First Lady Jill Biden speaks at Celebration of Freedom Ceremony at Independence Hall

PHILADELPHIA, Sunday, July 4, 2021 – Referring to the gradual return to normalcy resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden said “the Fourth of July feels like the revolution that it celebrates” during remarks as the guest speaker at the City of Philadelphia’s Celebration of Freedom Ceremony presented by Freedom Mortgage at Independence Hall.
“And here we are back together,” said Dr. Biden, adding: “And there is no place that this Philly girl would rather be than here as your First Lady.”
She referred to the return to larger gatherings such as the Celebration of Freedom Ceremony as a “chapter of hope” and “a new beginning.”
“It was a long winter, and the clouds have broken,” Dr. Biden said. “Doesn’t the air smell so much sweeter without our masks? Doesn’t the murmur of the crowd sound like music after being isolated and alone? And doesn’t the sun …feel brighter without the shadow of the virus darkening our every thought?”
Her 10-minute speech brought the cheering crowd to their feet.
Dr. Biden, who grew up in Willow Grove, Pa., is a community college educator, best-selling author, and served as Second Lady of the United States, from 2009 to 2017. As First Lady, Dr. Biden, a professor of writing at Northern Virginia Community College, continues her work for education, military families, and fighting cancer.
When President Joe Biden served as Vice President, he took part in the annual Celebration of Freedom Ceremony and Independence Day Parade at Independence Hall in 2014. He referenced Dr. Biden, ‘the Philly girl” whom he married, in his opening remarks.
The City followed Dr. Biden’s speech with the presentation of The Magis Award, which is bestowed annually to an individual or organization demonstrating the spirit of community by going the extra step. The concept for The Magis Award is rooted in a Jesuit educational philosophy, which supports the universal concept of “living greater” and achieving more than originally thought possible. The Latin Magis (pronounced Mah-gis) translates literally into “the more universal good.
The announcement was preceded by a video lead-in focusing on the contributions of Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, the North Philadelphia-based nonprofit.
“Independence Day is a special holiday in America and particularly here in Philadelphia where the Declaration of Independence was written and signed on July 4, 1776,” said Mayor Kenney. “Although we celebrate our nation’s freedom and independence, we also know that these principles have evolved and mean different things to us now. And so, on Independence Day, it will be my honor to present the sixth annual Philadelphia Magis Award to the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium for identifying and meeting a critical need to help our residents who needed it the most.”
Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium founder, Dr. Ala Stanford, accepted the award on behalf of the group from Mayor Kenney. “For all the folks out there who are still on the fence, know that we can have this gathering because 70 percent of us in the region got vaccinated,” Dr. Stanford said.
Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium has gained wide prominence for its efforts in high-risk and underserved communities in the Philadelphia area during the COVID-19 crisis. The contingent of volunteer medical professionals effectively implemented a grassroots strategy setting up its mobile operation in city streets, parking lots, churches, senior facilities, and community/ health centers to address the wide disparity in healthcare during the epidemic. With the help of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, FEMA, the City’s Public Health Department, and other partner organizations, Philadelphia exceeded President Joe Biden’s ambitious national goal to vaccinate 70 percent of adults with at least one COVID-19 shot by July 4th.

The Celebration of Freedom Ceremony was a spectacular salute to the patriotism, pride, and pageantry of America and our community heroes in Philadelphia – groups and individuals – who are making a difference.
In addition to The Magis Award, the program featured the presentation of several community-service awards including The Wawa Foundation Hero Award recognizing a nonprofit’s commitment to serving the Greater Philadelphia area.
Cathy Pulos, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Wawa Inc., and Jared (Jay) Culotta, President of The Wawa Foundation, announced the recipient of the Wawa Foundation Hero Award to The Veterans Group — a nonprofit and its volunteers serving Philadelphia by providing services that build stronger communities through preserving our independence, protecting our safety and mentoring and inspiring our youth. The Veterans Group of West Philadelphia was selected among three other finalists, which stepped up their mission to meet the heavier demand for services during the COVID-19 crisis, especially underserved populations most impacted.
The Veterans Group manages a homeless facility, providing assistance to veterans with mental and physical health issues, employment, food insecurity, lodging, and with navigating post-military life. The organization serves the Philadelphia area and operates two homeless shelters in University City.
The nonprofit received a $50,000 grant from the Wawa Foundation, which supports Wawa Inc.’s charitable giving. The runners-up will receive $10,000 each. Representatives from the four finalists (selected from more than 100 submissions) were present. The public voted on the final award recipient (www.TheWawaFoundation.org).

Event presenting sponsor, Freedom Mortgage, announced and presented the winner of the Celebrate Freedom Award to Evanoff, a U.S. Army veteran, a firefighter paramedic, and a nurse anesthetist for the Veterans Administration. The award is the result of a contest and is given to a U.S. military member, first-responder, or front-line worker. Audrey Shapiro, Freedom Mortgage’s Vice President of Public Relations, presented the second annual honor to Evanoff, of Omaha Nebraska, who “has a deep sense of duty,” serving his country and community.
Evanoff received a $10,000 check and a trip to Philadelphia to attend the Welcome America festival. The award is presented to a U.S. service member, veteran, first-responder, or healthcare worker who serves our nation. Earlier this year, a nationwide contest drew submissions from nearly 1,000 entrants who shared stories about their patriotism and heroism. On behalf of the first 600 contest entries submitted, Freedom Mortgage also donated $3,000 to Feeding America, a national hunger-relief organization.
The Celebration of Freedom Ceremony was produced by the Office of the City Representative and Welcome America, Inc. as well as hosted by Independence National Historical Park. The event, which is a tradition established 30 years ago to mark the holiday, is the formal kickoff of citywide activities on July 4th — the final day of the 16-day Wawa Welcome America festival. The general public, which totaled about 1,500 attendees, was invited to return for the festivities at Independence Hall after an in-person ceremony pause last July due to the pandemic.
Philadelphia rolled out the red-white-and-blue carpet for a glorious day at the iconic site of the Declaration of Independence, as the nation’s first World Heritage city chosen worldwide in 2016 for its distinctive history, diversity, culture, and contributions.
The ceremony celebrated America’s 245th birthday and informally featured the theme of Community heroism. The Celebration of Freedom Ceremony, which was free to the public, launched a day of commemorations and celebrations — from Independence Mall, the nation’s largest historic square mile, to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Fairmount Park.
Celebration of Freedom Ceremony is presented by Freedom Mortgage, supported by Visit Philadelphia, in partnership with venue host Independence National Historical Park and producers Wawa Inc. and the City of Philadelphia.
Welcome America, Inc. is a 501c3, non-profit organization engaged in a public-private partnership with the City of Philadelphia. Welcome America, Inc.’s goal is to promote American history, education, and the City of Philadelphia as a global tourist destination. Each year, Welcome America, Inc. produces Wawa Welcome America, a multi-day festival featuring art, culture, community engagement, and entertainment – it is the nation’s premiere Independence Day celebration! Welcome America was founded in 1993 and celebrates its 29th festival in 2021. Visit www.welcomeamerica.com to learn more.