DUMBO, Brooklyn (PIX11) – It’s a novel way to raise money for local public schools in one Brooklyn neighborhood.
They are tossing toy elephants from the rooftops.
Have you ever wondered what 2500 toy elephants with parachutes look like floating down to the ground?
You can find out at the eighth annual Dumbo Drop to raise money for two local, title one, public schools in the neighborhood.
PIX11 News got this exclusive birds-eye view from a Washington Street rooftop, and this PIX11 reporter even got to toss a few elephants herself.
“We have wonderful public schools in the neighborhood, and they are Title One schools,” Alexandria Sica, Pres. Dumbo BID, told PIX11 News. “We wanted to do a fundraiser on Washington Street with tiny toy elephants floating through the air,” she added.
This Dumbo drop has raised more than $100,000 to help support students at PS 307 and Dock Street middle school, two neighborhood public schools where the majority of the children live at or below the poverty line.
“At a Title One school, we have some folks and families that need help,” Ryan Porter, PTA PS 307 treasurer, told PIX11 News. “So the funds will go to after-school programs and educational programs,” he added.
These elephants with parachutes cost $20 to be part of the fundraiser, but there’s also a totally free kid zone, including a book giveaway from Brooklyn Book Bodega.
“I think it’s great for people who don’t have books, and we’re giving back to the community,” Imogen Fontalvo, 8 years old, told PIX11 News.
Francis Peter and his family were losing under a neon Dumbo sign.
“It’s super crowded and there are lots of activities for the kids to do,” Peter told PIX11 News.
The Dock Street Sharks performed, as did the all-female drummers known as Fogo Azul and a band called The Jelly. And so many happy children left with armfuls of elephants.
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