Philly POPS to Donate Hundreds of Bikes to Local Kids for CHRISTMAS IN JULY

For the third annual Christmas in July, the Philly POPS, in coordination with Comcast NBCUniversal, Amazon, L'Oréal, National HR and a number of private donors, will give over 300 bicycles and helmets to children of members of the military, Philadelphia police and fire departments at Comcast Center, simultaneously at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, and again at Christmastime at the KimMel Center.

Christmas in July marks the on-sale date for tickets to the POPS' widely-attended Christmas concert series in December - shows that almost completely sold out in 2015.

The main ceremony will happen at Comcast Center. Expect a holiday atmosphere with Santa Claus, Victorian carolers, POPS musicians performing songs of the Christmas season, Christmas trees, and fun surprises.

A total of 175 bikes will be donated at Comcast Center and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst on July 19. At the military base, bikes will be given equally to each branch stationed there and to families with a financial need. Another 150 bikes, donated and built by a team of Amazon employees, will be given out on December 2 before the third annual I'll Be Home for Christmas: A Salute to the Military and First Responders event which opens the Christmas concert season with a free concert for military, veterans, police officers, firefighters and their families at the KimMel Center.

Thanks to Amazon, L'Oréal and a collection of individual donors, this year the POPS will triple the number of bikes donated one year ago.

This event is part of the POPS' Salute Series - events held in connection with major holidays that honor the American tradition of service and bring POPS performances into the community.

The public is welcome to attend. More information at phillypops.org/concerts-events/2016-17-season/christmas-july.

Check out a preview of tomorrow's Singing Santa from last Christmas below!

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The Philly POPS Salute Series encourages recognition of service and commitment through an expanding set of events and activities-each transformative moments of celebration for our community. Salute performances recognize the service and sacrifice of those dedicated to a collective identity of American values and tradition. Salute Series activities include Memorial Salute and POPS on Independence in the summer and continue into the fall with a performance at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Ceremony on Veterans Day and on December 2, with the annual I'll Be Home for Christmas: A Salute to the Military and First Responders benefit concert for military, veterans, Philadelphia police officers and fire fighters. The Salute Series is made possible by Comcast NBCUniversal and Miller Light.

The Philly POPS, the largest standalone pops orchestra in the United States, delights audiences with the inspired performance of American popular music. The POPS celebrates this distinctive musical heritage through an expanding repertoire of innovative concert presentations and a robust set of educational and engagement initiatives.

Now in its 38th season, the official POPS orchestra of Pennsylvania serves a consistently growing audience of over 100,000 annually. Music Director Michael Krajewski and the 65-peice Philly POPS orchestra keeps listeners tapping their toes to an impressive repertoire of songs from American traditions of music up through today's chart toppers.

Outside the concert hall, Salute Series performances - including POPS on Independence on July 3, POPS in Philadelphia on July 4 and the I'll Be Home for Christmas: A Salute to the Military and First Responders - celebrate the American tradition of service around important national holidays; POPS in Schools enhances music education for Philadelphia School District students; and POPS Outside brings POPS music to local communities.

The Philly POPS performs as a founding resident company of The KimMel Center for the Performing Arts, and at venues throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

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