PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — On this giving Tuesday, a local organization has asked college students to give them their vision for the future of Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA250 is the nonprofit organization coordinating the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence in Philadelphia.
Inspired by the Declaration of Independence, they asked college students and others at area Saxby's coffee locations to cast their ideas for Philly's future by 2026 through "declaration donations."
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"Engaging with the young leaders, asking them to think about what they want Philadelphia to achieve," said Danielle DiLeo Kim, the organization's executive director.
"Just hope that the city gets to Integrate better all communities and spaces in the city like living, working, leisure and studying," said Debra, who cast her declaration near Drexel University.
"You don't see a lot of mixed cultures like in the university and the neighborhoods. You can't see different cultures in different neighborhoods so I hope that by then, everyone can be everywhere," said another student.
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"I hope that we're at zero litter, the sanitation department has doubled in workforce, we have standardized cans, and we have eliminated illegal dumping here in the city," Terrill Haigler, aka Ya Fav Trashman, said in lending his ideas for Philly's trash-free future.
"We have tens of thousands of students that come to Philadelphia to get educated. It's a tremendous opportunity for them to get to know Philadelphia and be a part of it as well," said Saxby's Coffee CEO Nick Bayer, who hosted the thought-provoking event.
The collected declarations will be used to inspire programs and events for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, an event expected to attract global attention.
