River Relay in Fox Point

In early September, Providence neighbors participated in the first-ever East Coast River Relay, a walk-bike-paddle from India Point Park to Blackstone Park. Walkers and cyclists followed the bike path along lower Gano Street, past the Eastside Market and through Richmond Square. Paddlers kayaked along the Seekonk River. All participants finished at Blackstone Park, near the Narragansett Boat Club, where neighbors of all ages enjoyed a barbecue, live jazz music, and picturesque views of the Seekonk River.

The Providence event was the eleventh leg of a large-scale “relay” spanning the East Coast. The East Coast Greenway, the national nonprofit that sponsored the event, aims to connect 3,000 miles of walking and biking trails from Callais, Maine to Key West, Florida. The ECG partnered with local groups to organize the string of waterfront events, in order to “celebrate health watersheds, active living and local culture,” according to the Facebook event page.

Daisy Schnepel, Vice President of FPNA, spoke briefly to participants following the event. "Fox Point is surrounded by water on three sides," she noted. “FPNA is thrilled to partner in this event, and to help promote our local waterways, walkways and natural resources.” Several other groups also served as local partners, including the Seekonk Riverbank Revitalization Alliance, the Blackstone Parks Conservancy, and the Rhode Island Rivers Council.

Image, Amy Mendillo