On September 24th, Bay Ridge Cares, in collaboration with other groups, hosted the Bay Ridge Community Picnic at the 79th street Shore Road Park.
The event was free of charge and only required guests to register online prior to arriving. At the park, tables and tents were arranged to host different activities. There was one for arts and crafts where children could paint their own birdhouses, one for face painting, and one for the disc jockey booth. Seven Bay Ridge restaurants– including Cebu, Salty Dog, and Red Bowl– provided the food.
Volunteers met around 10 am to begin setting up; the event opened to the public from 12:30 pm and ended at 4:30 pm. People from all backgrounds attended, but the majority were families with young children who enjoyed the activities planned. The schedule included a game of freeze tag, a magic show, and nonstop music for guests to dance to. Volunteers were divided and placed into stations to make sure all areas of the event were covered. The event reinforced the importance of community collaboration and outreach in our very own neighborhood of Bay Ridge.
The event was put together by Bay Ridge Cares, a non-profit organization celebrating ten years of service to its community. The organization “provide[s] financial assistance to community members struggling with illness and personal crises, and organize[s] activities to bring our community together and improve the quality of our neighborhood,” according to its website. Additionally, about twenty volunteers came from Fort Hamilton High School, specifically members of the National Honor Society and Community Is Key Club
“Communication is key and without it, these community events wouldn’t be possible,” remarked Sofia Shilleh, President of Fort’s Key Club. Shilleh credited Joseph Alvear, Fort Hamilton’s activities director, and Susannah O’Shea, the faculty supervisor of Key Club, as crucial players in making events a reality.
For more information on events like this, visit the Bay Ridge Cares website and sign up for alerts for various volunteer opportunities throughout the year.
