Philly looking for ‘Phambassadors’ to boost city pride in the run-up to 2026

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Will you take the pledge?

The city of Philadelphia is asking 10,000 residents to commit to exploring it, take pride in it, show kindness to people visiting and living in it and show the world just how “Philly Special” it is.

If that describes you: Put a ring on it.

The “Phambassador” civic booster campaign is designed to get Philadelphians ready for the year 2026, when the city is hosting several large-scale events that will draw thousands and thousands of visitors, as well as national and international attention.

The president and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center, Kathryn Ott Lovell, said the first step is to love your city.

“That’s the commitment. Just be proud of your city,” she said. “Talk about it to anybody who will listen. We believe that will have an incredible ripple effect.”

As the birthplace of American democracy, Philadelphia is expected to play a major role in next year’s 250th semiquincentennial birthday of the nation. The city will also host the MLB All-Star game, several matches of the FIFA World Cup — as well as a fan site — and the PGA Championship.

The visitor center is part of a consortium of downtown historic and cultural organizations getting ready for millions of anticipated visitors. Lovell said preparedness begins with the people who live here.

“We can’t open a visitors center on every street corner. I’d like to, but we can’t,” she said. “But we still have to be ready. We do that by encouraging everyday Philadelphians to feel and show their passion.”

The “Phambassador” program launched Tuesday morning in LOVE Park with an old-fashioned pep rally: cheerleaders and mascots, testimonials and t-shirts, drumlines and DJs, pretzels and politicians.

The rally recalled the energy many felt at that same location 10 weeks earlier, when the Philadelphia Eagles paraded their Super Bowl win.

“You don’t need to wait for a parade to be proud of where you’re from,” said Jazelle Jones, city representative and director of special events. “We only ask that you come out and tell everybody what is happening. Word of mouth is so very important. That is our call of action. It’s how we get things done.”

The visitor center is hoping some people who sign the pledge will ultimately volunteer to become directly involved in 2026 preparation and events. The pledge itself, however, is ceremonial. It does not commit the signer to any material obligation and will put them in a contacts database to receive future announcements.

“It’s not about a marketing campaign. It’s not about staging perfection, because none of us have any of that to do, right?” said Sue Slawson, commissioner of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. “It’s about shining a light on the everyday pride we already feel.”