PEEKSKILL, N.Y. —The Eighth Annual Cherry Blossom Festival & Plant Sale will be held Saturday, May 3, at the Peekskill Riverfront from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to the plant sale, there will be music, food trucks, craft and food vendors, raffles, children’s activities such as flowerpot painting, arts and crafts, games, bouncy slides, and more. Entrance to the event is free and will be held rain or shine.
Sponsored by the Peekskill Rotary, all proceeds go back to the local community and to international projects through Rotary International.
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival & Plant Sale is held the first Saturday in May, a week before Mother's Day. The timing is perfect for finding gifts and enjoying Springtime in the park. We know many families split Mother's Day visiting two or more families on that one Sunday or weekend, so why not have the entire family celebrate Mother's Day at the Cherry Blossom Festival! Grandparents, parents, children, cousins, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, all can have fun at the festival. A family photo area will be set up to commemorate the event. You can use your own phone, so there is no cost for this. This will leave the following weekend open for however you want to celebrate.
Did you know there are 100 Cherry Trees planted along the Peekskill Riverfront? These were donated and planted by the Rotary Club of Peekskill to commemorate the Club's 100th Anniversary, which was on October 1, 2019.
Chappy Manzer, a Rotarian, with his company Manzer's Landscape & Design, purchased, planted, and watered the trees for the Club, at a greatly reduced cost. He chose two varieties of cherry trees: Yoshino, also known as the Japanese flowering cherry, has a vibrant display of white-pink blossoms; and Kwanza cherry which has deep pink double-blossoms and stunning leaves that change colors throughout the seasons. The two types are responsible for the spectacular blossoming show each spring in Washington, DC.
Planted so as not to block the views of the river, and for train commuters to see, you can find them starting behind the Lincoln Depot, along the train line, and on the trail toward Fleischmann Pier where the last of the 100 cherry blossom trees can be seen.
Meet local Rotarians, your neighbors, community members, and student volunteers working the event. Rotarians will be grilling morning ham, egg and cheese sandwiches, and afternoon burgers. This is in addition to the food trucks. See for yourself why Peekskill earned the moniker, "Peekskill is a Friendly Town."
“This year's event is designed to offer a day of outdoor fun for the community, and to raise money to give back to the local community and international projects throughout the year. It will also showcase what the Rotary Club of Peekskill does all year long and the impact it has on our community. A prominently placed Rotary tent will have visuals and handouts about the many scholarships available and grants that Rotary has given out recently. These grants include funds for the Peekskill High School "Iron Devils" Robotics Team, New Era Creative Space, Black Diamonds Academic Success, The Daisy Jopling Music Mentorship Foundation and much more” said Tony Washington, 2024-25 President of the Rotary Club of Peekskill.
Since the Club’s founding in 1919, raising funds to grant worthy causes has been job one. The all-volunteer organization of about 80 members supports projects such as:
Educational – Each year the Peekskill Rotary Club awards 15 College Scholarships to students from Peekskill, Hendrick Hudson, and Walter Panas High Schools. The Club also provides financial support for youth in our community to attend summer camps, leadership programs and vocational education to first generation Americans and more. This year, Peekskill's Oakside Elementary School received a grant to fund the purchase of soil, plants, equipment and more to re-open an unused greenhouse at the school. Peekskill High School is currently building a state-of-the-art recording studio thanks to a large grant proposed and delivered by Richard Swann when he was Rotary President. The Club's “Literacy Lovers” project has given out over 35,000 free books to Peekskill children.
Charities – Veteran’s, Cancer Support, Drug Prevention and Rehabilitation, Alzheimer’s Association, Autism Help, Salvation Army, and other local and international organizations have benefited from grants from the Peekskill Rotary Foundation. Eradicating Polio, an international project, continues to be supported by the Club.
Food Grants – For years, Peekskill Rotarians have delivered prepared meals to Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP).
Other Recent Projects – To date, Club members and friends have donated 235 pints of blood, an idea started by Don Rizzo when he was President. The pint count continues to grow. Low energy use light bulbs were given away free to Senior Citizens to help save energy and costs; an idea presented by Rotarian Vinod Chitkara. The Club provided free mammograms with immediate results a few years ago, a project supported by the President Luis Segarra.
Past Permanent Gifts – In addition to the 100 Cherry Trees planted at the Riverfront, the Peekskill Rotary Club has donated to the VA Healing Garden in Montrose, Rotary Walk at the New York Hudson Valley Presbyterian Hospital, Rotary Knolls shelter in Depew Park and 9/11 Monument at the Riverfront.
For more information on the Cherry Blossom Festival or about the Rotary Club of Peekskill, visit peekskillrotary.com.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here