Philly Leader

PHILADELPHIA –  Mayor Jim Kenney today announced that the recipient of the Mayor’s Magis Award will be the William Penn Foundation. Presented annually on July 4th as part of the Celebration of Freedom Ceremony at Independence Hall, Dr. Janet Haas, M.D. will accept the award on behalf of the Foundation.

The William Penn Foundation, based in Philadelphia, was established by Otto Haas and his wife Phoebe Haas and has been committed to improving the quality of life and advancing philanthropy in the Greater Philadelphia region for the last 70 years.

Significant contributions from the William Penn Foundation have helped to increase educational opportunities for Philadelphia’s children – especially its youngest learners in low-income families through initiatives like PHLpreK. PHLpreK, the City of Philadelphia’s initiative making quality pre-K free and accessible for thousands of three- and four-year olds, received support from a comprehensive evaluation conducted by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), made possible by a $1.8 million grant to NIEER from the William Penn Foundation.

The Foundation also supports sustainable environmental planning while enabling effective solutions for a climate-resilient future in the area. Supported by the William Penn Foundation, the Fairmount Park Conservancy FDR Park Plan seeks to address the challenges presented by climate change and the unmet needs in South Philadelphia for active and passive recreation space.

In addition, the William Penn Foundation’s commitment to providing inclusive and equitable public spaces is supporting the City’s Rebuild initiative. Funded in part by the William Penn Foundation’s landmark $100 million investment in 2016 – the largest single commitment in the Foundation’s history – Rebuild continues to return dividends not only through the repair and restoration of high-quality neighborhood assets but also by ensuring that Black-, brown- and women-owned businesses are part of the ongoing revitalization work.

The William Penn Foundation helped launch the Delaware River Restoration Fund in 2013 to help community-based nonprofits and government agencies work together to clean up and restore polluted waters and improve habitats in the Delaware River watershed. The Fund will award at least $2 million per year in competitive grants, geographically focused on three priority strategies: stewardship of working lands; restoration of wetlands, floodplains and stream corridors; and promoting adoption of green infrastructure in urban and suburban landscapes.

“We share the Magis award with the organizations we support,” said Janet Haas, MD, Chair Emeritus of the William Penn Foundation. “Our roots are in Philadelphia, and it has been a privilege to work alongside so many others who have a similar commitment to our city and to helping create more opportunities for all Philadelphians.”

The Mayor’s Magis Award, first awarded in 2016, was created by Mayor Jim Kenney and his administration. The Latin Magis roughly translates into “the more universal good,” and this City of Philadelphia honor is awarded to a person or an organization that does and achieves more, serving the greater good in the City of Philadelphia.

“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 Jim Kenney. “Although we celebrate our nation’s freedom and independence, we also know that we are still in the pursuit of these principles for all our citizens. It has been a privilege as mayor to highlight and recognize individuals and organizations who are making our city a better place to live. On this Independence Day, it will be my honor to present the eighth annual Mayor’s Magis Award to the William Penn Foundation for their continued investment in our city and our youth.”

Mayor Kenney will present the Mayor’s Magis Award at the City of Philadelphia’s Celebration of Freedom Ceremony produced by the Office of the City Representative at Independence National Historical Park during the annual Wawa Welcome America festival on Tuesday, July 4.

The Celebration of Freedom Ceremony presented by Freedom Mortgage and supported by Visit Philadelphia will take place at 10 a.m. on the south side of Independence Square (the south side of Independence Hall). The Celebration will feature performances by The Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra and vocalist Jessy Kyle. In addition, there will be an abbreviated reading of the Declaration of Independence by recent high school graduates Amir Staten, a Germantown Friends graduate accepted to Morehouse College (HBCU) with a full scholarship, and Alyssa Perren, a Paul Robeson High School graduate accepted to Harvard University. Special guest Sheryl Lee Ralph, Emmy-award winning actress on the hit television show Abbott Elementary,  will join the students as the third reader of the Declaration. In addition, the Wawa Foundation Hero Award will be revealed and presented to a local nonprofit organization, and the Celebrate Freedom Award presented by Freedom Mortgage will be awarded to a U.S. military veteran or frontline worker chosen from entries across the nation.

“Every year our Office of the City Representative is proud to produce the Celebration of Freedom ceremony with our great partners on the Fourth of July,” said City Representative Sheila Hess. “Today is a day where we get to celebrate America’s birthday in our country’s birthplace and honor and thank our service men and women and our local heroes with a special program that no other city in the United States can offer, featuring local talent and special guests who shine that positive spotlight on our amazing city for all to see.”

The Celebration of Freedom Ceremony will broadcast on NBC10 and Telemundo62 at 6 p.m. or on nbcphiladelphia.com, followed by the live broadcast of the Wawa Welcome America evening concert starting at 7 p.m. on July 4th, which will make its return to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

About the Office of the City Representative

The Office of the City Representative (OCR) serves as the premier marketing and promotional agency of the City of Philadelphia. OCR’s vision is to celebrate and foster Philadelphia’s visibility and diversity through citywide event creation, community engagement, and innovative experiences.

About Welcome America Inc.

Welcome America, Inc. is a 501c3, non-profit organization engaged in a public-private partnership with the City of Philadelphia which seeks to enhance the resident and visitor experience by planning and producing citywide celebrations including Wawa Welcome America and the Philly Holiday Experience. These events generate positive economic impact to the local economy and increase awareness of Philadelphia as a global destination.

About the William Penn Foundation

The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through efforts that increase educational opportunities for children from low-income families, ensure a sustainable environment, provide inclusive and equitable public spaces and arts and culture experiences, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region.

Original source can be found here.