Thousands of fans join Phillie Phanatic in South Philadelphia for birthday bash
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Philadelphia Phillies hosted a birthday celebration for their beloved mascot, the Phanatic, before Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox.
The guest list at Citizens Bank Park included a crowd of fans and mascots from several universities and professional sports teams, who all came together for a game of softball.
According to the Phillies, the Phanatic is ageless, but he first made his debut in April 1978.
The mascot's birthday wouldn't have been complete without a cake for all to share.
Andrea Gana spent countless hours making this year's ballpark food-themed cake.
"I wanted to do the foods that you eat at a baseball game, so I did everything jumbo sized, so I did a big thing of popcorn and the ice cream out of the baseball hat," Gana said.
The Phanatic wasn't the only one with a birthday at the ballpark. Anne Foley celebrated a milestone of her own this year, too.
"My 101st birthday," Foley said. "It's on Wednesday."
Instead of a big bash like she had last year, Foley celebrated at the Bank, surrounded by four generations of her family.
She even got to celebrate with thousands of fans when she got a shoutout on PhanaVision.
She's been a Phillies fan all her life, eventually passing down her love for the team to her son.
"It's a miracle," Steve Foley said. "It's great for her great-grandchildren to experience an event with her. That doesn't happen for everyone so we're very fortunate."
Her secret to a long life includes her other favorite pastime.
"Hey, take one day at a time and a Manhattan before dinner," Foley said.