PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro on Monday helped kick off the tourism season with the first-ever Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation’s Spring Philadelphia Opener celebration.
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham received the special honor of Most Valuable Philadelphian (MVP) during the event.
“I’m happy to be accepted by the city,” he said. ”[Philadelphians] Philadelphia is everything to me because I have that blue collar mentality of going to battle and never giving up. ”
Graham, a Detroit native who has lived in Philadelphia for 14 years, was asked what must-visit places in the city are.
“Well, they should come here to the Independence Visitor Center and understand the history of the city, and experience the people,” he said.
Graham, who helped the Eagles win their only Super Bowl, had 73 sacks in 195 career games with the Eagles.he Locker room favourites And in the Philadelphia community.
Travel and tourism are vital to Philadelphia’s economy and are symbolic of the city’s unique culture and vibrant, diverse communities.
To share these stories, CBS News Philadelphia’s Wakisha Bailey is partnering with the Philadelphia Visitor Center and Visit Philadelphia to produce a new series called Spreading the Love. This series highlights extraordinary people who have a remarkable impact on their cities.
“This is an honest city, made up of good people,” Bailey said at the event. “Why can’t we go into every community and find people who are spreading love?”
“That’s exactly what we need right now,” said Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center. “Our mayor says we have a lack of hope, and what CBS, the Visitor Center, and Visit Philly are trying to do is do that with great pride and love for our city. It’s about filling in the gaps.”
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