PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SugarHouse Casino has announced it will be the presenting sponsor of the 2012 Philadelphia Mummers Parade and Fancy Brigade Finale, representing the casino’s continued commitment to the city it calls home.
SugarHouse General Manager Wendy Hamilton made the announcement at the casino’s Refinery restaurant to a group of Mummers leadership, including captains and delegates of each club, as well as Chairman of the Save the Mummers foundation, George Badey. The Save the Mummers Board of Directors consists of the leaders of all Mummers’ divisions, and also includes other distinguished citizens. It works to raise funds to help support and maintain the Mummers’ traditions, including the New Year’s Day parade in Philadelphia, which generates more than $9 million in revenue to the city and state each year.
“The Mummers organizations are extremely grateful to have supporters like SugarHouse Casino,” said Badey. “As the presenting sponsor for 2012, and hopefully future parades, the casino is recognizing the importance of continuing our city’s most cherished tradition. We’re looking forward to cultivating a longtime partnership with SugarHouse.”
The Mummers Parade is the longest-running New Year’s Day tradition in the country. Its roots date back to the late 1600s in Philadelphia, and the first officially sanctioned parade by the city was in 1901. The parade features complex, custom costumes, music, and renowned pageantry with more than 10,000 participants. The 2012 parade will be the 112th and will be more colorful and entertaining than ever before.
As part of the sponsorship, parade-goers can ride the Sugar Express, the casino’s shuttle bus, and interact with the Sweeties, SugarHouse’s team of cocktail servers and promoters, among this year’s Broad Street attractions and performers.
“We are very excited to be part of the Mummers Parade for the first time,” said Hamilton. “Over the past 14 months SugarHouse has been absorbed into the fabric of the city, and this parade is so important to the history and culture of our community. The partnership is going to be a spectacular way to kick off 2012 for both our casino team and the city!”
The Mummers Parade will be broadcast on PHL17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., preceded by a Breakfast with the Mummers special at 9 a.m. and followed by a primetime showing of the Fancy Brigade Finale at the Convention Center from 8 to 10 p.m.
“The Mummers Parade and Fancy Brigade Finale are Philadelphia institutions and the station is proud to broadcast the New Year’s Day festivities over the air waves for everyone to enjoy,” said Vince Giannini, general manager of PHL17. “With more than eight hours of live TV coverage, Philadelphians watching from home won’t miss a single minute of the January 1 celebration.”
Those who want to see the Philadelphia tradition first hand can do so along the Broad Street route, which stretches from South Philly to City Hall, where the divisions will perform for the judging panel.
In addition, the casino will be running free shuttles continuously from the parade to the casino all day long. Guests can park at the casino for free and take the Sugar Express over to the Broad Street festivities. At the casino, SugarHouse will have a full day of celebrating 2012 with promotions, gaming and beverage specials to start the new year off right.
SugarHouse is a strong economic engine and financial contributor to the city of Philadelphia. In addition to supporting countless nonprofits and city-wide events, SugarHouse generated more than $100 million in city and state tax revenue during its first year of operation.
For more information about SugarHouse’s New Year’s Day festivities and gaming promotions, visit www.sugarhousecasino.com.
To learn more about the Philadelphia Mummers and the Save the Mummers foundation, visit www.phillymummers.com.
ABOUT SUGARHOUSE CASINO
SugarHouse Casino, named a 2011 “Best Places to Work” by the Philadelphia Business Journal, opened in September 2010 as Philadelphia’s first casino. SugarHouse features 1,602 slots, up to 53 table games, fun and unique dining options, riverfront views and free on-site parking. The casino employs approximately 1,000 people and is one of 10 operating casinos in Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.sugarhousecasino.com.
ABOUT THE MUMMERS
The Mummers Parade is the longest-running New Year’s Day tradition in the country. Its roots date back to the late 1600s in Philadelphia, and the first officially sanctioned parade by the city was in 1901. The parade features complex, custom costumes, music, and renowned pageantry with more than 10,000 participants.
ABOUT PHL17
WPHL-TV, known as PHL17, has been broadcasting the annual Mummers Parade - a Philadelphia tradition for more than 100 years - on New Year's Day since 1993. Each year the parade draws a crowd of thousands in Philadelphia, while Philadelphia's PHL17 achieves some of its highest ratings of the year.