and unique costumes that came by to visit with us. Many of the moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas were also in costume, which made things extra fun.
If you haven't visited this beautiful little zoo, we encourage you to do so. The zoo's mission is to foster an appreciation for wildlife and the environment that will inspire active participation in conservation. It has been around for a long time -- since 1924, to be exact. Our hats off to the Norristown Zoological Society, which owns and operates this gem of a family-friendly destination embedded within the community. More than 100 species from around the world call Elmwood Park Zoo their home. This includes giraffes, zebras, bald and golden eagles, jaguars, red pandas, and so much more. It is definitely worth a visit.
Our staff had so much fun interacting with all the people who visited our tent, and we are already planning for our return to participate in this event once again in 2023.
Woodbury's annual Fall Fest Parade was delayed a week this year due to heavy rain, but the new date brought perfect weather for what is undoubtedly one of the town's largest events. This year's 2022 parade was the 72nd in its history, and it did not disappoint. Staff from our Woodbury center brought their smiles and friendly waves as they carried the Patient First banner along the parade route. The evening event began at the corner of Colonial Avenue and North Broad Street and continued to the corner of Carpenter and South Broad streets, lining the route with happy parade goers every step of the way.
Groups that participated in the parade stopped for performances in front of the Gloucester County Stage in front of Woodbury High School.
We enjoy being out in the community at events like this, and we are already anticipating what the 2023 event schedule will look like. We always value input from local folks who tip us off on events we can take part in, since interactions like this are so fun! Our schedule fills fast, however, so if you or someone you know has thoughts or ideas of where we might go next, please let us hear from you!
The 35th annual Celtic Classic, sponsored each year by the Celtic Cultural Alliance, returned to the streets of beautiful Historic Downtown Bethlehem, and Patient First was part of the fun again this year. We have enjoyed participating in this event for many years and join others in celebrating all things Celtic while we are there. That includes education, musical performances, and traditional competitions in athletics, piping and dance. Celtic refers to seven nations - Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, the Isle of Mann and Galicia.
The event drew competitors from all over the county, and visitors from all over as well. We participated in the closing day of this three-day event and the culmination of the "Highland Games" which has been described as the biggest competition that a professional men's Highland gamer can go to.
The day was full of plenty of men in kilts -- women and children, too. And even though we had a little afternoon rain on closing day, it surely didn't dampen anyone's spirits. Caber throwing was probably our most favorite featured activity of the event since we were set up in an area that gave us a front row view of the athletes in action. A caber looks like a telephone pole, but it's essentially a large, cleaned tree that ranges anywhere from 12 to 16 feet, and can weigh up to 160 pounds. It was just amazing to see men compete by flipping and turning over these large poles in the air.
What an incredibly fun day we had. Our congratulations to Jayne Ann Recker, executive director of the Celtic Cultural Alliance, and her team of volunteers who make this an outstanding experience for us, and all participants each year. We are already looking forward to our return in 2023!
We had such a nice time at the recent Limerick Community Day in Royersford, PA near our Collegeville and Pottstown centers. Held at the beautiful Limerick Community Park, this family oriented event was hosted by Limerick Township Parks and Recreation and the Spring-Ford Chamber of Commerce. We enjoyed a day full of activities with appeal to all ages.
The Spring-Ford Area High School Marching Band opened the event, and were in great musical form to kick off the festivities. Friends and families of these student musicians came out to cheer on the band, and then stayed for the rest of the fun which included tents and tables from a variety of local businesses and community vendors, including Patient First. RAM Nation Spring-Ford High School Sports and Athletics also participated in the event. A Food Truck Festival made the overall success of the event extra special and kept people on site for the duration of the event. And best of all, Mother Nature provided us with a picture perfect day – bright sunshine, blue skies and warm weather.
We love opportunities where we can get close with community folks, talk with them and answer their questions about urgent care, and what we do. Participating in community events like this gives us the perfect opportunity to do so. We look forward to doing even more as the Fall season approaches!
Musikfest returned for its 39th year in the Lehigh Valley this year, and we were part of the action again. This 10-day event is the country’s largest free music festival, and draws more than 1 million people to Bethlehem annually. It also provides huge economic impact to the Lehigh Valley area – and estimated $60 million+ each year.
Throughout its 10-day run, Musikfest offers hundreds of performances for “Festers ” to enjoy, and almost all of them are free. The only ones requiring tickets are the nightly headliners, which this year included Counting Crows, Ziggy Marley, Willie Nelson, Kelsea Ballerini, and of course, Boys II Men, who headlined Preview Day- our day of participation.
Although we are only there for a single day, Musikfest and Arts Quest organizers always go above and beyond to be accommodating and welcoming to us. They even joked with us about picking the hottest day of the year to participate, and this year was no exception. Temps hovered near 100-degrees all day. We are already looking forward to returning to this amazing event in 2023.