This month, in recognition of the longstanding, nationwide and global tradition of June being designated as Pride Month for the LGBTQ+ community, residents of Bellerose Village did their part with a series of colorful, family-friendly, community-focused events.
On June 3, residents and neighbors gathered for the Third Annual Bellerose Village Pride 5K and Fun Run, sponsored annually by the Junior Women’s Club of Bellerose and the Bellerose Village Recreation Commission. This year’s run brought together more than 300 registrants and donors, including 100 participants in the Fun Run for those 11 and under, who enjoyed running and walking throughout the village in high spirits, a spirit of healthy exercise, and fine spring weather.
Kate Marsanico, co-president of the Junior Women’s Club of Bellerose, and Jessica Dubuss, Recreation Commissioner for Bellerose Village, said that the day “was filled with a positive and cheerful community presence,” which included members of the Floral Park and Bellerose communities, teachers and staff from the Floral Park-Bellerose Elementary School, Mayor of Bellerose Village Ken Moore, Bellerose Village Trustees Kate Dorry and Anne Marie Byrnes, and more. The event also featured donations from the local community, DJ entertainment, and a winner for “best pride/rainbow attire,” and raised over $10,000; each year, the monies are donated to a different LGBTQ+ charity.
The evening before Pride Month kicked off, Floral Park-Bellerose Elementary School hosted a special decorative event for the school, “Chalk for Pride.” Community members and families came together with FPBS administration, teachers, and staff to decorate the front walk into the school with chalked messages of love, positivity, hope, and support, so that when children walked into their school on June 1, they were met with hundreds of colorful, positive chalk creations.
