A Thriller of a July 4th in Haddonfield

Submitted by a Haddonfield Patch reader:

Roberts Avenue's annual July 4 block party kicked off at 1 p.m. with the street blocked off for picnicking and games.

Games were in full steam by 1:30 p.m. and usually last for at least three hours. Games include old fashioned sack races, apple bob, three legged races, tug-of-war, dress-up relay, watermelon eating contest, bubble gum blowing contest, egg toss, balloon stomp. Neighbors of all ages are expected to participate. This year the neighborhood is celebrating for its 39th year.

These celebrations started in 1973, with neighbors enjoying a Sunday brunch: Prevites, Mayneses, Kernagises, Sprochs. 

In those years, America was ripped apart by the Vietnam War with people burning American flags, marching in protests, spitting on soldiers who had fought in Vietnam. Al Kernagis, an engineer who worked at RCA, was also a command pilot in the Air Force Reserves. On weekends, Al often flew to and from Vietnam bringing American boys back to the USA in body bags. 

Neighbors say Al Kernagis was unabashed about his patriotism. It was Al who suggested that the neighborhood start a campaign to stir up patriotism and neighborliness in the town. His idea was to start a campaign with neighborhood marching groups competing in the July Fourth parade.

Someone came up with the idea of Roberts Avenue's sewing and marching with a huge American flag that would stretch across Kings Highway. Dave Maynes designed the flag and Mitzy Maynes rounded up neighborhood seamstresses to help sew the flag.

Along Kings Highway, when 80 neighbors marched that 1973 Independence Day, as Roberts Avenue marchers carried that proud American flag , the sidewalks erupted. People wept, they waved, they cheered. In big pile of neighborhood scrapbooks, newcomers can see a bird's eye photo of neighbors carrying that flag. The Celebrations Committee invited the group to carry the flag again that evening—parading again on the ball field before the fireworks started.

Since 1973, Roberts Avenue has always marched in Haddonfield’s Independence Day parade, always celebrated with a block party. They frequently they win first place prizes for neighborhood groups marching in the parade. With very few exceptions, the planning party has been conducted on the Sprochs'—now Scott Millers'—front porch. In fact, Amy James says that at the settlement table when their family was buying the house from Dr. Sproch, Dick Sproch handed her the keys and told Amy and Scott that with these keys came the responsibility of hosting Roberts Avenue's July the Fourth planning party.

“Traditions and rituals of almost 40 years have created the Roberts Avenue neighborhood that we value today,” says Mary Previte, in whose patio the celebrations were first planned. “A good neigborhood doesn't just happen. We have built it. Our July the Fourth celebration is the most important tradition that has cemented the togetherness of our neighborhood.”   

Previte has orchestrated the block party games for 39 years.

”Every year, every year, every year: dress-up relay, balloon stomp, apple bobs, three-legged races of every kind, watermelon eating contest, egg toss, Lifesaver on a string,” Previte says. “After running the block party games for three generations, I know better now than to change any rule. Traditions teach us: Don't mess with success.”