Raffle to Support RISE Youth Programs!

Monday, March 20, to Thursday, April 27, 2023

100 percent of all proceeds from the raffle will support RISE youth programs, including sending high school students to UIA World Congress of Architects Conference in Denmark this summer!

RAFFLE TICKETS: $100.00 each

DRAWING: Friday, April 28, 2023, 10:00 a.m. (EDT)

PRIZES:

1. JetBlue 2 Round-Trip Travel Certificates to Any City
2. Kennedy’s $100 Gift Card
3. The Rockaway Hotel 2-Bedroom Bungalow 2-Night Stay
4. Skudin Surf Rockaway Beach 5-Day Kids Surf Camp

Many thanks to these businesses for donating such fabulous prizes to support this incredible worthy cause.

Visit www.riserockaway.org/donate. Enter the amount you want to donate. Select YOUTH PROGRAMS in the field “Use My Gift Where It Is Most Needed.” Enter RAFFLE in the field "In Honor Of."

Monday Morning Moves

Monday, March 20, 11:00 am to 11:45 am
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Ann Fosteris's Fitness to You embraces making a positive impact and living a healthy lifestyle, which includes staying active and maintaining a healthy weight. There is no need to register. Just show up at RISE on Monday morning at eleven o'clock and join neighbors of all ages and fitness levels. You will feel good and look great in no time!

Masks are required inside RISE.

Core on the Floor

Monday, March 20, 11:45 am to 12:15 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Chair Yoga

Tuesday, March 21, 10:30 am to 11:15 am
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Ruth Graves, certified yoga instructor, teaches a free chair yoga class on Tuesday mornings, 10:30 to 11:15, at RISE. Ruth has practiced all kinds of yoga (chair, mat, Shivananda) for more than twenty years. She studied with Lakshmi Voelker, worked at Rockaway YMCA, and even refined her skills at Shivananda in the Bahamas.

All are welcome--from beginners to seasoned practitioners and everyone in between!

Masks are required inside RISE.

Rockaway Bird Outing

Sunday, March 26, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join us for a spring birding tour, led by RISE's and NYC Plover Project's knowledgeable and experienced staff. Come see plovers, oystercatchers, terns, and more as they arrive to nest on the Rockaway shoreline. Whether you are an expert or just starting out, all levels of birders are welcome!

This event is FREE. We will meet at RISE at 11:00 a.m. to begin the tour. Please dress for the weather with warm layers and bring a water bottle. Binoculars will be provided, on a limited basis, and you are welcome to bring your own.

Photo courtesy of NYC Plover Project.

Community Dune Planting

Saturday, April 1, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Beach 60th Street & Beach Front Road

Join RISE for our first community planting of the Greater Rockaway Community & Shoreline Enhancement Plan. To strengthen our natural protective buffer of dunes, we are planting native grasses and shrubs along the east end of the Rockaways. Adults and kids are welcome to participate in this event. Please dress accordingly.

Students who would like to do community service hours are encouraged to bring paperwork from their schools.

Registration is encouraged!

Special thanks to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Rockaway Spring Cycle Fest

Saturday, April 22, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Rockaway Freeway between Beach 56th Place & Beach 59th Street

Join RISE & Bike New York for a day of fun-filled bike-related activities, including a free bike helmet giveaway/fitting and a bike swap (trade in your old bike for one that is tuned up and adjusted just for you). Free bike-riding lessons will take place 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., for kids and adults.

Supplies are limited on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Youngsters still on training wheels can pedal our smoothie bike to make their own fruit drink.

This event is hosted across the street from RISE, on a closed roadway, so there is lots of room for new riders to practice!

Special thanks to Bike New York, Recycle-A-Bicycle, NYC Department of Transportation, and NYC Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers.

Tree and Compost Giveaway

Saturday, April 29, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

RISE is excited to partner with New York City Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers and New York Restoration Project to host a FREE tree giveaway! DSNY will also be handing out free one-pound bags of Big Apple Compost. Stop by RISE to pick up your free tree and compost.

Use this link to fill out the required registration.

Community Plant Swap

Saturday, April 29, 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join plant enthusiasts from the Rockaway community to swap and share--plants, tools, pots, soil, tips, and more!

No registration required.

17th Annual Earth Day Rockaway

Saturday, May 6, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Enjoy a day of fun in Rockaway with free environmental activities and programs for families and kids of all ages.

