Youth performers at last year’s inaugural A Better World Festival (Sunnyside Shines)
July 10, 2019 Staff Report
A festival celebrating community activism and making a difference in the world will take place in Sunnyside this weekend.
The second annual “A Better World Festival” invites kids and adults to sing, dance and create arts and crafts from noon until 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 14 at Bliss Plaza.
The free event is sponsored by the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District, the Office of New York City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, and LOVE, HALLIE Foundation, which was set up by the parents of 11-year old Hallie Geier who died after being struck by a car in 2004.
The foundation promotes activism, kindness and empathy – values which Geier held dearest – and aims to show that making a difference in the world can be a lot of fun.
The event’s “Ringmaster” is 14-year old actor Ellis Rubin. A Queens native, Rubin played P. T. Barnum in the 2017 sensation “The Greatest Showman.” Rubin is an active member of Hallie’s Angels, the youth branch of the LOVE, HALLIE Foundation.
“Hallie felt that she could make a difference. She always wanted to do something special,” said her father Ted Geier. “I know people will be inspired to take action when Ellis and others read her encouraging words at the Festival.”
Activities at the event include arts and crafts with the Girls Scouts of Greater New York, Sunnyside Artworks and Hallie’s Angels. Families will also have the opportunity to sing and dance with local groups such as Unity Stage and Woodside on the Move, as well as Story Pirates.
There will also be free chess instructions from Chess in Schools, while Headcount will register young voters.
“The spirit of Sunnyside is the kind of attitude that can create a better future – uniting people of all ages and backgrounds who care about their neighbors, their country and the world,” said Jaime-Faye Bean, Executive Director of Sunnyside Shines.
Facebook users can RSVP for the event here. More information on the LOVE, HALLIE Foundation can be found on their website.
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15 Comments
The Old Guard is dying out!!! good Riddance no more drunks roaming the streets of Sunnyside. chhhhhhaaaaaannnnnggggeeeee
Commie cadre of kids being brainwashed. A lot of nonsense. I wonder if any pro life kids can show up? Naaah: we only “think” one way: go to be “deprogrammed”.
Lily Talk about brainwashed, all you post are Fox talking points, obsessively.
Lily- Let’s talk about brainwashing. You post nothing but Fox talking points, obsessively. That’s sounds like brainwashing to me.
rock solid logic there Old, Lily
Great event for a great cause! And extra kudos for showing this kind of leadership in the face of such a strong backlash against street safety measures by a small but vociferous contingent of people in this area. Traffic violence is a real thing and it’s so great to have safer streets in our community to prevent these kinds of tragedies from occurring again. Change for the better can occur, even in the face of powerful parochial arguments in favor of the status quo.
Thank you to the organizers and rest in power Hallie!
Youth Activism?..Hopefully they revolt against the democratic socialist who are desperately trying to indoctrinate them
Arvin- Is that as bad as Fox News pseudo conservatives and their fake news and misinformation? How did that uranium one hoax workout for you?
@Mac…Hahaha…How did the Mueller report workout for you and CNN?
Arvin- Fallout from the Mueller Report is still a work in progress and still going on. Mueller is going to sit before congress and testify and subpoenas are being issue. It’s far from concluded. I guess Fox News is just not talking about it. Maybe you should ask them why they neglected to inform you.
@Arvin- Mueller Report? The Mueller Report that said the president whose campaign willfully accepted aid and assistance from a hostile foreign government? The Mueller Report that states the current president should be charged with at the very least eleven counts of obstruction?!? Innocent people don’t need to obstruct an investigation. That Report was on all the news channels not just CNN. This is your comeback? Hahaha
“The spirit of Sunnyside is the kind of attitude that can create a better future – uniting people of all ages and backgrounds who care about their neighbors, their country and the world,” THE HORROR! THE HORROR!!!!! A BETTER FUTURE! you won’t get that with radical RW conservatism, honey. Wake up.
I’m sorry they hurt your feeling but this comment is generic enough to post on a different article.
The gentrification kids telling us natives how we should live.
and that upsets you because…….gentrification or something? Do you have any compassion at all?