Patient First‘s commitment to the community goes beyond providing convenient, cost-effective health care. Patient First also supports numerous organizations that make a positive impact in our local neighborhoods and across the mid-Atlantic.
See what Patient First is doing in the community.
Historically, the Devon Horse Show & Country Fair can trace its late spring/early summer roots all the way back to 1896. It is both the oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed horse competition in the United States. Fortunately for us, it's also located directly across the street from our center on Lancaster Avenue in Devon. It's great to be a part of such a prestigious event. Over the years, it's become one of our favorite signature events of the year.
Since we opened our Devon center, we've been fortunate to develop a great relationship with the Horse Show executives and staff. We're also proud to be a "presenting sponsor" for a really fun children's event on the final day of the big event - the "Itty Bitty Hat Parade."
The Horse Show is an enormous multi-million dollar 11-day event that attracts some amazing horses from around the country and around the world. It attracts elite horsemen and women who compete and show their prize horses. It attracts more than 125,000 visitors, and is truly a huge and anticipated event each year in the community. The Country Fair element was added to the event in 1919 as the philanthropic arm for the organization.
Each year moms and dads, grandparents, and other adults bring their children to the covered pavilion on site where we are set up with two tables. On one table, we provide complimentary blood pressure checks for adults along with our usual Patient First swag. The second table is set up catering directly to children, where we provide a coloring table complete with horse-related coloring sheets and mini-crayon boxes for the kids to enjoy. We always have a great turnout of children and families throughout the day when we're there. Fun times for sure, and we are already looking forward to our return in 2025.
As the saying goes, "Virginia is for Lovers"-or, in this case, sports lovers- as thousands flocked to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront the weekend of June 7-9 for the 30th Annual North American Sand Soccer Championships. The event, which spanned over 30 blocks, drew more than 800 teams worldwide from Central and South America, Europe, Canada, and all over the United States! Nearly 100,000 attendees spanned across the two miles of beachfront throughout the three-day event.
Patient First has participated in this event for several years now. This year, we were located just on the other side of the main stage, so we saw many of the attendees pass through. Our blood pressure screenings, Band-Aids, and hand sanitizer were particularly popular. Throughout the weekend, we heard numerous stories from those familiar with our centers both locally and from afar. Many indicated it was nice to see a familiar face on hand, especially in the event if services were needed.
This is just one of several events in which Patient First will be participating at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront throughout the summer and into the fall.
A gorgeous weekend and clear, cloudless skies provided a picture perfect setting for this year's Baltimore Fleet Week and Flyover event at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. This marked Patient First's second time participating in this biannual celebration of the U.S. Navy, with a table and tent set up on Saturday, June 15th and Sunday, June 16th.
This event drew a wide range of tourists from all over the not just the country, but the world. We spoke with people from as far away as Los Angeles, Argentina, and even one family from Germany! A large contingent of people who stopped by were from the Philadelphia region, given the fact that the Orioles were in town playing the Phillies. Nevertheless, they were still very familiar with our centers and our services, since we have centers in that region, as well.
The event itself was quite the spectacle, with a variety of planes flying overhead throughout the day, including an F-15 fighter streaking across the sky, and even hovering over the harbor.
Our staff on both days of the event were phenomenal, and everyone had a great time. The organizers were very grateful for our sponsorship, and we certainly look forward to returning in 2026!
Patient First was a proud sponsor for Relay for Life. The event was held on Saturday, May 11th, at Independence High School in Ashburn, 23 minutes away from our Leesburg and Chantilly centers. Despite the windy and rainy weather, cancer survivors and their supporters walked the track to raise money for the American Cancer Society.
The event kicked off with a moving opening ceremony, and survivors then took to the track for their first lap. The weather conditions were challenging, but everyone remained determined to finish. After about an hour of rain, the skies cleared and a beautiful double rainbow appeared-- a fitting symbol of hope and resilience.
Everyone there showed their unwavering support for cancer survivors, and we are so glad to have been part of it!
Patient First was invited to participate at the Loudoun Latino Festival on Sunday, April 5th. This annual festival highlights the vibrant traditions of Latino culture through a lively fusion of vendors, crafters, food and live music. Despite the rainy weather, the event was a success. Our table was visible from the road, making it easy for attendees to find us. We provided free blood pressure screenings and handed out Patient First merchandise.
Attendees enjoyed a variety of traditional dishes, while local artisans proudly displayed their handcrafted goods. Intricate jewelry and vibrant textiles were also on sale. Traditional Latin music filled the venue, inviting everyone to dance and celebrate their heritage. Families enjoyed a wide range of activities, including face painting, games and crafts.
The main stage thrummed with the energy of performers, from folkloric dance troupes to singers and a band each highlighting the richness and diversity of Latino culture. Overall, we had an amazing time as this community event, and can't wait to be back next year!
The Bowie Baysox and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies weren't the only forces squaring off at Prince George's Stadium on Saturday, June 8th. The Galactic Empire battled against the Rebel Alliance, as did the First Order and the Resistance, as the Bowie Baysox hosted its annual Star Wars Night.
As part of our partnership with the Orioles' AA affiliate, our Patient First table was set up right outside our sponsored First Aid station during this, one of the team's most well-attended games of the year.