This year's event will include live music as well as a mock dolphin rescue, plantings, composting, face painting, water testing, fire safety, and art-related booths to learn how to appreciate and conserve the earth's resources.

All activities are free and intended to raise awareness of the natural resources along the Rockaway shoreline. No registration required.

Local organizations interested in participating or tabling at this event are encouraged to contact Alana Danieu, RISE Community Programs Coordinator, at adanieu@riserockaway.org.

Visit to Sang Lee Farms & Briermere Farms

Saturday, May 13, 8:00 am to 6:30 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join us for an exciting all-day tour of Sang Lee Farms in Peconic, New York, in the North Fork of Long Island.

Sang Lee Farms is the partner for RISE Farm Share. They provide low-cost, seasonal, certified-organic produce that is distributed at RISE every Wednesday, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., from June 7 through November 15, 2023.

The general public is welcome to join us for this special tour!

The bus departs from RISE at 8:45 a.m. and will return by 6:30 p.m. The tour and bus ride are free of charge, but you must register in advance because seating is limited. Registration is limited to two (2) individuals.

Mother's Day Foraging Tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill

Sunday, May 14, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

For Mother's Day, RISE will be hosting a foraging tour with America's go-to guy for foraging, "Wildman" Steve Brill.

The sandy soil of the Rockaways is poor, limiting tree and grass growth, but it benefits other species that can take advantage of the sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens grow great here, and there are dozens of species that thrive. Field garlic is a very tasty relative of onions and garlic.

Registration is required, first come, first served.

Jamaica Bay Kayak & Birding Tour

Saturday, June 17, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Dubos Point (Bayfield Avenue & Beach 65th Street)

Join RISE at our kayak and birding tour of Jamaica Bay, led by our knowledgeable and experienced staff. We will explore this unique ecosystem and the birds that inhabit it, up close and personal by kayak. Whether you are an expert birder/kayaker or just starting out, you will learn a lot!

We will meet at Dubos Point (corner of Bayfield Avenue & Beach 65th Street), off Jamaica Bay. This event is FREE, and RISE will provide kayaks, life jackets, paddling equipment, and copies of A Field Guide and Handbook on the Rockaways in the Borough of Queens. Please dress accordingly and bring a hat, sunscreen, and water.

Participants are required to sign waivers. Children under 18 years old must have a parent present to sign their waiver.

Space is limited, and advance registration is first come, first serve. Limited to two (2) people per registration.

Jamaica Bay Community Cleanup

Saturday, September 23, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Dubos Point (Bayfield Avenue & Beach 65th Street)

Rockaway residents of all ages are encouraged to participate in this stewardship event along Jamaica Bay. For this cleanup, we will be clearing the area of any litter in order to prevent marine debris in our waterways. As members of our community, we need to do our best to keep our bay clean for all visitors and wildlife.

Students can receive community service hours for their efforts. Registration is not required. This event will take place rain or shine!

Special thanks to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Foraging Tour with "Wildman" Steve Brill

Saturday, October 7, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

If the weather is bad, we will move indoors, where "Wildman" Steve Brill will lead a session on plant identification, the natural habitat of the Rockaways, and all the best wild foods of the seashore.

The sandy soil limits tree and grass growth, but it benefits other species that can take advantage of the sun and nutrient-poor soil. Wild greens and dozens of species thrive here.

This event is free and will happen rain or shine. Registration is required.

10th Annual Hip-Hop Halloween & Harvest Celebration

Saturday, October 14, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm
RISE, 58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Far Rockaway, NY 11692

Join RISE for the 10th Annual Hip-Hop Halloween & Harvest Celebration, as we celebrate with family and friends in Rockaway Hip-Hop Community Garden. Come and take part in painting pumpkins, face painting, music, dancing, festive food, and more!

This event is free and open to the public.

Sandy Anniversary Cleanup & Planting

Saturday, October 21, 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Beach 41st Street & the Boardwalk

For the 11th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, RISE is bringing people of all ages together to care for our shoreline and create a natural protective barrier for the Rockaway community.

As we learned from Sandy, the natural vegetation and dunes that exist off our shores serve as a buffer to the homes and businesses in the area. Many of these dunes are compromised by storms and shoreline erosion and need to be cared for to be effective.

Families, friends, and neighbors are welcome to participate in this dune planting and restoration project. Students can receive community service hours. This event is rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. Registration is not required.

Special thanks to L&M Development and Bluestone Group.