drweed's blog
The first of more than forty-five Peace Poles created by 25 local organizations was "planted" at Griffin Park on May 12, 2010. The event was one of several initiatives aimed at creating a more peaceful community by raising awareness and promoting empowerment, collaboration and connection to reduce and prevent violence."Throughout the City, both indoors and out, poles will be planted to serve as a constant visual reminder that peace is truly attainable if the community works together," stated United Neighbors director Wendy Garf-Lipp. The World Peace Prayer Society contributed handcrafted desktop peace poles to be given to Mayor Flanagan, Acting Fall River Police Chief Dan Racine, Bristol County DA Samuel Sutter, and the Fall River Shannon Community Safety Initiative.
The Fall River Fitness Challenge held its 2010 Finale at the Eagle Restaurant on May 7th, celebrating the conclusion of the four-month series that began on January 9th. Over a hundred participants and their supporters listened as Community Development Recreation (CD-REC) Program Director Jamison Souza emceed the gala event that ended with the award of prizes for the winning participants as well as raffle prize drawings.
More than a thousand runners participated in the 16th Annual Officer Thomas J. Giunta Memorial 5K Road Race on beautiful spring Sunday, on April 11, 2010. The race began at Bank and High Streets and followed a 5K course up High Street to New Boston Road, Oak Grove Avenue and back to the finish line in front of the Salvation Army on Bedford Street. More than fifty participants in the Fitness Challenge, who had trained for the race in the preceding weeks, participated in light blue tee shirts provided by Personal Trainer Amy Jones of Where Is The Work-Out.
The 2010 Fitness Challenge, the third offered by the Diabetes Association, Inc.(DAI), Children In Balance, Community Development Recreation (CD-REC), the Fall River YMCA and Healthy Lives Fall River, held its sixth Fitness Challenge on April 3, 2010. CD-REC executive director Grace Gerling challenged teams and individuals to walk, jog or run the 3.2 mile course at the Industrial Park on a beautiful April morning. About 25 participants completed the course, some in just over half an hour.
The 2nd Annual Peace By Piece Summit drew 200 participants to the Matthew J. Kuss Middle School on Saturday, March 27, 2010 to highlight the many community resources that are helping to reduce violence in all of its forms. Members of the Peaceful Coalition were featured as the keynote speakers, and workshops held throughout the morning helped to promote a more peaceful community by presenting strategies, programs and policies that address violence prevention in Fall River.
