This was no walk in the park — it was a party!
Paerdegat Park played host to the 14th annual Family Day, where families relaxed on blankets and enjoyed free food, games, music, and a talent show. Citizens For a Better Community, an association of 14 residential blocks, organizes the event every year with the help of donations from local businesses, elected officials, and community residents. But one organizer said people come from all over the tri-state area to enjoy the day.
“We try to make it a community affair but we have people who come from all over,” said the organization’s president, Yvette Barrow. “That’s fine, because all are welcome.”
The organization filled the park with fun activities for children, including sack races, egg-and-spoon races, amusement rides, ponies, and a video game truck. Attendees also enjoyed the antics of a face-painting clown, and as has become the norm at Family Day, the organization presented scholarships to two local teens slated to start college this fall.
What the event is short on is conflict. Barrow beamed about the event’s safety, noting that kids have never fought in the event’s 14-year history.
“We never had an incident where a child hit another child,” Barrow said. “Because we keep the children so busy. When they’re excited, they don’t have time to fuss.”
