Patient First in the Community

It was a pageant of patriotism on display in Towson, as a tradition that's played out for over 120 years continued in Tuesday's Towson 4th of July Parade!

Put on every year by the Towson Chamber of Commerce, Patient First has long been a proud sponsor of the event. Last year, we had seven staffers march along the parade route winding through the streets of downtown Towson, past the courthouse and two reviewing stands. This year, that number more than doubled with 15 staffers coming out to celebrate the holiday with us!

Just as it happened last year, before we knew it, we'd marched past the thousands who'd lined the streets of the route, and our smiling and waving amidst the shouts of "We love Patient First," and "Thank you, Patient First," came to an end. Everyone who came out to help represent us said they'd love to come back next year, and many want to bring their kids out to help along with us!

To celebrate America's independence, Gaithersburg's Summerfest played out on the expansive grounds of Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm on Saturday July 1st.

Sponsored by the Gaithersburg Department of Parks and Recreation, the day-long festival featured live music, food trucks, local breweries, and tons of family-friendly activities, which were slated to culminate in a spectacular fireworks display. Unfortunately, Mother Nature provided some fireworks of her own, in the form of a severe storm, which forced the event to end early, and the evacuation of the grounds. 

A beautiful, warm day in Gaithersburg's Bohrer Park provided the perfect backdrop for thousands attending this year's Gaithersburg Book Festival! . A celebration of books, writers, and literary excellence, Patient First was a proud sponsor of this year's festival!

As a sponsor of many of the local sports in the area, we saw a lot of kids wearing their shirts with our name on it. We also received a lot of "Thank You's" from parents for sponsoring those sports. Everyone who came by our table had nothing but great things to say about their experience at the Patient First centers in Aspen Hill, Rockville and Germantown.

On Thursday, June 15th, the Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce held its 93rd annual Jubilee Day. Billed as the largest one-day street festival on the east coast, it encompasses four square blocks of downtown Mechanicsburg, which were lined with vendors, food trucks, political organizations, and non-profits of every stripe.

Once again, our table was positioned near the live bandstand, which was a prime location to welcome the thousands of people who stopped by our tent to talk with us and take home our promotional items. Every one of those people who met with us during this 12-hour-long event had nothing but positive things to say about their experiences with our centers, the closest of which was just two miles away on Sporting Hill Road.

This is one of the biggest events of the year in central Pennsylvania, and Patient First is happy to continue our participation in this long standing Mechanicsburg tradition!

It was a great weekend in Virginia Beach as the North American Sand Soccer Championship returned to the oceanfront. Over 10,000 participants from all over the world took to the sands to compete in a riveting series of match-ups.  From youth leagues to amateur leagues and pros, this 3 day, highly anticipated event was loaded with talent and a projected attendance of more than 150,000! 

As a strong supporter of healthy living and active lifestyles, Patient First was proud to sponsor this tournament.  Our on-site presence gave us the opportunity to engage with many festival goers and also provide free blood pressure checks.  In an effort to continue to keep our communities safe and healthy, it's always great to know that care is available at Patient First. 

Patient First would like to congratulate all the athletes on a job well done.  It takes grit and tenacity to compete in front of large crowds and every participant displayed that.  Some  people only dream about goals, while others make them, and that is the thrill of the game!  We look forward to seeing everyone back at the sands in 2024!

The Devon Horse Show has been held in late May through early June in Devon, PA since 1896. It is both the oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed horse competition in the United States. It is also directly across the street from Patient First's Devon center location. Since we opened our Devon location several years back, we have had a great relationship with the Horse Show organizers and staff, which we have appreciated so much.

It is great to be a part of such a prestigious organization, and once again, we were the presenting sponsor for the "Itty Bitty Hat Parade" on the final day of the show, which was also Children's Day. At the event, children decorate hats as a crafting activity, and then they participate in a parade around the fairgrounds. It is such a fun and adorable event, and it has been organized by the same delightful lady and her daughter since we first came on board. It's an excellent event hosted by excellent people, and this year did not disappoint!

Miss Pennsylvania 2022 event appeared at the event this year and she, too, participated in the parade to the delight of all the children who strutted their stuff in the beautiful and creative new hats that they had just decorated. It was a perfect weather day, the crowd was huge, and we are already looking forward to returning next year.

