Pol Hands Out Backpacks, Fun to Kids

Pol Hands Out Backpacks, Fun to Kids

BRONX, NEW YORK (BRONX NEWS)- Northeast Bronx residents came by the hundreds to celebrate with New York City Council Member Andy King on Saturday at the second annual Community Engagement Service Day outside his District Office in the Bronx.

All the ingredients for a beautiful summer day were in place: Clear skies, street games for youngsters, face-painting, music, dancing, health and wellness screenings and lots of food. 

“It’s a fun and informational day for everyone. We bring government and resource information directly to residents, and at the same time everyone comes out and gets to meet their neighbors,” explained King, who, along with his wife Neva Shillingford-King, an executive vice president at 1199 SEIU, had purchased and donated nearly 100 backpacks to the youngsters in attendance.

Initiated and sponsored by Council Member King, the event has grown tremendously in a year. Stretched from the middle of the 900 block of East Gun Hill Road and around the corner onto Colden Avenue to the intersection of Colden and Magenta were more than 50 government agencies and non-profit organizations, ranging from firefighters giving away children-size firefighter hats and coloring books along with fire safety information and CPR demonstrations, New York University Dental vans with free oral screenings, Rite Aid giving free flu shots to the U.S. Army Reserve passing out information on college scholarships.

Impromptu street games sprang up and demonstrations by members of the New York Yo-Yo Club, headed by Council Member King’s Special Assistant Brian Melford, an international yo-yo champion who will be traveling to Japan on Tuesday.

Many of the senior residents sat on chairs along Colden Avenue and watched the line dancing, Zumba exercises and other entertainment on stage.  

The barbecue grill was a big hit, manned by Council Member King’s Staffers and volunteers and food was donated by the local eateries Spices, Golden Krust, Ultimate Grill and RK Super Heroes.