VIDEO: BCSO Community Services Unit, BCFR Participate in Wawa Grand Opening, Hoagie Making Contest
By Space Coast Daily // December 20, 2017
Sheriff's Department takes down Fire Rescue 32-27
ABOVE VIDEO: “Hoagies for Heroes” took place Tuesday as Wawa opened another Brevard County location with a Ribbon cutting ceremony on Eau Gallie and John Rhodes Blvd. There was also a hoagie-making contest to benefit two great charities between Brevard County’s Bravest and Finest, as the Sheriff’s Department took on Brevard County Fire Rescue.
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA — Members of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office community services team and Brevard County Fire Rescue were invited and participated Tuesday in the grand opening of the newest Space Coast Wawa convenience store, located on Eau Gallie at John Rhodes Boulevard in Melbourne.
As part of the grand opening, Wawa invited the teams to participate in a “Hoagies for Heroes” hoagie building competition.
An hour before the competition began each department took part in a “hoagie” making class conducted by staff members of the new store. Finally, ready for the competition, the departments went to work.
At the end of the three-minute battle, the Sheriff’s Department outperformed Fire Rescue by a score of 32 hoagies to 27 hoagies. The competition wasn’t without controversy as Fire Rescue had two hoagies disqualified for having too much oregano, which was “not up to Wawa standards.”
As part of the event and friendly competition, Wawa made a gracious donation to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office charity to support our Police Athletic League for $1,000 to thank us for our participation in the event.
“I would like to thank Tiffany Lazo and everyone from Wawa for inviting us to participate in the event and for making such a gracious donation, as well as everyone who came to the event,” said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
“And of course our amazing Public Safety partners, BCFR for being a part of this friendly competition.”
ABOVE MAP: The new Wawa location is on the corner of Eau Gallie and John Rhodes Blvd.
Brevard County Fire Rescue District Chief Tom Neidert, who participated in the hoagie making competition said, “I’d like to thank Space Coast Daily for covering the event and Wawa for inviting us.”
“We love the opportunity to do anything we can for the Brevard County Professional Firefighters Benevolent Association, which provides assistance to family members of sick and injured firefighters and victims of life-changing events. We didn’t win today but Wawa is expanding and we’ll be back.”
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There were about 100 people on hand for the grand opening of the new location, including Melbourne Mayor Kathy Meehan. Wawa General Manager Joshua Patro told Space Coast Daily that Wawa may be a big company but each store is invested into the community where it is built and he looks forward to serving that part of Melbourne any way he can.
“Coming to work for Wawa was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life, ” concluded Patro.
The Wawa business began in 1803 as an iron foundry. In 1890, George Wood, a businessperson from New Jersey, moved to Delaware County, Pennsylvania and began the Wawa Dairy Farm.
The first Wawa Food Market opened in Folsom, Pennsylvania in 1964, with the first Florida location opening in 2012 in Orlando where Governor Rick Scott cut the ribbon.
Other Brevard County Wawa stores are located in Cocoa, West Melbourne and a location at the intersection of Wickham Road and the Pineda Causeway extension.
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