Philadelphia Flyers Community Caravan, Newport Avenue beachfront park, Ventnor, July 13,2022.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
VENTNOR – It was their first time in Ventnor, but the Philadelphia Flyers have been holding their summer caravan tours for six years.
On Wednesday afternoon, several large trucks holding everything needed for a pep rally featuring lots of orange and black rolled into town around 1 p.m. to set up inflatables, games, and branded merchandise giveaways for the crowds of “phans” who flocked to the beachfront park on Newport Avenue.
Children joined their parents playing cornhole, street hockey, slap shooting, super-sized Jenga and some jumped aboard the inflatable hockey rink. Fans lined up to take pictures with the star of the show, Gritty, the redheaded mascot for the bullies of Broad Street. Also signing autographs was Flyers alumni Bob Kelly, Riley Cote, Brad Marsh and the great Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, of the Stanley Cup days.
Flyers Director of Youth and Amateur Hockey Rob Baer said the caravan would visit nine cities along the New Jersey Shore and the Greater Philadelphia area this year as a way to engage fans during the off-season.
And there were plenty of fans in the audience, including Ventnor Special Events organizer Donna Peterson, a season ticket holder.
Peterson said she was able to convince her friend, Flyer alum Bob “The Hound” Kelly to put Ventnor on the list of cities to visit this summer. The result was a spectacular sea of orange sun hats, jerseys, and T-shirts.
In addition to the Flyers, the Philadelphia Wings, and its mascot Wingston, entertained the crowd.
John Corley came from Burlington for the event.
“My step-dad introduced me to the Flyers,” he said. “I’ve been to a few games this year. My favorite thing about the games is the atmosphere. All the fans are really involved and care about their team winning.”
Nick Blitz has been a fan for a while, he said.
“I’m half Flyers, half Capitals,” he said. “I grew up in Maryland, so I rooted for the Capitals, but my grandparents, who live here in Ventnor, are big Flyers fans, so I’m kind of divided.”
The DiOrio family, who was visiting their mom Joan DiOrio who has a beach house in Ventnor, brought along two handmade signs: one held by son Nicolas said they drove all the way from Maryland to see Gritty, and the other held by daughter Isabel, asked, “Gritty, are you my dad?”
The resemblance between her flame-red hair and Gritty’s was uncanny.
Dad Ken DiOrio said he grew up in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, but eventually the family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina.
“We go to all the games to root for the Flyers when they play the Hurricanes,” he said.
It was the third stop on the nine-city Flyers Community Caravan tour. It started earlier this week in North Wildwood, then stopped in Ocean City. On Thursday, the caravan moves to Sea Isle, where a parade is planned.
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