With the state mandate of no parades or large gatherings during this pandemic of COVID-19, there was no chance that Beacon was going to have a repeat of any big parade like what caused a spike in the spread of the flu in 1917 in Phili. But Beacon would not be stopped from having its annual celebration of its team spirit - The Spirit Of Beacon Day - which we all know was started after racial tensions and riots in 1977.

Yes, this is all connected! And as people are people, the spirit never goes away, and the need to listen to each other never goes away. Hence the reason the Spirit of Beacon Day was started 43 years ago. To address this need to come together.

Thankfully the torch has been passed from committee to committee, and the Spirit of Beacon Day Parade continues. The current committee decided to have a drive-by parade, as well as a virtual concert. They worked closely with Beacon’s Highway Department to develop a route. The route was based on the plow route that the Highway Department uses when plowing our streets come winter.

The cars were divided into 4 quadrants and drive down different streets, led by Highway Department trucks. Yay trucks! Maybe you saw from your house, or maybe you saw in Instagram. People who did see were happy, and the Spirit of Beacon Day Committee was pleased with the results. Says president Gwenno James: "Thank you to the Spirit of Beacon Committee volunteers, and a big shout out to the City of Beacon Highway Department who lead the Drive-Thru and provided the route map. Their essential workers have continued serving our community throughout the pandemic and were on the front lines during the lock-down cleaning City Hall, keeping everyone healthy and safe. Thank you also to everyone who participated in the Drive-Thru and Virtual Concert, and to our video producers." And thank you for the generous support of our donors."

Watch their full video here. They covered a lot of people and talents! All photos used here are courtesy of the Spirit of Beacon Day Committee.