Honoring World Refugee Day with a Picnic in Central Park

On Saturday, June 19th, IRC-NY hosted its 4th annual family picnic in honor of  World Refugee Day. Close to 100 refugee and asylee men, women and children gathered at the Great Hill on 106th Street at 3:00 pm where the IRC-NY Youth Program had set up tables filled with food and soft drinks, colorful balloons and games.  
 
The weather was perfect, with clear blue skies and a light breeze, making it a delightful afternoon gathering for everyone. For some families, it was their first time visiting Central Park; others had only walked along the edges and were happy to finally have an opportunity to venture among the greenery. Soccer teams quickly formed with children and teens from Bhutan, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Iraq and Burma among others - IRC-NY's own mini World Cup!  A few daring individuals tried their hand at badminton while others were introduced to Frisbee, giggling with delight as they tried with effort to defy the laws of gravity.
 
Thank you to everyone who attended the gathering and cheered the teams. A very special thank you to James, Katerina, Khadijah, Liz, Sara as well as Andrea and Bruce Weinreb for synchronizing such a successful event. 
 
Click here to view of a few snapshots of the picnic.