Rolling River Day Camp in East Rockaway, New York, hosted its 4th annual “Rock-the-River” Spring Festival and Fundraiser on Saturday, May 3. Hundreds of local families came out to enjoy the sunny spring weather and participate in the variety of family-friendly activities as well as raise funds for Rolling River’s Campmates Scholarship Program.
Several of these activities included a petting zoo, facepainting, gymnastics, balloon animals, pony rides, crafts fair and a food and refreshments tent. The festival also included an interactive performance space that highlighted the talents of local dancers, martial arts students, Zumba instructors and a baton twirling show squad. Boy band “The Bomb Digz” headlined the festival with an upbeat concert. There were some extra special sports visitors as well including former NFL Quarterback Jay Fiedler and "Sparky" from the New York Islanders.
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The event’s main attraction however was the “rockin’ ride zone” where kids of all ages enjoyed bouncing and riding down giant inflatable slides and obstacles courses. “The rides this year were awesome, I loved it!” stated 9 year old Lauren Bloom of Oceanside.
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The festival once again received immense support from the local community as more than 40 businesses and non-profits participated at the event or donated goods or services. Neighboring business 5 Star Sports Academy even hosted a satellite fair to extend the activities beyond Rolling River’s campgrounds. The deputy mayor of East Rockaway as well as Nassau County Legislator Fran Becker showcased their support by visiting at the height of the event.
The main purpose of the annual festival is to raise funds for Rolling River’s scholarship fund called “The Campmates Program”. The scholarship initiative provides tuition-free camp experiences at Rolling River for local children associated with Peninsula Counseling Center (PCC).
Launched in 2010, the scholarship program has sent over 30 children to camp at no-charge to their families. “The Campmates program complements the counseling done at Peninsula Counseling Center,” stated Steve Bernstein, Board of Directors President for PCC. “The families, often single parents, would otherwise not be able to provide a healthy opportunity for summer socialization and recreation,” he continued. “It’s an outstanding gift and the children thrive and make new friends.”
The 2014 festival raised enough funds to send 4 additional children from Peninsula Counseling Center to camp this summer through The Campmates Program. A special thanks to the Rock-the-River presenting sponsors: Local Luxuries, 5 Star Sports and Entertainment Academy, The Dance Space, The Baja Man, ROK Health and Fitness, Debbie Flowers, Dee’s Nursery, DeeZeeGee Photography and REEL restaurant.
