John Leeser, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Publisher/Advertising Director

Looking back to the bicentennial in 1976, I was just a kid growing up in Milton. The bicentennial offered parades, special events and festivities. My family went to Williamsport to see the Freedom Train. That was a major highlight for me as a teenage kid. But truth be told, I probably didn’t fully appreciate what it all meant outside of having fun! I did not have the perspective that I do now, 50 years later.

I became very interested in American history, the good, the bad, the people and events that shaped this country. Reading and enjoying documentaries about our nation’s history has given me a deeper appreciation for the challenges, accomplishments, and stories that brought us to where we are today.

The 250th anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on that history even more. The generations that came before us are to be respected and appreciated.

Rev. C. Angelique Labadie-Cihanowyz, Executive Director, Sojourner Truth Ministries

So to me America’s 250th anniversary is something to be celebrated, because as a Christian, I celebrate the rights that we still have, and I am so incredibly grateful for the freedoms that we have in this country, and in this year has been, and will be such a fantastic opportunity for us to celebrate all the people who came before us, paving the way for what we have, and and how far we have come, and also to look forward to what is to come, and to consider the hope that we have for the future and that every single person can make a difference in a positive way for our future as Americans.

Gabe Sinicropi, Vice President, Marketing & Public Relations, Williamsport Crosscutters

Well, first of all, America is the greatest country in the world. So, I think we’re all blessed to be here, and you know it makes me harken back. I’m old enough to remember the Bicentennial, so I remember the Freedom Train. I was on the Freedom Train, came to my hometown, and was able to be on that, and still vividly remember the picnic and everything that we did surrounding the bicentennial, and we’re looking to make some memories for 250 with a Crosscutters game. What’s more American than our national pastime, so we can’t wait for a beautiful, sunny Fourth of July afternoon at Historic Bowman Field, and we look forward to it. So very blessed to be here in a stadium for the Fourth of July in America’s 250th.

Lester Loner, Special Olympics Volunteer and Coach

For the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, I think I’d like to thank all the people, past, present, and future, that has taken their time and given their lives to give us the freedoms that we have, the things that we’re allowed to do here in the United States, being involved with different community activities, different service groups, is one of the opportunities that we get as being an American citizen.

Whether you are involved with Little League baseball or Special Olympics or different organizations, or whichever one you select to choose, they’re always looking for volunteers for that, and we get those freedoms because of the things that past people have done for us here in the United States. It’s nice to be able to work with individuals regardless of their abilities that they have and to give them the opportunities to be part of our community, be involved with our local programs and things like that, so that’s what the 250th anniversary for me means for the United States.

Tess Neidig, Owner, R&T Asian Market, Williamsport

Well, I came here for the opportunity of education and building a family here, and because of the great education, I sent my kids here … I meet a lot of people, not only American people, but also people of different cultures.

We do celebrate here, we have a Filipino American celebration, and July 4 … we’re gonna have a celebration of Filipino Americans, so it’s nice, and we meet people here, and nice, and all friendly. It’s different from other countries, that, you know, other countries … You think about it, like — example, you know, there’s war … but I don’t know, it’s so hard to explain, because when we see … we are all friends, we’re not enemies, we get along, we share foods, and that’s the best part.

Jennifer Rempe, Director of Development and Community Engagement, American Rescue Workers

America celebrating 250 years is so important to me. I remember the moment that I realized that we were going to celebrate this, this 250th birthday this summer, couple years ago, maybe five, six years ago, and and I got really excited because I remember seeing the pictures from 1976 I was just two years old, so I don’t have any recollection of it, but looking at those pictures and how America is so happy to be here, and you know, the the Constitution is such an important document, and it was founded by mostly men, all men who believed in something and who fought so hard for something, and we get to experience the luxury of that today. Most importantly, for me, freedom of religion and freedom of speech, and we get to do that because of what our forefathers built for us, and you know, I came to work at American Rescue Workers a couple years ago because, yes, I love nonprofit world and the mission here is taking care of folks that are homeless or down and out on their luck, but mostly because it’s, it’s a faith-based organization, and I can live out my faith here, and I can pray before I submit a grant, or pray before, you know, I eat, and and nobody thinks it’s weird, or you know, I don’t get any kind of, you know, persecution for that, and it’s such a beautiful thing to be able to celebrate and walk that through with my coworkers and my colleagues, and and to be able to spill in and pour into our guys that live here at the in the Fresh Start program, and at Saving Grace, and being able to pray with them and for them, and to be able to provide devotions to hopefully be able to help them found get a foundation for life when they’re going out there, and if we can bring a couple men to Christ in the process of providing them shelter and food, that’s just a beautiful thing to me.

