Rock to Rock Spring Clean and Bike Ride

GEARING UP FOR NEW HAVEN’S ANNUAL SPRING CLEAN

K Jurgens

New Haven -- Whether you’re crafty at arts or an up-to-your-elbows-in-mulch kind of person, you’ll find plenty of kindred volunteer spirits and dozens of ways to participate in this weekend’s Rock-to-Rock’s 6th Annual Day of Service.

Rock to Rock runs on the combined efforts of five grassroots community organizations: Common Ground, New Haven-Leon Sister City Project, CitySeed Inc., Massaro Community Farm, New Haven Parks Department and the Urban Resources Initiative.

Organizers say the Day of Service spring-clean and community-sprucing event is meant to offer residents hands-on opportunities to engage with local environmental and community leaders and learn about the ways their work contributes to the general health and well being of New Haven through the year.

The Day of Service also serves as the warm up event Rock-to-Rock’s 9th Annual Community Bike Ride. More on that below.

Toward the immediate goals of the Day of Service, participants can choose from among dozens of volunteer opportunities at nine different locations across New Haven this Saturday April 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Outdoor projects include removing graffiti from sections of the Farmington Canal Rail-to-Trail, prepping for spring planting at Massaro Community Farm and New Haven Farm, general clean-up and mulching work at Neighborhood Housing, park-tidying at Scantlebury and Friends of Edgewood parks and removing invasive species and litter at Save the Sound Pond Lily Nature Preserve. Visit Rock to Rock’s Day of Service site for a full list of participating organizations, clean-up site addresses and registration information.

Rock-to-Rock reminds participants the Day of Service carries on rain or shine, so bring water bottle, dress in wear layers and where sturdy shoes if volunteering outside.

Those tending toward indoor pursuits might prefer making environmental awareness art and signs at the New Haven/Leon Sister City Unitarian Church at 608 Whitney Ave. Another chance to help with creating signs and prize-bags waits at Common Ground, 358 Springside Ave, New Haven.

Common Ground also offers volunteers a chance to prepare for growing season and help make the signs and prize-bags destined for Rock-to-Rock’s 9th Annual EARTH DAY RIDE on Saturday, April 22.

Rock-to-Rock Development and Outreach Manager Anna Pickett said the community bike ride is New Haven’s biggest Earth Day celebration – with an expected 1,000 cyclists pedaling from Common Ground toward a common goal: “A safer and more connected community, from East Rock to West Rock in New Haven and beyond.”

Pickett is absolutely passionate about the health and community connection. “Rock to Rock is one of my favorite events of the year. It’s very positive and the people involved, the people representing our 28 partner organizations, are the best people in New Haven. They’re all people who are working really hard to make this a better place to live,” she said, “and this is the one time, the one event, that sees us all working together. It’s a very heart warming, collaborative event.”

Pickett said all cyclists, whether pedaling as part of teams, as families or as individuals, will set out from Common Ground at the base of West Rock Park at 10:30 a.m. and finish at College Woods at East Rock Park – with official “You Made It” celebrations starting at 1 p.m.

Pickett added that five route options, ranging from family friendly to a “metric century” of serious pedaling, are available and explained in detail at Rock to Rock’s Maps & Routes webpage. After the Ride events also feature live music, local food vendors, a “mini green expo” and recognition of top fundraisers and award winners.

Families might also like to know the 8-mile route option travels along community streets and through local parks and enjoys a police escort. All participants should know helmets are required, water bottles highly suggested and canine companions prohibited.

Registration is available at the organization’s website. In person registration is also available at Common Ground from 7:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. the day of the event. The basic registration fee is $100 for adults, but there’s a variety of participation and family discount levels and a waiver for those in need.

While registration fees support all that goes into creating a community bike ride, Pickett said Rock to Rock’s organizers direct the pledges cyclists raise toward the group’s 28 local environmental and community partner organizations. She added sponsored riders can also choose which and how many organizations they’d like to pedal for – and whether they’d like their fund raising total to go to one cause or be spread across a variety of causes. Follow these links for a full list of Rock-to-Rock Partner Organizations and fundraising information.

Urban Resources Initiative Director and Rock to Rock organizing partner Colleen Murphy-Dunning said the annual bike ride is both the city’s biggest Earth Day Celebration and its largest collaborative funds-and-awareness-raising event of the year.

“Fund raising among local organizations is usually competitive,” said Murphy-Dunning. “This is the one time of year we have this very broad umbrella…” One big enough to fit all of the 28 participating partners, some focused on the health of the local environment, natural and social, others working with refugees or toward better mental health.

Murphy-Dunning added, “The funds raised stay local and come from local riders, teams individuals who are saying ‘Hey Mom,’ or ‘Hey friend, help support my Rock to Rock ride because I care about this nonprofit and the work its doing.’ Our fundraising page enables each rider who wants to fundraise to pick things they are passionate about.”

Rock-to-Rock 2016 drew more than 1,000 passionate sponsored riders who between them raised over $165,000 toward improving New Haven’s natural and social environment. So far organizers have raised $72,997 toward this year’s $200,000 goal.

Ends