PLATTSBURGH — With the sailboats racing in the distance, people of all ages were back on shore partaking in the 45th Mayor’s Cup Regatta and Festival at Plattsburgh City Beach Saturday.
From cornhole tournaments to sand sculpture contests to fun runs, there was something for everyone.
GETTING OUT IN SUMMER
Sunrise Rotary Club’s chair for the Mayor’s Cup, Sue LeBlanc-Durocher, said the event was mostly centered around families, but all were welcomed.
“It’s really a positive, community-focused event,” she said.
“We do understand that parents don’t always know what to do with their kids in the summer; kids are just so focused on technology, but they should be able to have fun, (because) our winters are so long and our summers are so short; this was a great example of that.”
FREE FUN
Most of the landlubber activities, like the sand sculpture contests, were free to participate in.
Free parking, courtesy of the Sunrise Rotary Club and the City of Plattsburgh, was also offered at the City Beach while the activities were taking place.
“What we wanted to do is we really didn’t want people to have to spend money,” LeBlanc-Durocher said.
“And we asked different organizations to be here and share their information but have it interactive with the kids and families…just to educate and share what services are available to them during the summer. We have, I think, almost 15 organizations that came.”
CASTLES IN THE SAND
Among the organizations in attendance were the Plattsburgh City Police Department, the Red Cross, JCEO and the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI).
Director of NAMI, Amanda Bulris-Allen, who, along with other NAMI organizers, was helping to hand out 300 free sand buckets with positive affirmation stickers on them, said the beach was a good location for the event.
“Thinking about the joy that building sandcastles does for people and being on the beach does for people kind of brought that idea about, then I started thinking about what I can do, in terms of symbolism, between mental health and sandcastles,” Bulris-Allen said.
“I was thinking about how you need the grains of sand — people need to be unified. The water with supports and…just kind of supporting people, so I just thought it would be a good way to get families out while they are enjoying something but also to bring awareness to mental health.”
GET PEOPLE LOOKING
NAMI, which provides support, education and advocacy for those struggling with mental health, also set up signs along the beach as a way to share positive messages with anyone who saw them.
“Some of the signs have information regarding texting numbers; some of them have Disney characters that have experienced mental health. One of them has the (Disney) character Luca that talks about how Luca experiences some challenges regarding his mental health,” Bulris-Allen said.
“Things like that can get people looking.”
MOVE FROM TRINITY PARK
Many of the organizations were new to the event this year, because unlike last year there were no COVID-19 restrictions hindering the event planners.
Last year was also the first year the Mayor’s Cup Festival was held at the Plattsburgh City Beach.
LeBlanc-Durocher said the festival’s move from Trinity Park to the beach has given them more opportunities to make the event better, and next year they plan to expand it even further.
“Last year was kind of a test run. We wanted to do this two or three years ago here, but things didn’t go as planned, and of course COVID decided to stop us in our tracks,” she said.
“So last year was our opportunity, and we’re really blessed to have the city allowing us to use this space just because…when kids are tired and stuff, where’s the best place to go?
“It’s the beach.”
