54 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • SEPTEMBER 14, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Celebrate the Peace Lanterns Festival in Long Island City
BY ANGELA MATUA
amatua@qns.com / @AngelaMatua
To celebrate International Day of Peace
this month, several organizations will
host a Peace Lanterns Festival in Long
Island City that will light up the night
sky with floating lanterns.
On Sept. 16 from 2 to 9 p.m. Gantry
Plaza State Park will offer a variety
of events and speakers to ring in the
International Day of Peace that officially
takes place on Sept. 21.
The festival will be hosted by
HarborLAB, a Long Island City organization
that hosts public paddling
days and teaches people about ecology,
the Buddhist Council of New York,
Interfaith Center of New York and
Global Movement for the Culture of
Peace.
From 2 to 6 p.m., attendees will be
able to kayak, participate in guided
meditation, yoga, arts and crafts and
decorate lanterns for the final event.
There will be about 100 lanterns available
for guests.
Erik Baard, who founded HarborLAB
and the festival, said the event originally
started as a way to commemorate
those lost on 9/11. Peace Lanterns
Festival was started in 2002 and took
place along the Hudson River.
More recently, Baard and co-founder
Rev. TK Nakagaki have shifted
the festival’s focus to coincide with
International Peace Day. It was moved
to Gantry Plaza State Park several years
ago, which is right across from the
United Nations headquarters.
The event focused solely on those
who were lost on 9/11 for about 10
years but then shifted “especially since
so many have died in war and other terror
attacks since then,” Baard said.
The event will bring together faith
leaders and scientists to celebrate the
holiday and also talk about how to
achieve peace. International Day of
Peace was established in 1981 by a
unanimous United Nations resolution.
This year’s theme is “Together for
Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity
for All.” The day aims to bring all
193-member countries to support
“diversity, non-discrimination and
acceptance of refugees and migrants,”
according to the United Nations website.
Baard said his group will emphasis
the plight of climate refugees and
Alex de Sherbinin, the associate director
for science applications at the
Center for International Earth Science
Information Network will talk about
the issues affecting people all around
the world who are forced to migrate
due to extreme weather conditions.
Though the event will tackle serious
issues, Baard said the organizations are
trying to make it a “joyous occasion.”
Members of the dance group Siren
Protectors of the Rainforest will
teach people how to Afrodancercise
and the event will include face painting
and henna tattoos. Speakers will
include Ambassador Anwarul Karim
Chowdhury, representative to the
United Nations from Bangladesh, Ven.
Bhikkhu Bodhi, scholar and founder of
the organization Buddhist Global Relief
and more.
At 7:30 p.m., attendees will release
their decorated lanterns for the final
event. Those who have lost someone on
Photo courtesy of HarborLAB
9/11 or want to use the event to reflect
on that day are also welcome to come,
Baard said.
“We absolutely welcome people for
whom 9/11 has more resonance than
anything else, who that’s their closest
experience to warfare and to terror
and we absolutely welcome people to
come with their remembrance of people
they lost, their reflections on that
day,” he said.
HarborLAB is looking for volunteers
to help set up and clean up the park. If
you’re interested in volunteering, email
volunteer@harborlab.org.
Peace Lanterns Festival will take place at Gantry Plaza State Park on Sept. 16.
Back-to-School Health Advice
A healthy start to a new school year
begins with a visit to your child’s doctor.
Dr. Randi Wasserman, Director of
Pediatrics at NYC Health + Hospitals/
Elmhurst, off ers fi ve tips to help you
prepare your kids for a healthy year:
• Annual Physicals: Every year, before
your child goes back to school, make
sure they visit their doctor. Yearly
physicals are important to ensure
children are growing and developing
properly.
• Vision and Hearing Tests: Children
should have their hearing tested
before starting school, and vision
exams once per year starting at six
months of age. Watch for signs of
hearing or vision loss and talk to
your child’s doctor if you notice any
changes.
• Flu Shots: Th e fl u is a contagious illness
that infects the nose, throat,
and lungs and can cause severe illness
and life-threatening complications,
especially for children. Every
child six months or older should get
the fl u shot once every year. Flu season
changes every year but can start
as early as October.
• Other Vaccinations: Vaccines are
necessary to help protect children
and others against disease. In New
York City, all students two months
to 18 years must get their age-appropriate
vaccinations in order to attend
child care or school.
• Routines: Consistent routines help
keep children alert and productive
during the school year and can be a
life-saver when it comes to avoiding
problems at bedtime.
Call for an appointment
today!
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
79-01 Broadway
Pediatric Appts. 718-334-3025
Adolescent Appts. 718-334-5040