Viewfinder: Woodforest Bank Community Day

The took place outside in Willow Grove, throughout the mid-day of June 30.

Despite the high heat index, both the outdoor and indoor portions of the event were well attended, as shoppers and event participants filled nearly every space in front of Walmart.

“It’s a little hot, but people are coming through,” Robert Loftlin, Woodforest National Bank Upper Moreland branch manager, said.

Outside, live entertainment was provided by several singers of The Party Continues, led by Paul "Big Bear".

Paul said that The Party Continues and fellow vendors at the event were there pro-bono. Each vendor, which included local businesses, as well as a free water ice stand, were there to help raise funds for Woodforest Bank's charity, the Woodforest Charitable Foundation, which provides for food banks local to the Greater Willow Grove area.

Event participants also had the opportunity to personally meet with local first responders, which included members of the Squad 10 and Abington Police officers Bryan Rickards and Daniel Fisicaro, both of whom are police K-9 handlers.

"A lot of people are under the misconception that they're just to attack," Rickards said. "But, they're here to help."

The Abington K-9 unit brought two Belgium Shepherds, Ivan, a veteran K-9 member, and Mathews, a newly trained member, who is named after Abington Police Department officer Thomas Mathews,  who fell in the line of duty on June 29 1949.

According to Rickards, the K-9 unit demonstration consisted of showing several forms of obedience, criminal apprehension and voice control. Rickards said that the k-9 unit is also called upon for narcotics inspections, and building inspections to ensure safety of police officers.

Inside the Willow Grove Walmart, where the Woodforest Bank holds a branch office, a different type of uniform hero, as well as villains, were waiting for community day participants.

The Together Brothers’ Productions’ League of Heroes, a super-hero costume enthusiast group; and the 501st Legion Garrison Carida, a costumed "Star Wars"-enthusiast group, were available for a meet-and-greet with delighted shoppers and true fans.

Eric “The Smoke” Moran, professional wrestler, actor and head of the Philadelphia chapter of the League of Heroes, had attended the Woodforest Bank Community Day to support its cause. He came dressed as comic-book character Superman.

“It’s good Karma to give back to the kids and the community,” Moran said. ‘That’s what true heroes do.”

And while League of Heroes’ public appearances often coincide with a charitable event, Moran said he was especially honored to work alongside other heroes, such as the Abington Police Department.

Throughout the event, shoppers and event participants held no reservations walking up to the costumed heroes and "Star Wars" enthusiasts to ask for a picture on their smart phones.

According to 501st Legion “cadet” member Steve Yardumian of Upper Moreland, the members of the 501st Legion want to be a spectacle.

“Whether you know ‘Star Wars’ or not, it piques your curiosity,” Yardumian said. “We’re a spectacle to cause the attraction.”

He explained that 501st Legion members take great pains to be as authentic to the movie costumes as possible, such as molding their own suits. It is only through this dedication that members are allowed to participate in public events.

Yardumian explained that it is through this way that groups such as the League of Heroes and the 501st Legion are able to bring more attention to the charitable event’s cause, as well as pose for pictures with appreciative fans.

[Editor's note: Officer Dan Fisicaro's name was mispelled in an earlier edition of this article. Patch regrets the error.]