Nino Todua
News@queensledger.com
Each year, we celebrate Earth Day – a time where we reflect and remind ourselves on how we should be taking care of the planet’s ecosystem for the upcoming new generations that will inherit the Earth. On April 22, the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens (VBGCQ) in Sunnyside celebrated Planet’s day. The VBGCQ offers a safe, supportive space where children can thrive academically, physically, and emotionally. Through after-school tutoring, sports, creative arts, and leadership programs, the Club helps kids build confidence, stay active, and explore their talents.
As part of its ongoing commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and environmental awareness, the Club recently opened a rooftop farm designed specifically for the children who attend its programs. This vibrant space offers a unique blend of fun and education, where kids can actively engage in hands-on gardening – planting, nurturing, and harvesting crops themselves. Through this interactive experience, they not only enjoy outdoor entertainment but also develop valuable habits centered around sustainability, responsibility, and care for nature. The rooftop farm serves as both a physical activity and a learning tool, inspiring a deeper connection to the environment and encouraging a healthy, well-balanced way of life from an early age.
The opening of the event was attended by members of the local community and civil servants including Justin E. Driscoll, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the New York Power Authority (NYPA), among others. The attendees spoke about the importance of the Club in the daily lives of the youth and future generations, emphasizing the need to raise and support them in a healthy environment. They expressed their full support for the Club’s administration in order to promote active participation of children in the organized activities, which they believe is essential and vital for shaping a healthy lifestyle for the new generation.
By encouraging movement, play, and awareness, the club reminded us that caring for our planet begins with nurturing the next generation — the stewards of our future. After all, the energy and well-being of our children mirror the vitality we hope to see in the world around us.
