Sen. Williams feeds the hungry
Pennsylvania State Sen. Anthony H. Williams fed more than 2,500 folks at his annual street party in West Philadelphia yesterday. Free.
Pennsylvania State Sen. Anthony H. Williams fed more than 2,500 folks at his annual street party in West Philadelphia yesterday. Free.
"On Labor Day, some people can't afford to get away," Williams said.
"And so it's a way for some to come together, in peace."
For children, there were a small Ferris wheel, a fun house to run through, rides.
For adults, musical acts after musical acts, capped by Chaka Khan, the Grammy-winning singer.
Williams, along with the West Philadelphia Coalition of Neighborhoods and Businesses, was hosting his 19th annual Neighborhood-to-Neighborhood Street Festival.
Blocking Baltimore Avenue from 49th to 51st Streets, the seven-hour event ran into the early evening for a crowd estimated at between 4,500 and 5,000.
As he stood across from the Lagos Mini Mart, the Democrat noted that his district covers economically and socially diverse pieces of West Philadelphia and Delaware County.
"This is the way," he said, "to bring all together."
At the 51st Street end of the party, there was still a long line for free food by 2 p.m., the last of the 2,500 hot dogs were gone.
"We had 3,000 hamburgers - turkey burgers," said Minnie Moore-Johnson, along with 80 cases of water, 50 cases of soda, and 30 cases of juices for the children.
Moore-Johnson, executive director of Concerned Parents Inc., a 40-year-old community organization, was in charge of Williams' volunteer effort to feed the masses yesterday.
Normally, she said, the free food is offered only for the first two hours of each Labor Day, so that vendors can make a dollar after that.
But by 2 p.m., she said, "there were a lot of people still waiting," so she kept the food line open.
A Williams aide estimated that the donated food, drink and such was worth between $2,500 and $3,000.
Kevin Buecher, 23, of Fort Collins, Colo., broke away from his 12-day visit to friends in New York City after he read that Khan would be performing.
Linda Smith, 50, had traveled only from her home near 53d and Walnut Streets to sit near Buecher under a shade tree in a mini-park across from the sound stage.
A former newspaper bundler, she was happy to find that Williams was providing a free lunch once again.
"You give to the people," Smith said. "The people give to you."