State Rep. Joe Hamm

250 years of opportunity. America has provided the greatest opportunities for people in the world, and so we are truly the greatest country in the world. We have the opportunity to live the American dream, the opportunity to go from nothing to being a very successful individual and the truth is, in other countries across the world, if you are born into destitute situations, you are literally destined for that the rest of your life. That is generational, but in America it’s different. You have opportunity, you have the ability to do anything that you choose to do. And so, truly, we’re celebrating 250 years of being the greatest country in the world, 250 years of being a beacon of hope for the rest of the world. And so we are looking forward to celebrating on July 4, 250 years of opportunity, 250 years of being the beacon of hope for the rest of the world.

Nithin Thompson, Pastor at City Alliance Church

When I think of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, I think of a passage of scripture found in Jeremiah 29 where Jeremiah is a prophet who is writing to exiles that are living in the city of Babylon, and one of the things he says to them is found in verse seven, where he says this: Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

And even though I think of Christianity and the church as a global movement, it’s a global movement with a particular emphasis in the communities and the nations that followers of Jesus find themselves in, and so for followers of Jesus, we are to seek the flourishing, the thriving of our cities, our towns, and our nation. And when I think of America, I think of a place that has enabled so many people to flourish and to thrive. That’s one of our ideals. And then the other side of that is for those in our nation, in our cities, who have not been able to thrive, who have not been able to flourish.

How do we help our neighbors find flourishing and the ability to thrive? What are we doing to help them in that, and that I think is something that I love about our country, that we are willing to ask ourselves the hard questions to reflect and to remember, and to ask ourselves, are we being and becoming who we say that we are to the world? And as a follower of Jesus, how do I come alongside of our nation and our people to help them flourish, to experience the fullness of who God has made them to be.

Jason Fink, President and CEO, Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce

The America 250 this year is such a great opportunity for us, really, to come together in this country. To me, it’s been exciting to be able to experience it. Last time we had something of this scale, I was five years old, and so looking at it now as an adult and truly appreciating what this country brings to us, it’s wonderful to be able to see the fact that while we all are different and we all have different perspectives and different thoughts, you know, the one beautiful thing is this is a country that accepts that this is a country that you are able to be who you are and are proud of the fact that this is a free nation, that we are a number of the founding principles that our forefathers and our foremothers really set this country up for.

They still are embodied by everybody and still cherished. I mean, the thing about it is we still have to protect that, we still have to advocate for that, and it’s, you know, you sit here and you look at either at a local, state, a national level, we don’t always agree, but the fact of the matter is it’s a country that allows you to have that disagreement and embraces the fact that we can grow from learning from one another, and to me, it’s, it’s, you know, this 250 gives us that ability to reflect on that, and the importance of being able to defend that, that to me is what’s important about this 250 this year.

Derek Slaughter, Mayor, City of Williamsport

It’s a time to reflect and realize those aren’t guaranteed, but we are extremely fortunate to live in a country where those who came before us and gave their lives in many cases for us to be able to live in a free and fair country for 250 years, and I don’t take the privilege of being mayor lightly. I realize that each day that I come to work that I have to make sure we’re providing that opportunity, those freedoms, and a democracy where others can enjoy what we’ve been able to take advantage of for 250 years, so that our democracy can continue for another 250 years and beyond, and again it’s just a time for us to look back and say, thank you, thank you to all of the founding fathers, all of the government officials, all of our military personnel, past and present, that have worked on this democracy for 250 years, and we continue to work on that this day, and also others that have come to America searching for that American dream, that American promise, that’s also what makes our nation so great, is that we are the only country in the whole world where whether you’re an American, or you come here searching for that dream personally, just to say thank you, and also for me to continue to do the work to make sure our democracy stays strong for many, many years to come, another 250 and beyond.