Patient First in the Community

All eyes were on the skies for the NAS Oceana Air Show! The event, which took place September 21-22, brought together over 100 vendors and 300,000+ spectators for one of the nation's largest military air shows. Locals who've grown accustomed to the motto, "I Love Jet Noise" and those who aren't local, look forward to this event each year as it gives them a rare opportunity to come aboard an active military base and sit right on the flight line to watch their favorite jets, including the F-22 Raptor demonstration team. The event's main draw, however, are the Blue Angels, who travel the country conducting more than 60 shows in a 6-month period. Their precision during death-defying maneuvers is unlike anything you've ever seen before, and Patient First had a front row seat to all the action.

Patient First has been a supporter of this event for many years, as it's one of the few events that offers us the opportunity to connect with our local military. Over the course of the two-day event, we connected with numerous civilians, active and retired military personnel and their families. Like other vendors, we offered airplanes to the kids to help them pass the time while they eagerly awaited the Blue Angels to perform. We connected with several families who were familiar with our services, and others who were new to the area. In all, it was a great event and one we look forward to attending year after year!

The "Spooktacular" Hot Air Balloon Festival in the Lehigh Valley is promoted as the largest Fall, laser-lit hot air balloon, music and glow festival in North American. With 2024 being its fifth anniversary year, Patient First was excited to be a part of the fun for the past two years. This three-day event has quickly become a premiere family entertainment attraction in Pennsylvania, specifically in the Lehigh Valley, and a favorite of ours, as well.

We had so much fun talking with people who traveled from all over Pennsylvania and beyond to the event venue, a small airport in Slatington, PA, not far from our Allentown Patient First center. Of course we enjoyed providing complimentary blood pressure checks as we do with most of our events, but what was particularly exciting for us was to hear accolades we received from so many event participants who had also previously been patients at all of our Lehigh Valley centers, and beyond including Central PA, South Jersey and Maryland.

Our Sunday event staff even got a thrill by hopping in the basket of the Patient First sponsored balloon. Our balloon and many others filled the Lehigh Valley sky with a spectrum of color against the scenic backdrop of the Lehigh Gap. And for those seeking extra thrills, if they stayed on site until dusk on Friday and Saturday nights, organizers put on quite a spectacular laser light show and balloon glow set to music. 

Event organizers were so nice to work with, again this year, and we are already excited about returning in 2025.

On Saturday, September 14, we had the pleasure of participating in one of the most anticipated events by our local community and staff-- the Special Olympics Annual Dulles Plane Pull, held at Dulles International Airport. Now in its 31st year, this incredible event raised $580,000, with 80 teams of up to 25 people competing to see who could pull an 82-ton FedEx or United Boeing 757 airplane 12 feet in the shortest time. Participants lined up along a large rope attached to the aircraft to pull it, creating a thrilling competition. 

In addition to the main event, the Dulles Plane Pull featured a festival with live music, food, vendor games, a car show, military aircraft, and a kid zone where we were stationed, next to the face painting and bouncy house. 

For this event, we had two teams. The first team consisted of 20 center staff members who were eager and excited to pull the plane, while the second team remained at our tent to distribute information and provide blood pressure checks. Our pulling team, although new staff to the event, was full of energy and enthusiasm. When it was our turn, we were introduced as the Patient First team, and we managed to pull the plane in 46 seconds. While it wasn’t the best time, the experience brought us closer together, and we had a blast working as a team. 

Overall, this event was a great success, not only for bringing our staff together, but also for supporting the Special Olympics and connecting with the community. We’re proud to have been a part of this amazing day and can’t wait to return next year! 

For the first time, we proudly sponsored the Leesburg Airshow on September 28th, which took place at the Leesburg Executive Airport. Despite concerns about the hurricane, the weather cooperated, giving us clear skies and warm temperatures. The airshow attracted a large crowd, and it was an exciting experience to witness the aircraft land as we set up. 

