The recent barrage of downpours might have discouraged some from volunteering to refurbish a park in the Port Richmond section of the Riverwards on a recent Sunday; but, for one local and her mother, a few puddles were not nearly enough to discourage them from getting involved.

Port Richmond natives Susan Ongirski, 55, and her 83-year-old mother, Mary, were ready for the June 28th Community Day at Samuel Recreation Center, located at 3539 Gaul Street. The younger Ongirski, who is wheelchair-bound, was the first to tackle one of the many deep puddles that plagued the perimeter of the baseball field in order to paint a lone bench.

“No one wanted to paint that one,” she said. “But once I got through the water and started, a bunch of kids joined me.”

Wawa Welcome America—a series of celebrations in Philadelphia for leading up to Independence Day—hosted this Community Day as a day of celebration for the kind folks in Port Richmond.

“We picked this neighborhood because of its positive energy,” said Randy Giancaterino, Public Relations Specialist for the City of Philadelphia. “In the aftermath of the Amtrak tragedy we thought it would be a good idea to give back.”

In addition to supplying the patriotic-colored paint for benches and bleachers, Wawa Welcome America wanted Community Day to be about celebrating the neighbors who partake in myriad activities that Samuel Recreation Center offers. Another local family, the Cahills—Marie, Ed, Matthew, age 12, and Joey, 9—came out to help beautify the park because it has been so good to them.

“My kids take swim classes here, four days a week, for free,” Marie said. “We’re first time volunteers but we benefit from this work.”

The Cahill children participate in T-Ball and soccer as well. The bleachers her husband and sons painted are the ones they will be sitting on as spectators.

In addition to the beautification of the park, Wawa Welcome America hosted games, arts and crafts, face painting and book giveaways. Community Day production assistant, Cat Carola — recent graduate of Philadelphia University who organized the giant chess pawns and the life-sized Connect Four game — enjoyed working with the community.

“[I’ve gotten] to meet really cool people here,” Carola said as she pointed to a couple new friends at the event.

Katreena Nieves, a Port Richmond mother of two, found out about this event from Facebook and came ready to work.

“I have done other stuff with Wawa Welcome America,” Nieves said, “but this is my first time here.”

Ready with a smile and a volunteer t-shirt, Nieves got to work on painting the bleachers with the help of her boyfriend, both of her children, her sister and the rest of her family. Her son Isaiah, 9, happily got “U.S.A.” painted on his cheek, while Katreena sported pleasant flowers around her eye.

Port Richmond’s Community Day was just one in a program of festivities hosted by Wawa Welcome America, formerly known as the Philadelphia Freedom Festival. It started under former-Mayor Wilson Goode’s administration in the 1980s, and it blossomed under both the Rendell and Nutter administrations. The festival has come to be known as the nation’s premier patriotic party.

 

Captions

 

1 – Marie Cahill and her son, Joey.

 

2- Mary and Susan Ongirski.

 

3- Ed, Joey and Matthew Cahil painting the bleachers.