On Saturday, June 19th, a small but mighty group of volunteers, students and community members braved the pouring rain and met at the RISE (Rockaway Institute for a Sustainable Environment) building that houses the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance (RWA). They were all taking part in the 6th Annual Rockaway Bike Parade, a fun and free event celebrating community and healthy living.
This year’s theme was “Reduce & Recycle” which was demonstrated by the decorations on each bike. We saw the creative use of bottle caps and plastic bags, fun masks, and signs decorated on cardboard.
The parade went from Beach 59th Street and the Rockaway Freeway to the boardwalk and ended with a party at Beach 97th Street. Luckily, the rain stopped right as we were entering the boardwalk. Franny Civitano, Director of Community Development for NYC Ferry, was a judge (given a judge’s sash made of plastic bags) and helped name the three winners of the bike parade in the categories of Most Environmentally Friendly, Most Whimsical, and Most Hopeful.
Awards were created by local artists that embodied the theme of “Reduce & Recycle.” NYC Ferry, a proud sponsor of the event, raffled off a 30-Day Pass to a lucky winner.
Rockaway Waterfront Alliance is a community-based organization dedicated to empowering residents of underserved communities in the Rockaways to play a role in the determination of their neighborhoods. They provide enriching education and community programming, which instill both individual and civic respect for nature, and contribute to advancing the physical, economic and social sustainability in the Rockaway Peninsula.
All photos by Giles Ashford.