Throughout the day, spectators were treated to breathtaking aerobatic performances, including the Flying Circus Jumpers and War Thunder Air Shows. The event also featured a wide variety of modern and antique aircraft on display. One of the highlights was the Douglas C-54 Skymaster, also known as the Spirit of Freedom-- a plane that played a key role in the Berlin Airlift after World War II. Another crowd favorite was the Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” helicopter from the Vietnam War era, showcased by the Liberty Warbirds-- a non-profit based in Lancaster, PA. 

The airshow offered more than just spectacular aerial displays. Attendees enjoyed aviation-related exhibits, educational activities, and a variety of food and beverage vendors. As a free event, it was a fantastic opportunity for the Loudoun County community to come together. 
 

Overall, it was a highly successful event where many people learned about Patient First, and we look forward to returning next year!

For a third year, Patient First returned to the Enchanted Fairy Festival in York, PA as a sponsor for this event celebrating people who look at the world in a slightly more magical view than most. As always, we were treated very well by the organizers, and given a great spot in the center of the topmost level of this three-tiered event at Springettsbury Park, less than two miles from our East York center.

Most of the people who stopped by our tent had been patients at the York center, while a few came from Harrisburg, and a surprising number from points farther out, like Towson, Glen Burnie, Lutherville, and even Wyomissing.

Our staff had a great time interacting with the patrons of this event, almost all of whom came in some form of fantasy costume. While only a few dozen people wanted to avail themselves of our free blood pressure check offer, our second table where we taught children how to make popsicle stick fairies saw over 100 takers. The parents were happy to see that we provided this free opportunity for their kids to be creative, while we talked with their parents about our services.

This was scheduled to be a two day event, however, a violent storm blew through overnight, carrying off nearly every single tent at the site, and destroying the inventory of dozens of artisans and craftspeople. Fortunately, no one was injured, and our hearts go out to those whose livelihoods were destroyed by this act of nature.

This has become one of the more entertaining events in our calendar in recent years, and we're hopeful that despite the toll that this storm has wrought, that the Fairy Festival will return in 2025.

The Piney Orchard Street Festival returned to Odenton for another fantastic end-of-season celebration of the community! The event, just three miles from our Odenton center always draws large crowds with its mix of vendors, local food trucks, live music, and rides for the kids!

Unlike last year, when a sudden downpour cut the festival short just past the halfway mark, this year's weather was ideal, with just enough cloud cover to keep the temperatures down to a cool, but comfortable level.

About 95% of the people we spoke with had been patients at our Odenton center, and had nothing but praises for the efficiency, cleanliness, and care that they received there. We spoke to several hundred people throughout the course of the day, and every one of them were so complimentary.

The most popular item on our table for the day was hands down, our magnetic clips. The hand sanitizers were also a popular grab. Our table was about 100 yards from the bandstand, but our staff was still about to manage to perform a few blood pressure checks.

This event is always one of the best represented events that we attend in the area. We always look forward to being a part of this sprawling community get-together.

As summer draws to a close, the tradition of the Maryland State Fair returned to the Timonium Fairgrounds, just a mile and a half from our Towson center. For the third year in a row, Patient First has been a proud sponsor of this end-of-summer event, with our table greeting fairgoers as soon as they passed through the gates! And talk about visibility-- on Saturday, attendance was over 70 thousand, while Sunday saw even more-- nearly 73 thousand people passing through the gates! Over the entire course of the fair, our name and branding was seen by a record breaking 589,380 people!

This year, in addition to our branding all over the fair banners, promotional materials, and hand washing stations, we were featured among the proud sponsors of the annual pig races! Our banner was hung Daytona-style along the side of the track, as four piglets sprinted the length of the oval four times a day for a crowd of about 150 people each day of the fair. The races are always a huge hit with families, and we were happy to be a part of it!

Another first in our history at the fair came in the form of our staff offering free blood pressure checks- a service that was quite popular until crowd and ride noise made it difficult to provide accurate readings. 

