Wawa Celebrates 25th Annual Hoagie Day

WAWA, Pa. — Pennsylvania convenience store chain Wawa Inc. is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its annual Hoagie Day.

On June 29, Hoagie Day will be celebrated as part of Wawa’s eighth annual Wawa Welcome America! festivities. Hoagie Day will include a hoagie march by military heroes and re-enactors, a charitable Hoagies for Heroes hoagie-building competition, and more.

The highlighted event will be the Six-Ton Hoagie Salute, which is named in honor of Wawa’s hometown heroes, including military service men and women, firefighters and police officers. During the salute, the six-ton hoagie — which will be built the morning of the celebration at the nearby National Constitution Center — will be marched in by Wawa associates and re-enactors from military moments throughout history. It will be served to the crowd, free of charge.

During the event, Wawa President and CEO Chris Gheysens will announce The Wawa Foundation’s goal to donate $725,000 to its annual USO campaign, which kicked off in stores in June and runs through July 23.

"Our Wawa Welcome America! Festival has always been built around activities and events that celebrate our everyday heroes, so we're excited that this year's Wawa Welcome America! Festival will focus on the 'history makers' among us who have helped chart the course of this country's incredible history," said Gheysens. "Happy July 4th everyone, and thanks to our everyday heroes for all you do every day."

This year's event marks the 25th annual Wawa Hoagie Day since the inaugural Hoagie Day was held in 1992, when the hoagie was proclaimed the "Official Sandwich of Philadelphia" by then Mayor Ed Rendell.

Admission to the National Constitution Center is free all day courtesy of Wawa Hoagie Day.

Wawa operates more than 750 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.