By SARAH CLARK
News Editor
Tents lined the field in Lincoln Park as music played, children ran around the fields with kites and outdoor toys, and Capital Region residents gathered for another year of community bonding.
On Aug. 31, members of the Capital Region communities gathered at Lincoln park to enjoy the second annual Albany Fest and to “celebrate Albany’s growth in unity and community spirit.” Throughout the day, festival goers could enjoy food, entertainment, and shopping to support local business owners, and the family oriented event also offered school supplies for families for the upcoming academic year.
“I started Albany Fest last year to promote unity and collaboration in the community,” Albany Community Outreach Coordinator and Albany Fest Organizer Eva Bass said. “We are looking for this to grow in hopes that everybody in Albany can come in one place and enjoy and commune with each other, because a lot of the reason why we are so separated is because we don’t spend time with each other,” Bass added.
Bass is the founder of Bridge Tha Gap Community Outreach, a nonprofit that promotes unity and collaboration, and her purpose for creating Albany Fest was to give a platform to local businesses as well as allow resources to be accessible to the community. Several local businesses came together for this day of festivities, and many locals strived to make the event come together.
“For us it is all about community empowerment and community engagement,” P.U.L.S.E Co-Founder and Tru Heart Vice President Paul Collins-Hackett said. At Albany Fest, which Collins-Hackett also co-organized, volunteers from his nonprofits helped provide the youth who attended the festival with activities such as a bounce house, kites, and other enjoyable activities. “We need a day just for everyone to come together in a positive way,” Collins-Hakcett said.
Both Bass and Collins-Hackett started their nonprofit organizations as grassroot nonprofits. They started with events no one came to, and Collins-Hackett described how they had to knock on doors in order to receive recognition. Now, as Collins-Hackett stated, larger events can successfully exist for the members of the community to enjoy because of their previous hard work.
“It’s more of a community celebration,” Community Member and Former College of Saint Rose Adjunct Professor Donald Hyman said. “Because of the turn out and the response, you can expect it to be bigger and better next year,” Hyman added.
A large amount of community organizations tabled at the event. Albany 518 SNUG is an anti-violence initiative and operates out of several cities in New York including Albany, Troy, and New York City, to name a few.
“It’s like a dream come true to work with youth,” Albany 518 SNUG Outreach Worker Brother Demetrius stated. “The biggest paycheck is when I see someone succeed,” he added.
The day offered members of the community a sense of togetherness, and Albany Fest not only created a stress free day for those who attended, but it gave nonprofit organizations, business owners, and artists a platform for their work and the missions they have to better the Capital Region community. “Everybody is here in unity,” Albany 518 SNUG Outreach Worker Shawn Cooks said.
