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Riis Settlement’s 2014 Multicultural Festival

Riis Settlement’s Multicultural Festival, was held on the evening of Friday, March 7th in the gymnasium at Queensbridge and the atmosphere was electric! City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer were in attendance, local youth and Riis Settlement participants filled the audience. Vendors lined the floor with everything from products with jewelry inspired by West African designs to professional photographs of Long Island City. Art work celebrating Nelson Mandela and various cultures hung on the walls while dancers filled the stage.

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A vendor displays her goods at the 2014 Riis Settlement Multicultural Festival.

The event also served as the launch for our first Riis Settlement Read-a-thon. Director of Development and Communications Aimee Simpierre made an announcement about the new initiative and presented signup sheets to the crowd.

Executive Director Chris Hanway took advantage of the opportunity to present acknowledgments to Vinitha Shetty and Leslie Warren for their work coordinating the numerous volunteers who help out at Riis Settlement every year, and to Gary Anthony for his work supervising Ms. Warren and Ms. Hanway, as well as serving as a “Jack of all trades” in his work as Executive Assistant.

Vinitha Shettly, Leslie Warren and Gary Anthony smile after accepting their acknowledgment from Christopher Hanway at the 2014 Multicultural Festival at Riis Settlement Queensbridge.
Vinitha Shettly, Leslie Warren and Gary Anthony smile after accepting their acknowledgment from Christopher Hanway at the 2014 Multicultural Festival at Riis Settlement Queensbridge.

City Council Speaker Mark-Viverito, the first Latina woman to hold city-wide elected office, shared that she was born in Puerto Rico, moved here when she was 18 and is “very proud” of who she is.   She also said that as Speaker, she represents over 20,000 units of public housing and would be doing her best to make sure the residents in that housing have their concerns addressed by the city. City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer said that the packed crowd of young people, Riis Settlement staff, community members, local vendors and friends represented “all that is right about our city.” He shared his love for the Queensbridge community, congratulated all the performers on the stage and said he was anxious to join in with the dancers!

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The crowd enjoys a performance at the 2014 Multicultural Festival.

The Senior Shakers started off the night with a Caribbean flavor. They danced nimbly on stage and then marched down into the audience to start a conga line around the gymnasium! Kids in the audience screamed with delight when their friends from Riis Academy did all the latest dance moves and PS 166’s elementary students danced ballet. Members of our Immigrant Services program celebrated their own heritage and diversity by sharing pictures of themselves and their town of origin. Participants hailed from locations as varied as Fez, Morocco, Dhaka Bangladesh and Yekaterinburg, Russia! Vendors sold sweet cakes, Caribbean patties and snacks.

face-painting01 A face painter created works of art all over the faces of excited children and balloons were everywhere! It was a great night for everyone involved to celebrate the various cultures and talents that make our community strong.

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