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BATTLESHIP’S FUNDRAISER WAS A REAL BLAST!
OPENED TO THE PUBLIC, THIS YEAR’S BLAST WAS ANOTHER SUCCESS FOR THE BIG J
CAMDEN, NJ – July 14 – The 7th Annual Battleship Blast, presented by Susquehanna Bank, which took place on the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial on Saturday evening, June 27, featured several new activities, a new audience and ended with a bang!
“For the first time, we opened the Battleship’s decks to the public and it resulted in our largest crowd and our most profitable Blast fundraiser to date,” commented Jim Schuck, Acting President and CEO of the Battleship New Jersey. “Over a 1,000 people enjoyed live music, entertainment, the best view of the fireworks display over the Delaware River and they got to see the 5-inch gun fired for the first time in 20 years.”
This year, the Battleship still offered partners an exclusive dinner (Surf n Turf BBQ) on the ship’s fantail and VIP viewing of the fireworks, but also allowed families to come aboard the ship’s forecastle (forward deck) to watch the fireworks from this unique vantage point. Some families even spent the night during a special Blast Overnight Encampment. All guests were also treated to entertainment by the Phillie Phanatic, IGX video games, Philadelphia Zoo on Wheels, members of the Sixers Dance Team, a slap shot inflatable from the Philadelphia Flyers, WXTU’s Christy Springfield, face painting, live music from Primitive Soul, Hypersonic, 53 Woodward, and the Bobby Mansure Trio, food and beverage concessions. Further, the fireworks display was capped with the shooting of the ship’s starboard and port 40 mm saluting guns and, for the first time since the Battleship was decommissioned in 1991, the five-inch gun was fired!
“I have been a volunteer on the Battleship for over 8 years, and the Blast was the highlight of my time aboard the ship,” said Rich Thrash, a volunteer for the Battleship, who, along with Ken Hoffman of Dietz & Watson, donated money to shoot the 5-inch gun. “Getting the opportunity to shoot the gun was amazing. It truly ended an incredible evening.”
Partners for this year’s Blast included Presenting-sponsor Susquehanna Bank; Blue Benefactor sponsors Aramark, Bowman & Company LLP, Camden County Board of Freeholders, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Red Patron sponsors included Cleaned-Rite Janitorial Technologies, National Cinemedia, Pepsi, and South Jersey Port Corporation. Blue Patron sponsors were Cooper University Hospital, Delaware River Port Authority, Dietz & Watson, Food Circus Super Markets, Garden State Dust Control, Hoagland Longo Moran Dunst & Doukas LLP, Lion Brewery, L-3 Communications, Parker McCay PA, Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, SJ Magazine, Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO, S.T. Hudson Engineers Inc., TD Bank, and United Building Trades Council of Southern New Jersey.
The Battleship also kicked off a new fund raising program during the Blast. The ship is now offering personalized bricks. Donors can purchase a brick for $100 and have it inscribed with their name or another message. Bricks will be placed on the Battleship’s Memorial Pier. Guests can get more information on the Battleship Brick program online at www.battleshipnewjersey.org or by calling 1-866-877-6262 ext. 102.
The USS New Jersey, constructed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, was commissioned into the US Navy in May 1943, and participated in operations in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Beirut Crisis and the first Person Gulf War. Its 19 Battle Stars makes the New Jersey the most decorated battleship in our nation’s history. Over 55,000 naval veterans once referred to the USS New Jersey as home.
Today, the Battleship New Jersey is opened to the public as a floating museum on the Delaware River, along the Camden Waterfront. A signature attraction to veterans, patriots, students and families from around the world, the Battleship New Jersey has already undergone massive restoration efforts. She brings history to life for visitors during daily guided tours through the Iowa-class ship, one of the largest battleships ever built – seeing the Admiral's quarters, the officers and crew’s mess, the crew’s quarters, the communications center and more, throughout the ship's massive nine decks.
The Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial offers guided and self-guided tours daily, beginning at 9:30 am with the last tour departing at 5pm. Spend the night aboard the Battleship as part of the Overnight Encampment program. Guests experience dinner and lunch from the crew’s mess, a tour of the ship, a ride on the 4D flight simulator and the opportunity to sleep in the bunks that the crew of the USS New Jersey once did. Also, special group packages and event/meeting space are available. Now guests in Philadelphia can take the Waterfront Connection Shuttle from Independence Visitor Center to the Battleship for only $2 round trip! The shuttle runs daily beginning at 10:30 am with the last shuttle back to Philly at 6 pm. In New Jersey, take NJ Transit’s River Line to the Battleship. Visit www.riverline.com for a schedule and more information. For more information on the , call 856-966-1652 or visit the Battleship at www.battleshipnewjersey.org.
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