It may have been over 46 years since Star Wars hit the silver screen, but the cultural impact of that sci-fi blockbuster saga is clearly alive and well generations later, as the Bowie Baysox held its annual Star Wars Night Saturday, June 3rd, at Prince George's Stadium.

As part of our partnership with the Orioles' AA affiliate, our Patient First table was set up right outside the First Aid station during this, one of the team's most well-attended games of the year, as the Baysox took on the Harrisburg Senators.

There were professional cosplayers on hand for photos with the fans, many of whom came in costumes of their own. In addition, there were Star Wars themed events in between innings featuring music and video presentations, and light saber duels.

Our table was well-received by the fans, who told us wonderful things about our centers, our services, and our staff. The patients we spoke to came from as far north as Aberdeen and as far south as Waldorf.

Unfortunately, the Force was not with the Baysox that night, as the team lost 13-4. But the score was quickly forgotten, as kids were allowed to run the bases after the game, and the night culminated in a spectacular fireworks show set to John Williams' iconic themes.

We still have a few games left to attend in this year's partnership with the Baysox, but this is by far one of the most fun to attend, and we look forward to our next outing with the club!

Mayfair Festival of the Arts has been held in Allentown, PA for more than 30 years, but this was Patient First's first appearance at this big Lehigh Valley event. We are sure glad we joined the Friday night opening festivities for this multi-day Memorial Day weekend event this year! It was held on the beautiful Cedar Crest College campus, which is a nationally registered arboretum with more than 150 kinds of trees. Allentown's West End was filled with fun, funky music and international food and what made our experience there even more fun was the proximity of the college to our Allentown center -- almost walking distance!

We couldn't have asked for better weather for opening night to kick off the event and the holiday weekend. There were all kinds of fun, family-friendly activities staged all over the campus for people of all ages to enjoy. Food trucks, craft vendors, artists, and two stages for music and live performances were among the highlights of the event. Of course, our Patient First tent was a popular stop for event goers, as well.

The line for our free blood pressure checks kept a steady clip all evening, and we had some amazing conversations with people from all over the Lehigh Valley and beyond. Of course our swag was a big hit, too, as it always is.

The planners of this event couldn't have been more organized, helpful, or accommodating, and we hope our schedule will permit returning in 2024 to participate once again!

After a 5-year hiatus, the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Power of the Pines Air Show and Open House weekend returned May 20 and 21, 2023, and Patient First participated for the first time in this enormous two-day event.

Although Mother Nature didn't cooperate on the first day of the Show and brought us rain all day, cancelling all flights, the inclement weather didn't dampen the spirits of event goers who came out to enjoy all of the ground features of the event. The second day of the event made up for it with perfect weather and a huge crowd. Estimated attendance over both days was 150,000+ people!

The show kicked off with a performance by the U.S, Army Parachute Team, also known at the Golden Knights. It featured members of the New Jersey Army National Guard, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army and Massachusetts National Guard, who flew a variety of planes including tankers, transports and airlift aircrafts.

The event also featured demonstration of the Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team, as well as the Warbird Thunder team, which specialized in competitive aerobatics. Multiple aircraft and military vehicles were displayed on the grounds, many of which people were free to climb in and on.

Organizers hope things are now back on track for an "every other year" event. Next year's event will be at the military installation in Dover, Delaware and it will return to South Jersey in 2025. Patient First was well received at this event and we are looking forward to returning to the Joint Base for this event in 2025, and other events there in the future as our schedule permits.

The Dominion Energy Riverrock Festival returned to downtown Richmond for a weekend of action-packed fun! Held on Brown's Island, the festival celebrates the great outdoors while displaying some of the city's most scenic landmarks and natural resources.

Over 1,000 people signed up to participate in a number of events, including bike trail races, kayaking, paddle boarding, slack lining, rock climbing, boulder smashing, and so much more! This year, Patient First enjoyed the festival from a prime location in front of the air dogs show. This was filled with riveting acts from dogs all over, who literally leapt at the opportunity to strut their stuff. The crowds cheered on the pups in amazement! The energy was great, and there was a lot of excitement surrounding this multi-day festival that brought out more than 100,000 people. 

Patient First truly enjoyed participating in this festival, and we look forward to seeing you all next year!