As the summer weather heats up, so do the activities in Voorhees.
Memorial Day weekend was kicked off with the opening ceremony of the Voorhees Memorial Day Soccer Tournament organized by the Voorhees Soccer Association. This year, close to 200 teams from all over the east coast converged on our community to participate in this first class event. On Memorial Day, I was honored to be a guest speaker at the Annual Kirkwood Memorial Day Parade, which pays tribute to the fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Thanks to the volunteers on the parade committee as well as the Voorhees Township Fire Department and the Eastern Marching Vikings for making the parade and ceremony memorable.
On June 4, I was fortunate to be part of an annual children’s festival known as Bal Kendra at the Camden County Library in our township. It is an annual event of our Indian community which helps develop creative thinking among children through non-formal education activities and exercise.
On June 8, I was part of the Kennedy Health Alliance ribbon cutting at 1000 White Horse Road. The practice, headed by Dr. David Zalut, focuses on general medicine.
On June 11, I was part of the Philippine Independence Picnic Celebration sponsored by the Filipino Executive Counsel at Cooper River Park. Hundreds of members of the Filipino community enjoyed a day-long celebration of their heritage. Later in the day, I administered the oaths of office to the new officers at the Voorhees Senior Citizens Club at the installation luncheon at the Mansion.
On June 15, the monthly meeting of the Voorhees Business Association was held at the Coliseum. The VBA provides a forum for business persons and businesses in the Voorhees area to meet and to share and discuss concerns and interests of a civic, commercial, cultural or economic nature. Later in the day was Voorhees Night at the Riversharks. Our residents enjoyed a pre-game party then watched the Riversharks defeat the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The same evening, I attended the monthly meeting of the Camden County Mayor’s Association. The group affords area mayors the opportunity to discuss common issues and share useful information concerning our respective municipalities.
June 22 marked graduation ceremonies at Eastern Regional High School. I was honored to participate in the commencement ceremony honoring our leaders of tomorrow.
June 25 brought the grand opening of the Tutoring Center in Eagle Plaza.
On June 30, a large crowd gathered on a beautiful evening at Connolly Park to enjoy the sounds of “Parrotbeach,” the Jimmy Buffet tribute band which brought a touch of the Florida Keys to Voorhees.
On July 7, I was privileged to attend the dedication of a “Wall of Honor” at Yardley Commons dedicated to those who served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. The “Wall of Honor” will be a lasting tribute to those brave men and women who stood on the “Wall of Freedom” and defended it with their lives.
Milanese’s Pizzeria held its grand opening on July 14. The restaurant is located at 1201 Haddonfield Berlin Road and offers delicious pizza, wings, sandwiches and Italian specialties.
On July 16, I was pleased to attend the Philippine Community of Southern New Jersey Senior Citizen Committee ceremony honoring our own Gwen DeVera. Gwen is chairperson and one of the founding members of the Voorhees Cultural and Diversity Committee and a long-time ambassador for our township.
Voorhees was voted “Hometown of the Week” by 102.9 Classic Rock WMGK and DJ Andre Gardner hosted a live broadcast of his radio show from the Main Street Pub on July 22. I was happy to join the celebration.
Upcoming events include back-to-back shows in our “Summer Twilight Series.” On Wednesday, July 27, a group of local talented artists will perform some new musical sounds. “Cocktail Party Phenomena” will put on a show that includes a full horn section and a mini-choir of incredibly talented vocalists. The next night, Thursday, July 28 (rain date July 29), Voorhees welcomes back “Strawberry Fields: A Tribute to the Beatles.” Last year, this group drew the biggest crowd in Summer Series history. Both shows are free and begin at 7:30 p.m. at Connolly Park.
