A Weekend for the Warriors
By Katie McFadden
What a weekend for our warriors! The return of the Rockaway Warriors Weekend was a success! Twenty wounded servicemembers and their families got a big welcome as they experienced a weekend of waterfront fun in Breezy Point.
Last weekend, the warriors returned to the peninsula for the first time since 2019. The servicemembers from across the country started their weekend on Thursday, July 6 at Engine 160/ Rescue 5/ Division 8 in Staten Island, where they enjoyed a nice lunch, before being escorted across the Belt Parkway and the Marine Parkway Bridge, through Rockaway and into Breezy Point, where they were met with crowds of people holding flags and cheering on the sidelines. They landed at the Rockaway Point Yacht Club where they enjoyed a welcome party to kick off the festivities.
Friday, July 7 and Saturday, July 8 were chock full of activities like adaptive surfing on the beach presented by AmpSurf, and kayaking and standup paddle boarding instruction on the bay, plus options to go on fishing or sailing trips. On Friday night, the warriors and guests took a trip around New York Harbor on a dinner cruise. Saturday, July 8 was a day of relaxation with an Italian lunch sponsored by Divinos and Pizza on the Point, a yoga class, a rescue swimming demonstration by NYPD Aviation and Scuba, a day at the beach and a Luau complete with live music, a fire pit and s’mores for the kids.
The weekend ended on Sunday, July 9 with a Mass at the Breezy Point 9/11 Memorial. The event was made possible by Richie Cannon and Richie Whalen, a plethora of volunteers, AmpSurf, the FDNY and NYPD, the FDNY Foundation, the Gary Sinise Foundation, Hope for the Warriors and many more.
For more photos and updates, check out @rockawaywarriorsweekend on Instagram.
Photos by Rockaway Warriors Weekend, Gary Heegan, Councilwoman Joann Ariola’s office, and Rockaway Times.
