Stand Up. Take the Pledge.

The Philadelphia Children’s Alliance issued a call to action today. PCA, which seeks justice for victims of child sexual abuse, called on everyone to pledge not to stay silent, but to report child sex abuse. At a news conference today in Center City, Philadelphia, PCA unveiled a pledge it hopes everyone will embrace.  (The pledge [...]

Joe Paterno

I met Joe and Sue Paterno only once. It was at a Special Olympics of Pennsylvania fundraiser at which I was the emcee and the Paternos were the honorees.  A photo of the coach and me still sits among other pictures on the bookshelf in my office.  It was taken at the end of a [...]

2013 Order of Enjoyment

The String Band Division has selected its Order of March, or as I call it, the Order of Enjoyment, for the 2013 SugarHouse Casino Mummers Parade. This is a critically important draw as 2012 Champion Woodland String Band plots strategy of how best to defend its title and SugarHouse Casino PHL17 Viewer’s Choice Winner South Philadelphia String Band has had [...]

2012 SugarHouse Casino PHL17 Viewer’s Choice Awards

The winners of the 2012 SugarHouse Casino PHL17 Viewer’s Choice Poll have been announced at SugarHouse Casino.  Hundreds of Mummers were on hand to cheer the top finishers and enjoy the hospitality of SugarHouse.  The place was Mummin’. Woodland String Band, showing the class and polish it’s always had, serenaded the gathered as they awaited [...]

Emotional Night

Nearly 200 people gathered outside The Epiphany of Our Lord School in South Philadelphia to show how much they love the school and to express hope that a path can be found to keep it open.  The Archdiocese of Philadelphia anounced last Friday that it would be closing nearly 50 elementary and high schools after this school year.  [...]

2 Street

For those unfamiliar with the Mummers, Mummers Row is where most of the Mummers Clubs reside. This stretch of Second Street South from Washington Avenue and on to Third Street South to Wolf is the heart and soul of Mummery. It can be the friendliest corridor in the city. Mummers know that at different times [...]

Faces That Launch Ten Thousand Mummers

With the holidays over, people with jobs are back at work and the kids are back in school.  But, the thrill of performing and the mega-thrill of winning in the 2012 SugarHouse Casino Mummers Parade still warms the soul. Congratulations to the winners. There are many reasons to love the Mummers Parade, but take a look at [...]

Woodland!

Woodland String Band’s theme was “It’s a Jungle Out There.” Well, Woodland rules the jungle.  Its members are 1st prize winners of the 2012 SugarHouse Casino Mummers Parade. It’s official confirmation of what they and their fans have known for a long, long time: They’re darn good Mummers. Woodland has existed since 1927 and never won [...]