Professional cosplayers were 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, lightsaber duels, and other bits of entertainment. The night was capped off with a rousing display of fireworks, set to the orchestrations of the Star Wars saga's films.
As always, our table was well-received, with scores of former patients coming by, telling us how much they appreciate what we do for them every day of the year.
This is always one of the most fun of our outings at the Baysox stadium, and we certainly look forward to many more!
We have participated in Just Between Friends (JBF) consignment events in both the Collegeville and Wyomissing areas during the past several years. Following one of those recent events, another JBF event being set up on the campus of beautiful Haverford College in Delaware County, PA reached out to us and invited our participation in their event. Our schedule was clear, se we jumped at the opportunity to join for a day of this multi-day super sale.
This organization's events always draw big crowds of shoppers who know where to find great bargains, and this event was no exception. Organizers told us they had more than 100,000 items for sale at this particular events. People from all over the region came out to do some serious power shopping for their families. Although the audience was mostly young moms with children, or expectant moms, we saw plenty of dads, grandparents and others, too. It was a buyer's paradise with all kinds of things available for purchase at deep discounts, too. Children's clothing, shoes, games and toys, puzzles, books strollers, furniture and so much more flew out the door at people enthusiastically searched for their treasures.
The event ran like clockwork thanks to a very organized event leader and her scores of volunteer support staff. We were so happy to be part of an event that drew people from such a large area. Although most event-goers were closest to our Patient First centers in Springfield and Devon, PA, many others came from Philadelphia and communities around the city, and even several from South Jersey. We are hoping for an invitation to return to future events since we know this is the type of activity that attracts participants who are very interested in great deals, great service and exactly the type of care we provide at our Patient First locations when people are ill or injured and need care.
Dominion Energy Riverrock, advertised as the nation's premier outdoor sports and music festival, took place over the weekend of May 17-19 at Brown's Island and Belle Isle in Richmond, VA. Forecasted rains throughout the weekend did not stop the fun as the event offered a preview of summer fun on the horizon in Richmond. The event was initially designed to promote the City's unique riverfront, downtown trails, and whitewater rapids, but has since evolved and now has over 30 participatory events throughout the 3-day festival, including yoga, a kayak polo competition, and dog jumping, as well as several free demos, offering plenty of ways to be a part of the adventure. In between events, festival goers enjoyed music from local Richmond bands as well as samplings from Richmond's burgeoning foodie scene.
Patient First was on site all three days of the festival and was positioned across from the dog jumping event, offering great views of the competition. Several festival goers stopped by our tent to take advantage of our free blood pressure screenings. While the rain kept the crowds at bay the first two days, the final day made up for it. Of those we talked to, many had visited Patient First and had many wonderful things to say. A highlight of our year, we are already looking forward to next year's festival!
There was plenty of Bad Blood between the Bowie Baysox and the Richmond Flying Squirrels Friday night, as the minor league teams engaged in a slugfest as the Baysox hosted Eras Night for the fans.
In keeping with the theme of the night, many of the people who came out to the game arrived decked out in their best Taylor Swift gear, Bejeweled with their friendship bracelets and other fan paraphernalia.
Plenty of people stopped by our table to say Thank You (Aimee was not there), for the services we provide. So many, in fact, that we struggled to keep there from being too much Blank Space on our table, as they snatched up our promotional items, including branded stress ball baseballs.
The night was quite the display of offense, with more than 22 runs scored between both teams, resulting in a final score of 17-10, with the Squirrels as the victor. Here's hoping that the next series results in some Karma for the Sox, and that the next time the two teams square off, there's something Better Than Revenge for the Bowie faithful. It's been a bit of a Cruel Summer for the club, and they could use a winning streak of a Fortnight or two.
Following the game, Taylor fans were ready to Shake It Off and take in a live concert with a Taylor Swift cover and, and they were certainly Ready For It. Before fans could say Is It Over Now, the night came to a close and everyone went home floating on a Lavender Haze of great memories.
Don't Blame Me for the number of TS titles in this summary. Look What You Made Me Do!
On Saturday, May 11, Patient First returned to one of the largest street fairs in the Baltimore region, the 43rd annual Laurel Main Street Festival. After several days of rain leading up to the event, the weather proved to be picture perfect, and judging by the volume of the crowd, they were ready to celebrate!
This annual tradition closes off Laurel's Main Street for several blocks, allowing more than 250 vendors, service providers, and food stands to set up shop on both sides of the thoroughfare. Our tent was positioned right square in the center of the action, allowing us to interact with so many people, in what's been our biggest event of the year, so far!
The day began with a nearly hour-long parade, featuring dozens of city leaders, first responders, civic groups, marching bands, youth sports leagues, and private organizations. Among them was Laurel Little League, which we proudly sponsor as one of our youth sports organizations! This provided us a first-hand look at our logo branding on the jerseys for every team in the league!
As was the case last year, the crowds came out in droves. Most of them had been patients at our Laurel center, and all of them were effusive in their descriptions of the care they received from our staff there. As you can see from the photos, it's easy to see why this is one of our busiest events of the year. The crowd was easily in the 30,000+ range, and everyone was eager to come by, say wonderful things about Patient First, and walk away with some of our promotional items. We will certainly look forward to seeing everyone there in 2025!