On a sunny Saturday ~ during Memorial Day Weekend ~ we spied a small army of weeders, rackers, mulchers, and general cleaner-upers, hard at work along the Madison Avenue side of Marcus Garvey Park in East Harlem. They were New York Road Runner volunteers who regularly give of their time and energy. Follow along as we walk (not run) along the Park to take a closer look at what they’re doing.
Coordinated through the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance, Road Runner volunteers were hard at work while that part of the Park was filled with regular Saturday morning activities. Their work began at the 122nd Street entrance, which is next to the basketball court that just yesterday was the recipient of a colorful mural sponsored by Facebook and painted by artist Saya Woolfalk along with the non-profit, Public Color as part of NYC Parks program, Creative Courts.
Below, Connie Lee, President of the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance and Director of Public Art Initiative, speaking with one of the volunteers. Ms. Lee is standing in the spot where, in just a few short weeks, she made arrangements for the Park’s Sing for Hope piano to be placed (the third year the Park will be participating in that program).
Below, New York Road Runner volunteers filling up wheelbarrows with what was a mountain of mulch located next to the Park’s Drummers Circle, where local musicians come and play every Saturday afternoon, weather permitting.
Below is the last tree/flower bed before the East Lawn at 123rd Street where the current art installation, I Don’t Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, ah me…. by the artist José Carlos Casado will be on view to October 12, 2019.
Throughout the entire Park are eight site-specific art installations entitled Monuments by the local artist Maren Hassinger ~ part of one can be seen to the right in the image below.
Just past the art installation, seen to the right in the image above, is a Mall with a series of checker/chess tables on either side. At one end is a nice size ‘Sprinkler’ for kids (and adults) to walk through and cool off.
As we left the Park, we noticed all the large trash bags filled with debris. A good day of volunteer work, and a grateful neighborhood.
We can’t end this post without a nod to a Harlem Road Runner who past away a few years ago. Our friend, Lucille Singleton, was a member of New York Road Runners until she passed away at the age of 92.
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