Ocean City’s Fourth of July celebration yesterday was a great example of what Ocean City is all about: families and traditions.
It’s always heartwarming to see how many people start their day with our daily flag-raising ceremony at the Music Pier, but the crowd yesterday was especially inspiring.
Hundreds of families participated in the annual Independence Day bike parades in the Gardens and the Riviera, and I was able to watch the bike parade in South Ocean City.
I want to thank the Kelly and Fuller families for their work in coordinating volunteers, and I was able to honor Marine veteran John G. “Jack” Johnson with a “Piece of the ‘Walk” for his decades-long support of the parade.
Each of these events is made possible only through the support of countless volunteers who ask for nothing in return but the joy of seeing so many families having fun.
The Ocean City Pops put on another great free concert at Carey Stadium. Some strong south winds delayed our fireworks barge a bit, but they couldn’t stop a spectacular display from going off.
As with every summer holiday, Ocean City was extremely busy, and I want to thank police, firefighter/EMTs, the Ocean City Beach Patrol, our Public Works crews, Community Services Department and the entire city team for their hard work in keeping everybody safe, the city clean and the events running smoothly.
With so many people in town, they were all put to the test, but maintained exceptional customer service. We really are fortunate to have such an outstanding team.
Most of all, I want to thank our residents and guests for helping to make Ocean City the special place that it is.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
