After the winter winds have finally left and the sun begins to cast its rays of sunshine down, warming the earth, the trees down at the Riverfront begin soaking up the sun’s light and turning the gloom into a full bloom of cherry pink and white.
On Saturday, May 4, from 10 am to 5 pm, get ready to celebrate those beautiful Cherry Tree Blooms and the arrival of Spring at the 7th annual Peekskill Rotary Cherry Blossom Festival at the Riverfront Green.
The 7th Annual Cherry Blossom Festival and Plant Sale will be held rain or shine. The festival features a plant sale timed perfectly for Mother’s Day gift giving and for planting, food trucks, craft vendors, raffles, children’s activities such as flower pot painting, arts & crafts, games, bouncy slides, and more. This free event is sponsored by the Peekskill Rotary with all proceeds going back to the local community and to international projects through Rotary International.
The 100 Cherry Trees which line the Riverwalk from Charles Point Park all the way to the Riverfront were a gift to the City and its residents from the Peekskill Rotary Club for its 100th anniversary. The idea of gifting 100 cherry trees started in 2014, with a goal of planting 20 per year so that by the Peekskill Rotary Club’s 100th Anniversary on October 1, 2019, there would be 100 trees at the Riverfront. The Club sought approval for the donation by the Peekskill City Council in a letter stating, “We want to share our success with the city we call home by making a lasting contribution to the revitalization of the riverfront as we move towards Rotary’s next century of service to Peekskill.” The gift, valued at $80,000, was formally accepted by the Council on May 23, 2016.
The plan for the placement of the trees was very intentional and planted so as not to block the views of the river, and for train commuters to see as they rolled along the rails. People can find the trees starting behind the Lincoln Depot, continuing along the train line, past the train station, which is celebrating its 150 birthday which happens to be May 4, 1874, and continuing along the riverwalk trail toward all the way to Fleishman Pier where the last of the 100 can be seen.
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, Yoshina and Kwanzan. Yoshina, also known as the Japanese flowering cherry, has a vibrant display of white-pink blossoms. Kwanzan cherry 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.
The Cherry Blossom Festival is a major fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Peekskill, as well as to provide a free event for the community. It is one of the primary ways the Club raises funds to grant to local and international causes. The Peekskill Rotary is a huge community supporter and has and always will continue to give back to Peekskill and the surrounding community. The Rotary gives back to the community in many ways including scholarships for students and food donations to CHOP. Recently the Peekskill Rotary raised thousands of dollars at a Red Carpet Fundraiser to raise money for Make-A-Wish to grant local kids wishes. The Peekskill Rotary has also donated the VA Healing Garden in Montrose, Rotary Walk at the New York Hudson Valley Presbyterian Hospital, and helped build and shore up the Rotary Knolls shelter in Depew Park.
For more information on the Cherry Blossom Festival or about the Rotary Club of Peekskill, visit the Peekskill Rotary website at www.peekskillrotary.com, or like them on Facebook.
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