Happy New Year Philly! This #FirstFriday, we will talk with a Philadelphia Mummer and Police Officer, Vikki Ayres! New Years’ celebrations in Philadelphia are incomplete without the Philadelphia Mummers. As a 32-year-old Police Officer from South Philadelphia, Vikki has spent many of her holidays and hours out of her busy schedule preparing for the big Mummer’s Parade and festivities. We were pleased to have Vikki share with us what it means to be a part of something as special as a Mummer in Philadelphia!
Philly PR Girl: How long have you been involved with the Mummers?
Vikki: I’ve been with the Spartans new year band (NYB) for three years, which is a fancy brigade. But I was with the string bands as a kid until about 2010. I was in the string band for probably 5 years. I stopped when I joined the police academy in 2010 but returned to the Spartans in 2019.
Philly PR Girl: What does the Mummer’s Parade mean to you?
Vikki: The Mummer’s Parade to me means tradition and family. The parade has been something I have been a part of or have gone to and watched since I was a baby. It is an event that brings the family together and gives you a second family. The motto of my group is “you never walk alone.” Through my three years with the Spartans, they have shown they will be there for you, whether it has to do with the Mummers or not.
Philly PR Girl: What led you to become a Mummer?
Vikki: My cousins have done it their whole life, but the one I’m closest with is Amanda. She is in another Club and has done it pretty much her whole life. My best friend Nicole joined the same day as me in my club. My friend Gabby was also in the Spartans and convinced Nicole and me to join. Our best friend Danielle’s entire family was pretty much in another club for years, so we always were around the clubs. I went to a music school that had a variety of woodwind instruments, so it just made sense to join a string band. Eventually, for me, the music part wasn’t fun anymore because I had done it for so long. I kinda fell out of love with playing so I left. I eventually went back to the Spartans because I knew a few friends still in the club, and they convinced me to join.
Philly PR Girl: How long does it normally take for you to prepare for the New Years’ festivities?
Vikki: Honestly, we prepare all year in some way. Immediately after New Year, we have guys and girls coming up with ideas for a theme and how to bring the theme to life. Once we find out what theme we are going with, the planning begins, and the behind-the-scenes work happens. Come the end of summer and into fall, we start practicing for the show. Once November and December come around, it’s all hands on deck to get everything ready.
Philly PR Girl: What is your favorite memory or a moment you have as a Mummer?
Vikki: There are so many good ones… So far, my favorite memory is my first year, 2020, we did The Battle of Olympus. My favorite memory is being on Second Street, a few blocks from our clubhouse, and finding out we got 4th place. You would have thought we had 1st.
Vikki is an amazing person, and we were so excited to share her experience and passion with the city of Philadelphia. Being a police officer in Philly is not an easy job. You are called to put yourself and your heart on the line for your city. It takes passion and brotherly love, two things that Vikki and every Mummer have in their hearts. While taking part in the Mummers Parade, Vikki goes beyond the call of duty, being involved in her community and the great city of Philadelphia. You can see Vikki in the parade next New Year or on the downtown streets of Philly in uniform!
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