Rolling River Day Camp in East Rockaway, New York, hosted its annual Fall Festival and Fundraiser on Saturday, October 15. Presented by partner “Local Luxuries”, hundreds of families came out to enjoy the unseasonably warm fall day and participate in a variety of family-friendly activities, as well as raise funds for Rolling River’s Campmates Scholarship Program.
“The beautiful weather resulted in record festival attendance,” stated Alison Rothenberg, Rolling River’s Event Coordinator. “The Fall Festival has truly become an anticipated local event that highlights safe recreational activities for kids of all ages,” she added.
Festival attendees were treated to many seasonal activities including bounce houses, slides, pony rides, farm animals, face painting, a BBQ cookout, mini golf and dancing. The event also included an interactive performance space that highlighted the talents of local musicians, dance troops, a baton twirling show squad, and baby ballet.
Rolling River continued the tradition of supporting local businesses by featuring a vendor and craft fair at the event. Many of the participating businesses are owned or operated by parents whose children are enrolled at Rolling River for summer camp.
All festival proceeds were donated to Rolling River’s Campmates Scholarship Program. The initiative provides tuition-free camp experiences for local children. Scholarship recipients are nominated by New Horizon Counseling Center (NHCC), a leading non-profit behavioral health organization that provides individual, group counseling and psychotherapy services.
Since 2010, the program has raised thousands of dollars and sponsored camp tuitions for over 45 local children. “The Campmates Program is a dream come true for children benefiting from behavioral health services,” stated Audrey Goodman, Community Relations Coordinator for NHCC. “A summer camp experience at Rolling River Day Camp for a deserving child from a family that could not afford it on their own is a deeply appreciated, unforgettable gift. Everyone deserves a happy childhood.”