Pennsylvania School for the Deaf performs National Anthem at Phillies game

Students from the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD) performed the National Anthem in American Sign Language during a Philadelphia Phillies game on Friday, September 25, 2026. The performance included vocal accompaniment from the Northern Burlington County Middle School choir.

The event, designated as ‘Phillies Deaf Awareness Night,’ was held in observance of Deaf Awareness Month. Approximately 100 PSD students, along with teachers and family members, attended the game. The initiative was facilitated through the Phillies’ Phunraising events, with a portion of ticket sales supporting the school’s athletic programs.

Melissa Draganac-Hawk, the head of school at PSD, noted that deaf fans often experience the game through visual details and the physical sensation of crowd noise. The school, founded in 1820 in Germantown, is the third-oldest institution for the deaf in the United States.