A huge thank you to all who participated in our 17th annual Amazing Flotilla Event on Saturday, May 21! The on-water procession included 88 paddlers, 41 canoes, 6 kayaks and included New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver, Bronx River Alliance Executive Director Linda Cox, and Bronx River Alliance Vice Chair Joan Byron. Paddlers in this event raised over $56,000 for youth and family paddling adventures this year.
Paddlers began their journey at Shoelace Park and continued down river for 5 miles, past new and renovated parks and restored shorelines, finishing up at Hunts Point Riverside Park. New York City Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver said “Today, nearly one hundred New Yorkers paddled through restored forests, past families enjoying new waterfront parks, and traveled by the new fish passage that we recently opened for migratory fish. The progress that we’ve made in bringing back this river for recreation and enjoyment is truly inspirational.”
Congressman José E. Serrano who has been a driving force behind the renewal of the Bronx River, added “we have found that, beyond the direct benefit of a clean and useable Bronx River, our neighborhoods have been enhanced through renewed community activism and engagement.” The Congressman continued, “our rivers have become a focal point not just for the restoration of our natural environment, but of our community as a whole.”
Aside from our amazing paddlers, none of this would be possible without the support from Sebago Canoe Club, Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, THE POINT CDC, Rocking the Boat, Christodora, the Bronx Children’s Museum, and volunteers from [Drew’s School]. As well as help from our sponsors Shock Top, Water Taxi, Bank of America, Signature Urban Properties, Tryax, Bronxcare, D’Arrigo, PWB Management Corp, HDR, BDCC, Renaissance, Ridgewood Savings Bank, Urban Healthcare Planning, Metro Optics, Lehman College, LKQ, and Montefiore.
For even more pictures of the Amazing Flotilla event, visit our Flickr!
Media coverage:
Curbed NY: Canoeing Along the Restored Bronx River. By Nathan Kensinger. May 26, 2016.
CityLimits:
Photo Essay: On the Bronx River. By Jarret Murphy. May 23, 2016.
Welcome2theBronx:
The Bronx River Alliance Flotilla Offers a Unique NYC Experience. By Ed Garcia Conde. May 24, 2016.
