Rise Light & Power held its annual toy giveaway on Dec. 19. Photos courtesy of Rise Light & Power
Dec. 30, 2024 By Colum Motherway
Rise Light & Power, the owners and operators of the Ravenswood Generating Station in Long Island City, hosted their fourth annual toy giveaway on Thursday, Dec. 19, as part of their Renewable Ravenswood initiative to support the Queens community.
Rise donated over 2,000 toys to hundreds of children to celebrate the holiday season with the local communities. Families and neighbors joined from nearby New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residences such as Queensbridge, Ravenswood, Astoria, and Woodside Houses.
Rise has an ongoing commitment to give back to the Queens communities
“We strive to build lasting relationships and engage our neighbors in our long-term goal to transform both the Ravenswood plant and Queens’ energy future. Hosting events like our annual holiday giveaways and strengthening our connection with the Western Queens community is at the foundation of our Renewable Ravenswood vision,” said Wil Fisher, Director of External Affairs.
Rise is working to redevelop Ravenswood Generating Station as a new renewable energy hub to help New York’s nation-leading climate goals.
Since acquiring the Station in 2020, Rise has awarded over $3,300,000 to improve opportunities for Queens residents and foster deeper relationships with the local communities.
Rise donated over 2,000 toys to hundreds of children to celebrate the holiday season
On Monday, Dec. 23, the organization also announced that it has provided more than $800K in charitable contributions to local Queens businesses and organizations in 2024 as part of the ongoing commitment.
“We’re proud of the contributions Rise has made to help facilitate the work of so many Queens organizations strengthening our community and benefiting the people who live here. We know there’s much work to do, and we look forward to continuing to partner with our neighbors to deliver on the Renewable Ravenswood vision,” said Clint Plummer, CEO of Rise Light & Power.
Last month, Rise joined Council Members Julie Won and Tiffany Cabán to co-host its 4th annual Turkey Drive. Attendees included Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Reps. Nydia Velázquez and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez helped distribute 1,000 turkeys to their neighbors at the nearby NYCHA residences.
Families and neighbors joined from nearby New York City Housing Authority residences
Rise also partnered with Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani to announce a streetscape beautification and tree-planting partnership with Big Reuse earlier this month. Big Reuse is a nonprofit organization that fights climate change through community-based environmental and zero-waste initiatives.
The initial investment of $100,000 will restore 15-20 tree pits that had damaged or missing trees along Vernon Blvd. and side streets between 35th and 40th Avenues. The continued support of Mamdani’s office made this possible.
Improvements to local tree canopies benefit public health and environmental conditions, improving local air quality, diverting stormwater, and reducing the urban heat island effect.
According to the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice’s EJNYC mapping tool, blocks adjacent to Ravenswood Generating Station rank as low as the bottom 3% for tree cover among all areas of New York City.
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