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Honoring and recognizing Philadelphia250 and the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, and their Philadelphia community partners for their work on the “Ring It On” citywide semiquincentennial initiative.
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WHEREAS, In September 2025, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced “Ring It On!” - a citywide initiative that puts the city’s neighborhoods at the forefront of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations in Philadelphia, while delivering transformative investments across the city; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia250, a program of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, is serving as the City’s “Ring It On!” implementation partner, charged with planning and executing the citywide initiatives in collaboration with Philadelphia City Council district offices, community organizations, and philanthropic sponsors; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia’s “Ring It On!” investments are designed to uplift and showcase the vibrancy of Philadelphia’s communities, cultures, and small businesses through a coordinated series of economic and cultural investments. These investments focus on three key pillars: Activations, Beautifications, and Celebrations, and aim to boost civic pride, strengthen neighborhood economies, and create lasting impact well beyond 2026; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia250, in partnership with community stakeholders and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce, will execute the Beautifications pillar by leading targeted improvements in across 20 commercial corridors. Beautification projects will include decorative banners promoting the neighborhood brand and semiquincentennial anniversary; custom-designed 250th commemorative benches and bicycle racks; large planters featuring seasonal floral installations; and other streetscape improvements to create clean, safe and welcoming spaces for residents, visitors, and shoppers to enjoy; and
WHEREAS, The “Ring It On!” Activations pillar will support community festivals and events, celebrating the cultural richness and character of Philadelphia’s neighborhood by creating new events or enhancing existing cultural festivals and celebrations along targeted commercial corridors throughout the city; and
WHEREAS, The “Ring It On!” Celebrations will bring the semiquincentennial into neighborhoods through a series of public programs designed to elevate local culture and deepen civic engagement. In partnership with Mural Arts, and community organizations, Philadelphia250 will execute the largest county-level implementation of America250PA’s “Bells Across PA” program in the Commonwealth. Local artists will plan and design 23 replica Liberty Bells to reflect each neighborhood’s unique identity. The completed bells will be displayed along commercial corridors and in public spaces creating a treasure map which residents and visitors can use to visit these works of public art across the city; and
WHEREAS, Ring It On’s Celebrations will also include Block Party Bonanza, a partnership with the City’s Office of Clean and Green and the Philadelphia Streets and Sanitation Departments. For Block Party Bonanza, 250 block party applicants will receive “Life, Liberty, and Happiness” kits filled with 250th-themed swag, decorations, toys, games, healthy living tools and resources, and other “surprise and delight” elements. These kits are designed to spark celebration and civic pride. In addition, 25 block participants in the City’s annual “Most Beautiful Block” Contest will be offered super-sized block parties with exciting add-ons like DJs, treat vendors, inflatables, and other types of entertainment, highlighting local vendors to provide these amenities; and
WHEREAS, Lastly in Celebrations, for 20 weeks in 2026, “Ring It On!” will showcase Philadelphia through the Neighborhood Tours series. Each week, a different neighborhood will take center stage as a tour destination for residents and visitors alike. The tours will be led by local community leaders and highlight each neighborhood’s cultural treasures, local restaurants, unique shops, parks and natural resources, and historic landmarks; and
WHEREAS, The “Ring It On!” pillars and initiatives listed would not be possible without the philanthropic commitment and support of key program sponsors including: the Philadelphia Funders Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, Comcast NBCUniversal, Independence Blue Cross, Wells Fargo, Fulton Bank, Jefferson Health, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Union League, KPMG, Wakefern, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) PCOM, The Bellwether District, and Aramark; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors and recognizes Philadelphia250 and the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation, and their Philadelphia community partners for their work on the “Ring It On!” citywide semiquincentennial initiative.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to representatives of Philadelphia250 in recognition of their commitment to placing Philadelphia’s residents, culture, and future at the center of the semiquincentennial celebration.
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