Last year, more than 450 people participated in the Annual 5K of the East New York Restoration Local Development Corporation (ENYRLDC). This week, hundreds are in training, getting ready to lace up and run to make a real difference again for the 9th ENYRLDC’s Annual 5K.
The community-centered organization has people promoting healthy living as they prepare to hit the city streets for a cause on Saturday, October 7, 2023, at the Spring Creek Park.
“We always have wonderful community support for our annual run/walk,” Colette Pean, executive director of ENYRLDC, told the Amsterdam News. “It is always a family-friendly event, which has been endorsed by JASA, Black Men Who Run, We Run Brownsville, Community Board 5, [and] Man Up Inc., and supported by Fusion East, MetroPlus Health Plan, Con Ed, and One Brooklyn Health, to name just a few.”
ENYRLDC is a one-stop-shop for the local community about a variety of issues, where resources can be provided or links provided. Community members can visit the office at 1159 Elton Street in East New York to get information about everything from housing with solar panels to community gardens with micro solar grids, healthcare, educational needs, and business plans; and seek all manner of advice. Part of their mission, as the Opportunity Finance Network cites, is the “development of cleaner, greener, and more environmentally informed neighborhoods in low-income communities most vulnerable to climate change.”
ENYRLDC works to “increase career and business opportunities in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York. The organization’s goal is to foster a solid foundation for economic development by supporting small businesses, job development, and efforts to keep communities clean, green, and environmentally informed.”
The organization holds many events year-round that encompass a range of community development, from helping homeowners obtain solar panels to helping local residents obtain employment in Gateway Center stores, community mobilizing with resident associations, and supporting small businesses. Keep ENY Clean & Green Campaign involves community clean-ups, building micro solar grids in 10 community gardens, and training community residents in renewable energy.
“East New York Restoration is one of our gleaming shining stars in the neighborhood,” said Brooklyn City Councilmember Charles Barron. “They help so many people in a variety of ways, from real affordable housing to supporting small businesses, to hosting community rallies, to defending and promoting my beloved neighborhood.”
With just over a month to go before the 5K race, the nonprofit is now encouraging everyday people to “Come to walk, run, and enjoy music, fitness demonstrations, gametruck, face painting, and information tables. All registrants get a T-shirt and race bib.” And as if any more enticing factors were necessary, Pean added, “If you complete the race, you get a medal.”
The ENYRLDC’s 5K is on Saturday, October 7, 2023, with check-in at 8 a.m. and the race starting at 9:20 a.m., at Spring Creek Park, across the street from BJ’s in the Gateway Mall. To register and/or make a donation to support ENYRLDC’s community fitness initiatives, go to bit.ly/2023ENY5K.
