What to Know
- People came hungry to Wawa Hoagie Day on June 28, 2023.
- The free food event took place with a Wawa Welcome America block party in Old City Philadelphia. Wawa said it built more than 25,000 turkey hoagies using 7 tons of ingredients.
- The festivities continued Wednesday night when a portion of Broad Street was renamed Jerry Blavat Way in memory of the legendary DJ, AKA "The Geator with the Heater."
On Day 10 of the Wawa Welcome America festival, a Philly radio icon received a special honor while thousands enjoyed a free hoagie during a fan favorite event.
Honoring the 'Geator with the Heater'
A portion of Broad Street was renamed Jerry Blavat Way in memory of the legendary DJ, AKA "The Geator with the Heater."
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During the event, which took place around 6 p.m. at South Broad and South streets, attendees celebrated Blavat's legacy with an oldies dance party and food.
"I'm happy to announce on behalf of the city of Philadelphia, this portion of Broad Street, as you can see, will now be renamed Jerry Blavat Way," Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said during the event.
Blavat's daughter, Stacy Braglia, attended Wednesday night's event.
"It makes me cry actually because I know how important Philly has been to him," she said. "And he didn't call it Philly. He called it Philadelphia. So I know how much the city meant to him."
Wawa Hoagie Day: Delicious details
It was Wawa Hoagie Day in Old City Wednesday afternoon.
Wawa said it crafted more than 25,000 hoagies using 7 tons of ingredients. They gave out 15,000 of those free turkey hoagies to the general public from noon to 3 p.m. at a block party to remember.
Luckily, the weather was mostly clear for the free food event.
Paying homage to the the Philadelphia region's heroes, Wawa distributed another 10,000 hoagies to Philabundance, the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia and the Veterans Multi-Service as "a celebration dedicated to honoring our military, veterans, fire and police, everyday heroes, and The Wawa Foundation’s ongoing partnership with the USO."
Some local celebrities got in on the fun festivities that date back to 1992. "Hoagie Day also featured 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," Wawa said in a news release before the event.
The firefighters won that battle for the second year in a row.
Members of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Philadelphia then went head-to-head in a competition to benefit the USO.
"Wawa will make individual contributions of $3,000 to the charities of all four teams," Wawa said.
Over 1,000 Wawa stores also celebrated Hoagie Day in their communities, donating more than 30,000 hoagies to neighborhood heroes, according to Wawa.
Some of those hoagies for heroes were handed out down the Jersey Shore after Philadelphia Eagles legend Jason Kelce and his brother, Travis, faced off in a hoagie-making competition Wednesday morning.
Hundreds of Wawa workers spent the morning building all that yumminess while dancing with mascot Wally Goose (and NBC10's Karen Hua). Jason Kelce even Zoomed in to encourage the workers and thank them for their hard work getting all those sandwiches ready. "Let's have some fun out there," he said.
What: It was the tastiest block party around as Wawa handed out tons of free turkey hoagies in the Independence Mall area. The event also featured charity check donations and a concert from Voices of Service, a group of veteran performers who under the umbrella of Center for American Military Music Opportunities (CAMMO).
Where: Race down to Arch Street between 5th and 6th Streets, near Independence Mall, to get your piece of the fun
When: Hoagie Day ran from noon to 3 p.m. on June 28
Hoagie Day road closures
- Arch Street between 4th Street and 6th Street from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- 5th Street between Market Street and Race Street from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m.
There is even more Wawa Welcome America free fun to be had on Wednesday June 28, 2023. Here's your guide:
Grab lunch and check out the National Constitution Center for free
What: In honor of Hoagie Day, the National Constitution Center offered free admission Wednesday. Attendees got to learn more about the U.S. Constitution, the fabric that has held this country together for 245-plus years.
Where: 525 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
When: Free admission ran from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 28.
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