Life is busy — especially during the holiday season! #PhillyMayorThisWeek highlights five events you might’ve missed in the Kenney Administration.

This week, we look at a visit to Tilden Middle School, Rebuild receiving an historic $100 million investment from the William Penn Foundation, a new task force forming to combat the opioid epidemic, Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving Day festivities, and a meeting the Mayor had with a jolly VIP in Dilworth Park.

1. Mayor Kenney visited Tilden Middle School, one of the city’s first community schools.

One of Mayor Kenney’s priorities for Philadelphia includes establishing 25 community schools over the next four years — an initiative paid for by the Philadelphia Beverage Tax. In July, the Mayor’s Office of Education announced the first nine, including Tilden Middle School. This week, the Mayor visited Tilden and talked to the community schools coordinator there, Regina Young, and Principal Brian Johnson about the progress the school has already made. That day, students also celebrated the Turkey Trot, the annual community run around the school led by one student quite literally dressed as a turkey. Each community school has a health focus which encourages increased physical activity and water consumption as well as improved nutrition to help children lead healthy lifestyles. The Turkey Trot supported that goal!

2. The Mayor celebrated and thanked the William Penn Foundation for its announcement that it was awarding the City a grant of $100 million toward Rebuild.

Rebuild, the Kenney Administration’s plan to build up Philadelphia’s neighborhoods through revitalizing its parks, rec centers, playgrounds, and libraries, received a remarkable boost this week when the William Penn Foundation announced it would grant the City up to $100 million toward the effort. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Tricia Nadolny reported that the nonprofit foundation’s leadership says the grant “can be viewed as a sign of the foundation’s deep confidence in the plan and the people behind it.” Mayor Kenney joined members of City Council, including Council President Clarke, as well as City officials and community leaders at the announcement. The grant is the largest in the organization’s history. You can learn more about Rebuild and sign up to get involved on its new site at rebuild.phila.gov!

3. Mayor Kenney announced formation of task force to combat the opioid epidemic in Philadelphia.

Calling the opioid epidemic “a significant social and public health challenge requiring a comprehensive, citywide approach,” the Mayor announced formation of a task force devoted to combating the problem because it’s “been taking lives, destroying families and undermining the quality of life of Philadelphians across the city.” The new task force will be co-chaired by two leaders in the Kenney Administration, Arthur C. Evans, Jr., Ph.D., of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, and Dr. Thomas Farley of the Department of Public Health. Others will join Evans and Farley on the 16-member group, including addiction experts, physicians, researchers, persons with lived experience, law enforcement, and representatives from both the state and federal governments.

4. On Thanksgiving, the Mayor greeted residents and visitors to the 6ABC Thanksgiving Day Parade and visited MANNA as the organization prepared meals.

Mayor Kenney stopped by the annual 6ABC Thanksgiving Day Parade, greeting the crowd and urging residents to take pride in their collective compassion. “Let’s give ourselves more credit and show each more love,” he said. Later, he visited the kitchen at MANNA, an organization focused on preparing and delivering nutritious, medically appropriate meals to people living with life-threatening illnesses.

5. The Mayor kicked off the holiday season in Dilworth Park by greeting Santa and Mrs. Claus after they rode the Market-Frankford El.

Hundreds of people descended upon Dilworth Park to celebrate the start of the holiday season with ice skating, shopping at Christmas Village, and, of course, a visit from Santa Claus himself. The North Pole resident reportedly opted to take mass transit instead of ride his sleigh to the park, ho-ho-ho-ing his way from Bridge and Pratt to City Hall via SEPTA’s Market-Frankford El. While he greeted Santa Claus, Mayor Kenney encouraged Philadelphians to attend the City’s tree lighting ceremony, which begins at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 26.

Be sure to follow the Mayor’s Office on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and events about City programs and initiatives and developments in the Kenney Administration!