PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A three-month window opens this week to submit ideas for community projects that will have a lasting impact on Philadelphia. The nonprofit coordinating the city’s plans for the nation’s 250th birthday is collecting ideas for the centerpiece of its celebration.
Starting Wednesday, Philadelphia250 will begin accepting suggestions from individuals, groups and companies for projects that will help to build the social infrastructure of the city, and make a difference beyond the semiquincentennial in 2026.
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Of all the ideas submitted to philadelphia250.us over the next three months, as many as 16 of them will share in $125,000 of seed money, as part of an initiative called Leave a Legacy. Then in December, a review panel will greenlight the final four.
“They will evaluate among themselves who will be the four legacy projects for 2026,” Erike De Veyra, project manager of Leave a Legacy, says.
Apart from the money, semifinalists will also get expertise and promotion over the course of this year.
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“Our time with them is really to get them equipped and ready to find even more resources to make it happen and to complete it by 2026,” De Veyra said.
Special Olympics Pennsylvania is one organization preparing to make a pitch. Its project, called Cities of Inclusion, is focused on improving access to housing and employment for people with disabilities.
“We are trying to pull together a group of like-minded organizations and individuals to try to make an impact for people with disabilities in this city,” says Special Olympics Pa. CEO Matt Aaron.
“We think that the work that we’re doing, by 2026, will be able to demonstrate a positive impact that really will be a wonderful legacy — not only for the nation’s 250th anniversary but specifically here in Philadelphia.”
The slogan of Philadelphia250 is "By the people, for all people." De Veyra says the projects should revolve around one of four key values:
• Shared prosperity
• Revolutionary actions
• People’s histories
• The pursuit of happiness
Unlike previous celebrations, which built Fairmount Park's Memorial Hall in 1876 and JFK Stadium in 1926 (demolished in 1992), the great hope of Philadelphia250 is to create a stronger, more equitable citywide fabric.
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