Patient First in the Community

On Saturday, August 10th, the campus of Harrisburg Area Community College was alive with the sights, sounds, and enticing smells that made up the annual India Day celebration! Organized by the Asian Indian Americans of Central Pennsylvania, this rich celebration of culture and heritage draws several thousand people from across the region. For a third year, Patient First has been happy to participate in this event!

After a serious storm blew through on Friday, which saw a tornado touch down in the Harrisburg area, there were concerns over the possibility of having the event at all this year. Fortunately, as the clouds passed through overnight, some absolutely gorgeous weather greeted us in the morning and lasted throughout the day.

The day kicked off with a parade showcasing the multitude of organizations within the local Indian community of central Pennsylvania. It continued with a wide variety of dancing, traditional dress parades, and music featured on the main stage, as well as a host of vendors and amazing food choices.

As always, our Patient First table was a very popular spot for people to come and visit. Most of the people we spoke with had been patients at either our Mechanicsburg or Colonial Park centers, but a few had traveled up from as far south as Glen Burnie and Bowie. Our yo-yo;s were a huge hit with the kids, while the magnetic clips seemed to be the big item among the adults.

This is one of the biggest cultural events that we attend each year in central PA, and this year did not disappoint. We're already looking forward to returning!

On Saturday, July 28th Patient First rode into the Harford County Equestrian Center to participate in the final day of the Harford County Farm Fair. This week-long event celebrates the rich agricultural history of Harford County and works to ensure its future.

Focusing on the work of agricultural organizations like the Future Farmers of America (FFA) and the Harford County 4-H, this event showcases the efforts of farmers young and old, through livestock shows, auctions, and equestrian events.

In addition to these events, the fair featured a variety of live bands, inflatable playgrounds, a straw maze, pig races, as well as pie and watermelon eating contests. In lieu of fireworks, the final two nights of the fair culminated in a loud and impressive tractor pull!

Our Patient First table and tent were very busy, as people came by not just to share their appreciation for the care they received primarily at our Bel Air and Aberdeen centers, but also to receive the free blood pressure checks we offered.

Overall, our first year working with this event was a great success, and we look forward to coming out again in 2025!

On Sunday, July 21st, the Bowie Baysox, the AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles honored first responders with its annual Hero's Day, and for the first time, Patient First was the proud presenting sponsor for the day!

This inaugural event sponsorship further deepens our ties with the Baysox, on top of having been in the managing organization of the stadium's First Aid station for years.

As the presenting sponsor for Hero's Day, we were afforded a pair of digital billboards on the team's massive scoreboard, two between-inning ad reads by the Baysox PA announcer, a 4x4 banner displayed at the main gate crediting us as the Hero's Day sponsor, an on-air interview during the game on the team's radio partner, WNAV, and participation in the pre-game first pitch ceremony.

Dr. Delbert Morales, the regional medical director for DC and Northern Virginia was given the honor of the first pitch ceremony, and threw a very respectable toss to the catcher. Not a bounce to be found! A lengthy third inning provided us with an extensive interview segment, during which Dr. Morales informed the audience on how to stay cool not just in the stands, but in general during these dog days of summer. He also emphasized Patient First's pride in being a partner with the Baysox, and the community that we serve.

As usual, our table was a popular destination for the crowd, most of whom were patients from the Bowie, Glen Burnie and Odenton centers, though some had experiences with us from as far south as Richmond, as as far north as Aberdeen. Patient First is happy to be in league with the Baysox, and we look forward to a long and continued partnership with the organization!

For over 120 years, the Towson Chamber of Commerce has hosted its annual 4th of July Parade in front of crowds of flag waving spectators. Just as it has for over a decade now, Patient First has been a proud sponsor of this celebration of our nation's birth!

This year 15 staffers from as near as Towson and as far as Germantown came out to represent Patient First as we waved and greeted the cheering fans lined up along the parade route. As we travelled up and down the York Road corridor, we were spurred on by the shouts of people saying how much they loved Patient First, and how we've helped them through some particularly tough times.

This year's participation matches a record for participation! We look forward to seeing how many people we can get to walk with us in 2025!

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!

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!

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!

Thank you!

As the weather and our community event schedule begins to heat up, Patient First would like to recognize and thank all our employees who helped with events over the past year. We truly value your contributions and your time in making our community events the successes that they are. 

It takes special people to give of themselves to help others, and each and every one of you who has given up your time to participate at the hundreds of festivals, family health nights, fun runs, and other events are very special to us. Thank you for your enthusiasm, your positive energy, and for being such amazing ambassadors for Patient First!

Take a look at this video we've assembled showcasing our amazing staffers! (Note: We have many more staff who support our events who may not appear in this video montage, but rest assured each and every representative from our centers is greatly appreciated!)

A beautiful, crisp, clear Sunday morning in downtown Baltimore provided the perfect backdrop for an event steeped in love, caring and support in the form of the Ronald McDonald House Red Shoe Shuffle.

While this was the 13th year that this 5k run/walk/stroll has been held at the site of the Ronald McDonald House (just three miles from our Bayview center), this was the first year that Patient First has been a part of it. Nevertheless, we could not have been made to feel more welcome, with friendly greetings and check-ins by the RMH staff, and a prime location for our table and tent in the middle of the event's Celebration Village.

With its mission of providing housing-- sometimes for months at a time-- for out of town families while their children undergo life-saving treatments at area hospitals, this nationwide event could not be a more worthwhile cause for us to champion, and we received countless thanks from not just the organizers, but the families and supporters of the recipients of this invaluable service.

This year marked the first time in its history that the event sold out, with 3,000 people participating in the Shuffle itself, not to mention the people that came out to cheer on and support the participants. So many of those who stopped by our table had been patients of ours, and self-proclaimed frequent fliers from as near as Bayview and Glen Burnie, to as far as Waldorf and Downington, PA. We had so many wonderful conversations with people who were incredibly appreciative of our services, the clean condition of our centers, and the professionalism of our staff.

With this year's record setting turnout, the money raised to support this charity hit an all-time high as well-- with over half a million dollars collected! Our staff felt honored to be a part of this celebratory day, and we certainly look forward to keeping this event on our schedule for years to come!