Photo taken in the home of Joseph G. Zanghi, founder and organizer of the Cherry Blossom Parade and the Cherry Blossoms Festival!

One of the most difficult challenges facing Zanghi was that he wanted to create a two-mile avenue of continuous rows of blossoming cherry trees that would bring positive attention to Cherry Hill!  Zanghi believed that the annual arrival of millions of cherry blossoms to Cherry Hill would be an appealing attraction for the townspeople of Cherry Hill to join together to celebrate the great dynamic attributes of the Township of Cherry Hill!  

Many difficult problems had to be resolved before he would be able to realize this idealistic quest to proudly bring the community of Cherry Hill proudly together! Case in point - hundreds of large shade trees had to be removed from a two-mile section of Chapel Avenue in order to create continuous rows of blossoming cherry trees. Getting shade tree "removal permission" from the authorities of Camden County, Cherry Hill Township, environmentalist and families living on Chapel Avenue  - - would prove to be a most daunting and tireless task for anyone to achieve! The true reality of realizing this almost impossible task was that it will take 40 years of effort to complete Chapel Avenue's corridor of two-miles of continuous rows of cherry trees! Today the two-mile avenue of blossoming cherry trees exist only because of the undying support of Cherry Hill's Firefighters, Cherry Hill's war veterans and supporting townspeople and businessmen who came to help Zanghi's to realize his idealistic quest to unify the community of Cherry Hill.

Another enormous challenge for Zanghi was how to raise the necessary funds to pay for the shade tree removals, the purchasing and plantings of hundreds of replacement cherry trees along the two mile long Chapel Avenue! In addition  - - how was he to pay for the expenses of organizing a spectacular Cherry Blossom Parade and other planned festival activities to occur across the Township of Cherry Hill. 

It was Zanghi's strong belief that the creation of Chapel Avenue's two-mile avenue of continuous rows of blossoming cherry trees would call on the full community annually to come together to celebrate the Township of Cherry Hill. Their participation and pride for community would help to pay for the expenses that would definitely occur!

The annual "Spring Time" arrivals of millions of cherry blossoms on Chapel Avenue - -  will be the community "catalyst" - - that will call on the many identities of Cherry Hill and the townspeople to come together to celebrate the Township of Cherry Hill! 

The two-mile avenue of beautiful blossoming cherry trees with its impressive community parade and festival  - - will proudly broadcast to the world all that was good, positive and meaningful of the people, the organizations, schools, religious groups and businessmen of Cherry Hill. This was the dream that Zanghi pursued and continues to reach for - - he has not given up yet!

It seems that Zanghi efforts of over 43 years to realize a community-wide celebration for the Township of Cherry Hill will never become a reality! Community  apathy for this project was not expected! The cherry trees will eventually die off and shade trees will be soon replacing them ! If this is the sad future of Chapel Avenue's cherry tree lined avenue - -  it will definitely be the end of Zanghi's idealistic quest to do good for the community of Cherry Hill. 

It is truly shocking that the completed cherry tree lined avenue is not being protected and maintained by the Township of Cherry Hill -nor by Camden County or responsible organizations in Cherry Hill! It is a fact - - that older cherry trees are dying and are not being removed! No plans in place for cherry tree replacements. Sadly in a short period of time Chapel Avenue's two-mile avenue of cherry trees will disappear1

Zanghi's only hope is that a future generation of Cherry Hill residents and political leaders will take on the responsibility to protect the cherry tree lined avenue and return its colorful parade and Cherry Blossom Festival back to the community of Cherry Hill. 

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PHOTO OF PARADE ON CHAPEL AVENUE IN FRONT OF KENNEDY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

On the day of the Cherry Blossom Parade - hot-air balloons were position along the parade route to entertain the townspeople and advertise that on the following day a hot-air balloon race was scheduled to take off from the grounds of the world famous, Cherry Hill Inn. Eight hot-air balloons were sponsored by area businessmen of Cherry Hill and others corporate identities.