Fundraiser for a Rockaway Legacy

By S. C. Samoy, RISE Director of Operations & Communications
It takes a lot of resources to create, execute, and maintain a vision. So the Saturday evening event on October 19, just outside Arverne East Welcome Center, was held to raise money for a new native plant nursery, educational garden, and seed bank by RISE (Rockaway Initiative for Sustainability and Equity).
A former employee and current board member, Judah Asimov, volunteered his father, Eric Asimov, as host for a wine-tasting fundraiser. The latter is the chief wine critic for the New York Times. Eric, who recently wrote “10 Dynamic Wines From Spain to Drink Now,” decided to transport donor participants to a wine tour of Spain, which he described as “the most dynamic wine-producing country in the world.”
The five wines that he selected were Albet i Noya Petit Albet Brut Rosado Reserva 2022, Penedès; Quinta da Muradella Candea Blanco 2022, Galicia; Borja Pérez; Artífice Listán Blanco 2021, Canary Islands; Frontonio Microcósmico Garnacha 2022, Aragon; and Envínate Albahra 2023, Castilla-La Mancha. Juvie Anne Alfeche and Alana Danieu, two RISE staff members who attended, said they enjoyed them all, though their favorites were the rosé from Penedès and the white from Canary Islands (“unique,” “complex,” “funky,” “kombucha-flavored”).
Chef Pasquale Martinelli made focaccia; Prerana Reddy, RISE chair, donated tasty bites of meats, cheeses, olives, pickles, fruits, and nuts and declared the fundraiser “a resounding success!”
Jeanne DuPont, RISE executive director, reported that $7,600 had been raised. “What a great board effort! This would not have been possible without everyone’s help. This was a real team effort hauling all the tables, chairs, and supplies to get things set up in the garden. It all looked beautiful, and people seemed very happy to celebrate!”
All the money, plus funding from Booth Ferris Foundation and City Parks Foundation NYC Green Fund, will go toward making the native plant nursery, educational garden, and seed bank at 190 Beach 44th Street a lasting legacy for the Rockaways.