Today's Read - Sand Castles in the Sun

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Sand Castles in the Sun

by Linda Della Donna

It is Thursday, August 10, 2006. The sun is bold, the sky is a brilliant tint of turquoise, and CNN reports a foiled terrorist attack in London. All Airports are on heightened alert. Weatherman predicts more heat and humidity, and no passenger in the free world may board an airplane with a can of soda or a bottle of shampoo. It's a mixed up day in our mixed up world. Except in Brooklyn.

If you take the Hutch south from Westchester, travel over the Whitestone Bridge, continue on I-678 to the Belt Parkway, then west to Exit 7B, you're there. Sun, fun, kids, and the craziest sights you'll ever see. Welcome to Coney Island. Home of the giant Ferris wheel, Famous Nathan's, Shoot the Freak, and today, the annual gathering for kids 7 years and up - Building Sand Castles in the Sun.






Meet Mario Arbore.

Mario is an architect. He wears a smile, a pair of cutoff jeans, and his eyes sparkle whenever he says the "kids" word. Today Mario says the "kids" word a lot.

He is surrounded by kids, 150 kids, from Good Shepherd Services in Red Hook, New York, and 23 volunteer architects, plus a dozen counselors. There are kids with shovels, kids with trowels, kids toting plastic buckets and plastic watering cans, and more kids squirting other kids with hoses. It is a parade of kids, 24 groups of them standing alongside a 3' x 6' mound of sand. These kids are laughing, shouting, crawling on their bellies, digging, and sprinkling water on sand in the hot sun.



Mario says, "The most difficult thing about working with sand is keeping it wet." He points to two hoses that stretch the length of the "building" sites and two barrels brimming with water. There is a line of kids dunking plastic pails in the barrels and more kids squirting water. I have to strain to hear Mario's voice above the din of screams and laughter.

Q: Talk to me. Tell me about what's going on here.

A: It's organized chaos. And gives kids exposure to the idea of what it's like to construct something. And have a good time.

Q: How did building sand castles at Coney Island come about?

A: Well, four years ago I was taking a leadership course and the assignment was to think up a community project. I had a dream of building sand castles in the sun. And building them with kids. I had a coach and she told me to make a plan. To make a list. And she told me to be specific. So I did. I listed sand castles. And then I got more specific and listed 150 kids. At the time I didn't know 150 kids. And I had no idea where I would find 150 kids.

Q: Then what?

A: Well, I made a few phone calls. I called Good Shepherd Services. They're in Brooklyn, and the woman who answered the telephone listened to my idea, but she didn't seem too enthused. She said it was late in the summer and that the kids all had plans and well, she didn't give much hope. I hung up and figured that was the end of it. When I told my coach, she pushed. I made a second call. And to my surprise the woman said she checked, and there was this day in August. She said, it's reserved, we have the busses, we had plans to do something else, but we'll change them. That was four years ago. And now it's an annual event.

Mario's eyes sparkle. One of the kids has interrupted with a question. This interview is ended. I watch as Mario scoops a bucket of sand and shapes it with his bare hands, while another kid sprinkles it with water, and six kids watch. My eyes follow more kids as they scurry like ants, digging, shaping, troweling mounds of sand into castles with moats, and castles with pointed turrets, then stick them with playing cards. In this mixed up hot crazy world where hair gel in carry-on luggage makes headlines, Coney Island is an oasis - For Mario's 150 kids.

Building Sand Castles in the Sun is an annual event at Coney Island. Donations and sponsors are welcome. You can learn more about Mario Arbore and how to help with his community projects by visiting www.arboredesign.com


My name is Linda Della Donna and I am a freelance writer. I am available to do an interview for you, or perhaps you have a different writing assignment. Please feel free to contact me. You can view more of my work at http://www.littleredmailbox.com/ and http://griefcase.blogspot.com/

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