Rock The Block Draws Over 750 People

By Kami-Leigh Agard

Rockaway born and Rockaway dedicated—35 young locals came together to create the Rock The Block Foundation, and their crown jewel event, the Third Annual Rock The Block, hosted on Saturday, June 3 at Bayswater Park in Far Rockaway drew over 750 people.

According to Curtis Turney-Rentas, president and founder of Far Rock Greek Council, the main goal for Rock The Block is to fundraise, collect donations, and receive grants to help the next generations of youth through scholarships in fields such as dance, sports, music, design, writing, and so much more.

The RTB pioneering crew includes Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Tackle, Folorunso “Foley” Fatukasi, Turney-Rentas, Tierra Holmes, Rok Nation Dance Team Manager; Calvin Stanley, co-CEO of CW Junk & Moving LLC and member of Far Rock Greek Council and Henry Adegunle, Rockaway Raven Football team coach and also member of Far Rock Greek Council Inc.

This year’s event went with a carnival-themed vibe featuring a Human Hippo Chow Down, joust, 25-foot High Titanic Adventure Dry Slide, Carnival Bounce, tug-of-war, Reptile Expo, mobile book truck from the Queens Public Library, St. John's Hospital Van, arts and crafts, life-sized games such as Jenga, and a tennis clinic by Urban Backspin.

Turney-Rentas, who received his formative education in Rockaway before attending Delaware State University, said as a lifelong community organizer and activist, it’s truly rewarding to see the next generation inspired to invest their talents in the community.

He said, “It's just a grateful feeling. You know, just being able to see the impact that you can bring to a community that doesn't really get shone in a positive light. With NY1 even covering this event, it was just so rewarding to see the smiles and excitement that it brought to everyone. To get shouted out for something positive. That was definitely impactful. I just want kids to get the exposure I didn’t growing up in Rockaway, and to keep on inspiring them to want more for both themselves and the community. So, by the time they head off to college, they know the value and impact of giving back to your community. We just want to inspire and nurture the next generation of community leaders.”

For more information and updates from the RTB Foundation, follow rocktheblockfoundation on Instagram.