New York City Council Committee on Parks and Recreation
Thursday, September 15, 2022
Committee on Parks and Recreation – Review of Trump’s License to Operate a Public Golf Course at Ferry Point Park
Sherrise Palomino, Director of Advocacy and Programs
Good afternoon, my name is Sherrise Palomino, and I am the Director of Advocacy and Programs at New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P). New Yorkers for Parks is the only independent not for profit parks advocacy and research organization focusing on New York City. We are a founding member of the Play Fair Coalition, which includes over 400 organizations from across the five boroughs. I am testifying today about how our organization has supported the city in the aftermath of 9/11.
New Yorkers for Parks’ Daffodil Project is the largest annual volunteer effort in NYC history, conceived as a living memorial to the victims of September 11. Since the Daffodil Project’s inception in 2001, over nine million daffodil bulbs have been distributed for free, planted by tens of thousands of volunteers in the fall, and celebrated each spring as the millions of daffodils bloom across the city in spring.
This project is a meaningful and resonant living remembrance for many people who lived in NYC in 2001, the families of those who lost their lives, and to the many first responders. The project has also become a symbol of hope for a better city, and a greater recognition of what parks mean to New Yorkers.
It is important for our city to deeply consider the relationships it makes and the messages those relationships send to its residents. We stand with empathy and understanding for the families who have lost their loved ones and their deep concerns with the proposed event at Trump Links in the Bronx.
New Yorkers for Parks champions park equity and access to city’s parkland and hopes that vendors that the city contracts implement equitable business practices that support NYC’s diverse population. This expectation aligns with NY4P’s call for transformative investment in our parks system – 1% of the city budget for parks could ensure that all New Yorkers for equal and fair access to city parkland.
For over 100 years, New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) has built, protected, and promoted parks and open spaces in New York City. Today, NY4P is the citywide independent organization championing quality parks and open spaces for all New Yorkers in all neighborhoods.