Among the most popular items at our table were the hand sanitizer (perfect for cleaning up after petting the horses and livestock) and band-aids (essential after the inevitable trip and fall of kids on the asphalt of the midway). While we spoke to people from as far away as Richmond and New Jersey, so many had been patients at Towson, Owings Mills, Bayview and Perry Hall centers. Nearly every center in the Maryland region was represented by folks who came by to thank our staff for the aid they provided in their time of need.

Whereas last year, our staff roasted as soon as we stepped out from under our tent, this year the weather could not have been better- mild temperatures that never exceeded 85 degrees, and absolutely no rain or humidity. 

This is always one of the highlights of the event season for this region, and this year did not disappoint! Everyone who came out to help staff this event had a great time, and we're all looking forward to more fun at the fair in 2025!

On Sunday, September 8, we had the privilege of sponsoring for the first time, the 19th Festival Salvadoreñisimo at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg. The fairgrounds are conveniently located just seven miles from our Rockville center and four miles from our Germantown center. 

The doors opened at 11 AM, but eager attendees were already lining up by 9 AM. Over 30,000 people came together to celebrate not only El Salvador, but all of Central America. The weather was perfect, adding to the vibrant atmosphere as people gathered to honor Central American independence. 

The festival featured more than 25 food booths, along with various community outreach organizations. We were proud to be the only urgent care provider present among a mix of orthodontists, dental offices, and chiropractors. Throughout the day, we met people from not just Maryland but also Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Richmond. Many stopped by our table to learn about Patient First, as the majority were unfamiliar with our services. It was gratifying to hear from those who had visited our centers and expressed their gratitude for the care they received. Our soccer balls were a big hit, enjoyed by both children and adults alike. 

At the main stage, the festival organizers expressed their thanks to sponsors, mentioning our name every two hours.

With Hispanic Heritage Month kicking off this month, this event was a fantastic way to celebrate and honor the rich Hispanic culture and heritage. Overall, we were thrilled to be part of this vibrant event, connecting with so many people who were learning about our services. We can’t wait to return next year!
 

During the weekend of August 23rd and 24th, music filled the air at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for two full days of music, food, and funk during the 15th Annual Virginia Beach Funk Fest Party. Rooted in R&B, jazz, gospel, and blues, thousands gathered from near and far to hear the likes of WAR, Doug E. Fresh, the SOS Band, and others reverberating off the shoreline and in between the hotels that line the boardwalk of the resort city. It was the perfect sendoff party to summer, and Patient First was there with a front row seat to all the action!

A participant for a few years now, Patient First was once again back to offer free blood pressure screenings to festival goers and other passersby along the boardwalk. We completed well over 200 blood pressure checks in the two days we were at the event! Our giveaway items were big hits as well.

This event marks the fourth event we've done at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront this summer. Events like these are a great way for us to not only meet locals who visit our centers, but those within the other regions we serve. We enjoyed many conversations regarding the efficiency of our services, and look forward to returning in October for our final event on the boardwalk this year!

On August 11, the community in and around Carytown gathered for the 42nd Annual Carytown Watermelon Festival- a sweet slice of Richmond tradition. Back in the day, merchants in Carytown would set out slices of watermelon in the middle of the dog days of summer to help promote their business and draw customers in. This idea grew in popularity and continued to grow until eventually, the merchants decided their idea would be better served as a 1-day festival. Since then, every August, Carytown shuts down for one day to hold an annual festival dedicated to summer's favorite fruit. At the center of the festival are still the bowls of watermelon, which are sold for $2, with proceeds benefitting local Shriners.

In addition to the bowls of watermelon, the theme of watermelon - red and green- can be seen throughout the event between the many vendors, food trucks, kids' activities, down to the festive attire worn by children and adults alike. An additional 3,000 watermelons are provided by Publix, the presenting sponsor of the event. There is also live music that spans across the six blocks for the festival, including the street closest to the Carytown Patient First center. 

Patient First, who's been a supporter of the festival for many years, participated again this year; providing free blood pressure screenings and passing out additional giveaway items and informational material. As a staple in the Richmond community, we heard numerous stories of those who have visited at least one of our centers. A favorite event amongst our staff, we look forward to returning next year!