WMMR’s Preston and Casey Kick Off Celebration with Free Hoagies Served at Noon;
Festivities to Include USO Check Presentation, ‘Hoagies for Heroes’ Hoagie-Building Competition, and
Performances by Voices of Service and U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band
WAWA, Pa., June 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As part of Wawa Welcome America, Wawa Hoagie Day is back and more exciting than ever! This year’s event on Wednesday, July 1, will unite the Philadelphia community for a heartfelt salute to our local and national heroes while enjoying delicious Wawa hoagies and FREE admission all day to the National Constitution Center (10:00 am – 5:00 pm).
This year, Wawa will build 30,000 turkey Shorti® hoagies from eight tons of ingredients, donating the first 12,000 hoagies to Philabundance, the Veterans Multi-Service Center and Police Athletic League centers. The remaining 18,000 hoagies will be served FREE at Noon in front of the National Constitution Center on Arch Street between 5th and 6th Streets.
“Wawa is proud to once again host Hoagie Day and continue this beloved tradition celebrating the spirit of service, community and hometown pride that makes our Philadelphia region so special,” said Brian Schaller, Wawa President. “This year, Hoagie Day takes on added meaning as Philadelphia gears up to lead America’s Semiquincentennial festivities, and we’re thrilled to spread a bit of hoagie cheer as part of the fun – especially with those visiting from across the country and around the world. Today is all about celebrating our heroes, honoring the City of Brotherly Love and marking this moment in our nation’s history in true Wawa style. We invite all our guests to come together in the spirit of gratitude, patriotism and America’s 250th birthday!”
The first Hoagie Day was held in 1992, when the hoagie was proclaimed the “Official Sandwich of Philadelphia” by then-Mayor Ed Rendell. Each year, Hoagie Day is focused on saluting and honoring our local and national heroes, including firefighters, police officers, and U.S. military servicemembers, as well as celebrating Wawa’s partnership with the USO, America’s leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the well-being of servicemembers and their families since 1941.
About the Hoagie Day Celebration
The Hoagie Day festivities will kick off with a performance by the Voices of Service. Following the singing of the National Anthem by Miss America Cassie Donegan, the hoagie distribution will officially begin at Noon.
Hoagie Day will continue with a doubleheader “Hoagies for Heroes” hoagie-building competition emceed by WMMR’s Preston and Casey. First, members of the Philadelphia Police Department and members of the Philadelphia Fire Department will go head-to-head in a battle of bravery, skill and hoagie-making expertise to see who can build the most hoagies in three minutes the traditional Wawa way. Immediately following this competition, members of the PA Army National Guard will take on members of the Air Force Reserve’s 514th Airlift Wing to see who can build the most hoagies in the same three-minute timeframe. While the winners of each contest will receive bragging rights, all teams will receive $3,000 donations from Wawa to the charities of their choice.
Hoagie Day will conclude with another performance by the Voices of Service, as well as a performance by the U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band, which will take place on the Independence Visitor Center’s lawn on Independence Mall.
About The Wawa Foundation & the USO
During the Hoagie Day festivities, The Wawa Foundation will make a formal check presentation of $900,000 to support USO programs from Wawa’s in-store customer fundraising campaign. Retired Lieutenant General, Mike Linnington, Chief Executive Officer of the USO will share acceptance remarks and the impact the support has on the organization’s mission. Since 2011, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation have donated nearly $12 million to the USO programs and services.
USO Campaign to Connect QR Codes will also be displayed throughout the event site for attendees to digitally share messages of gratitude and encouragement to service members. The messages will be delivered to service members via USO locations around the world. Since launching in 2016, the Campaign to Connect platform has collected more than 15 million messages.
Official Hoagie Day Line Up
- 5 am-10 am – Hoagie Day Morning Build at the National Constitution Center
- 7 am-8am – Miss America Cassie Donegan and Miss America’s Teen Tess Ferm sashing MVPs-Most Valuable Preparers
- 10 am-11 am – Dedicated “Heroes Lane” on Sixth Street on the side of the National Constitution Center with hoagie handoffs to the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia and the Veterans Multi-Service Center
- 11:45 am – Stage programming begins with Voices of Service performance
- 12 pm – Hoagie distribution kicks off on Arch Street between 5th and 6th Streets
- 12:30 pm – WMMR’s Preston and Casey emcees “Hoagies for Heroes” contests
- 12:45 pm – Voices of Service performs
- 1:00 pm – U.S. Air Force Heritage of America Band performs
About Wawa
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 in Pennsylvania as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. with 1,200 locations to date. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, Sizzli hot breakfast sandwiches, hand-crafted specialty beverages, a dinner menu including burgers and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #22 of America’s Largest Private Companies.
Contact: [email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a268948c-0ca6-4f2d-8695-0fa24f94f557
