Photos courtesy of TFJ Foundation.
July 20, 2019 was one of the hottest days of the year but the temperature didn’t affect the turnout for Hyde Park’s 16th Annual Silver Room Block Party. It’s one thing to see a news report about the Block Party or have someone try to relate the experience to you but there’s only one way to take in the event. That’s being there in person at ground level in the midst of the crowd. And that’s exactly what the Timothy Francis Jones Foundation did this year. Thanks to the Silver Room’s Eric Williams invitation, the foundation had a spot at one of Hyde Park’s premier events. After loading in and setting up our booth, friends and family prepared to beat the heat and push the foundation’s message out to as many people as we could meet.
The festival started promptly at noon with a variety of musical and cultural performances geared to the many families and tourists who frequented the sea of stalls that lined 53rd and the intersecting streets from Lake Park Ave. on the east to Dorchester Ave. on the west. The stalls featured everything from apparel and art to food and drink. From our vantage point in front of the Promontory, we could see people using the skating rink set up in the bank parking lot. We were able to network with other organizations that were present. We spoke to supporters that we only knew through social media. We renewed acquaintances with supporters we deal with regularly. Most importantly, we were able to listening to people who shared stories of how disease had affected their lives and tell them about our foundation’s message of proactive men’s health.
While a brief rainstorm brought a short respite from the heat, it also encouraged more people to come out to the event. By nightfall, the stage was rocking full speed ahead. As we started to run out of merchandise and energy, it was decided that we should pack up for the night. A sixteen hour endurance race in those temperatures was tough but everyone we met made it worthwhile. The foundation had a good day selling merchandise and an even better day getting our message out to the public. Thank you to Eric Williams, Silver Room Block Party participants and all our friends, old and new, who stopped by to show support and capped off a successful weekend. We’ll see you next year!
Photos courtesy of TFJ Foundation.