Wawa promises 25k free Shortis and ‘high-spirited hoagie antics’ on Hoagie Day Wednesday

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Shortis on Hoagie Day are created equal. They are endowed by the Wawa associates who create them with certain unalienable ingredients, that among these are lettuce, meat, and provolone cheese.

On Wednesday, as part of the annual Wawa Welcome America July 4 festivities in Philly, employees with the convenience store chain will make and give away 25,000 turkey Shortis on Independence Mall to celebrate the 31st annual Hoagie Day.

The first 10,000 hoagies will be donated to Philabundance, the Veterans Multi-Service Center, and Police Athletic League centers. The remaining 15,000 will be handed out to the public for free at noon in front of the National Constitution Center.

The giveaway, which began in 1992 when then-Gov. Ed Rendell declared the hoagie the “Official Sandwich of Philadelphia,” is an annual test of Philadelphians’ endurance (the lines start early and can be epic) and their love of free food (we’ve never met a complimentary meal we didn’t like).

Hosted by WMMR’s Preston Elliot and Casey Foster, the event features hoagie-building competitions between Philadelphia’s police and fire departments and between the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and the Navy Talent Acquisition Group. The winners receive $3,000 donations from Wawa for a charity of their choice.

The Wawa Foundation will also donate $800,000 raised in-store from customers to support USO programs. QR codes will be available on-site for the public to send messages of thanks and support to service members.

More than 150 Wawa associates will help build the seven tons of hoagies at the National Constitution Center, beginning at 5 a.m. Wednesday. During the build, they’ll receive a special message from Eagles Center Jason Kelce via Zoom, Wawa spokesperson Lori Bruce said.

“Our builders are high energy to begin with, oh my gosh, the passion they have, but we thought who better to live stream in and give them just a big congratulations and words of inspiration than Jason Kelce, who does that on so many levels for the Eagles and all of us,” Bruce said.

According to the release, the builders will participate in “hoagie songs, dances, and high-spirited hoagie antics” while Wawa mascots Wally Goose and Shorti Hoagie cheer them on.

At this point it must be stressed, yet again, that yes, Philadelphia is a real place.

The festivities conclude with a performance by the Voices of Service, a musical group of U.S. veterans. As part of the event, admission to the National Constitution Center is free Wednesday.

Since 2010, when Wawa took over title sponsorship of the city’s Welcome America celebration, it’s given away 250,000 hoagies stretching 25 miles and weighing more than 60 tons, according to Bruce.

It’s rare that any hoagies are left over, but in the unlikely event some remain, they too are donated to Philabundance, Bruce said.