Inclusion is at the heart of Rock to Rock.

This multifaith experience continues in the full spirit of Saturday’s Rock to Rock Earth Day festivities to include the diverse religious communities of New Haven in a day of unity and celebration. Together as simultaneously distinct and united communities, we join each other in mutual solidarity to build a safer, stronger New Haven and better world.

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Overview

The experience will begin in unison at College Woods in East Rock Park, continue with your choice of either a bike ride or hike, and culminate with a community celebration together after riders and hikers return.

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Rock to Rock is open to everyone, adults and children. Both the bike ride and hike will be accessible to all biking and hiking levels, and everyone is invited to join for the community celebratory experience at the finish.

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To participate in the bike ride or the hike, you must register on a team via the main registration page. Details below.

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Registration for the Rock to Rock Multifaith Experience closes on Thursday, April 23, no exceptions. Please do not wait to register.

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NOTE: For children considering the bike option, please see details below under the section Riding with Children. 

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Registration is Required to Ride or Hike.

In the spirit of Rock to Rock, we want to do everything we can to make sure cost is not a barrier to you or your organization’s participation. There are many registration options that we hope will work best for you. If you cannot find an option that works for you or if you have any other questions, concerns or ideas, please reach out to your Rock to Rock Multifaith coordinators at multifaith.rocktorock@gmail.com.

Register Early!

• You can help us: The earlier you sign up the easier it is to start building a team and telling your friends and family how they can join too. This also helps us plan the event and understand the numbers to expect.

• Limited T-Shirts: There are a limited number of t-shirts for those who register, so please sign up as soon as possible if you’d like one.

• Limited Free Bike Rentals: We’ve been guaranteed a small number of bikes, but you must register early and let us know in advance. See below for more details.

Registration Instructions

There are two registration options for the Rock to Rock Multifaith Event:

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1. Create a Team. Create a team and recruit your friends, family, or organization (school, synagogue, mosque, church, etc.) to join you!

2. Join a Team. Join an existing team. Find and join a team you know about or search for our "Multifaith Riders” team.

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Please do not select Individual during registration. Please choose either Create a Team or Join a Team, as noted above.

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Under “Which route do you plan to take?”, select either:

• Sunday, April 26 Multifaith Bike Ride

• Sunday, April 26 Multifaith East Rock Hike

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Click the following link to begin registration (it’s quick!) https://rocktorock.donordrive.com/register

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As noted above registration for the Rock to Rock Multifaith Experience closes on Thursday, April 23, no exceptions. Please do not wait to register.

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Fundraising is Optional, but Encouraged

Environmental work is about thinking globally and acting locally. This event supports 36 local nonprofits doing critical work in the New Haven area. You have the option to fundraise for one or all of them. While fundraising at any level is certainly encouraged, it is not required.

There are prizes for those who choose to fundraise.

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Note to parents, teachers, and well everyone:

Participation in Rock to Rock is one of the best ways to have fun, get outside, and learn about opportunities to get involved or volunteer with local organizations doing grass roots work in your neighborhoods, as well as to teach children about the values of giving.

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Details about the Rock to Rock Multifaith Experience

Please arrive by 2:30 PM. We will begin in unison just before 2:55 PM and then split “wheels-rolling!” for the bike ride and “onward!” for the hike no later than 3PM. Riders and hikers will return with plenty of time for the joint community multifaith celebration and experience, which is planned to start around 4:30 PM and expected to be under an hour.

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Note: The schedule & details of the event are being finalized and any changes will be announced shortly.

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• There will be plenty of parking at East Rock

• The bike ride and hike will happen rain or shine

• There will be a rain option for the community celebration

• Consider spending a few minutes before this event thinking about what’s bringing you and what you are bringing, and why this Rock to Rock experience is so important. You are most encouraged to share with someone you know and even more so with someone new

 

We want to do everything we can to be accommodating, respectful, and inclusive of all of our communities participating, and therefore the event is being planned to take into consideration Ramadan and the period of Sefirat HaOmer as follows:

       

Ramadan

• Low Energy Options. Biking and hiking routes will include low energy, easy pace, flat options for those who are fasting. 

• Start Time. Because many Muslims will be refraining from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, the event will begin in the afternoon when the day will be cooler.

• Food and Water. Recognizing that we will have individuals from all different backgrounds, religious communities, and of diverse needs and personal choices, there will be water, light snacks, and fruit available at the rest stop on the bike route, and when riders and hikers return. However, out of respect for our Muslim brothers and sisters, no meals or main food course will be provided at the event.

• Did you know? There are precedents around the world for doing active outdoor charitable events during this time of introspection and helping others. Fasting5K <hyperlink “Fasting5K” to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Caw9Zd2BH8s>, for example, is just one of many even active experiences to raise support for local community causes in the US and around the world during Ramadan. **There will be hike and bike options at this Rock to Rock less intense than a 5K!

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Sefirat HaOmer

• No Instrumental Music. Because this event coincides with the period between Passover and Shavuot when many Jews observe specific mourning practices, there will be no instrumental music at this event.

 

If there are more items we should be thinking about, please reach out to multifaith.rocktorock@gmail.com.

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More Details and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• The Bike Option. The bike ride will be a short distance to be completed at an easy and comfortable pace. There will be an option to extend the route for those who want to go a longer distance or at a faster pace. Both routes will begin and end at College Woods in East Rock Park, and finish in time for the community celebration experience. Both will be guided from start to finish with Ride Marshals for everyone's safety and comfort. There will be water and snacks at the rest stop about half-way in. The route has been designed to be accessible to all levels of riders and to avoid major roads and intersections. Please see below for important details and notes about children participation. Specific route details will be available soon.

  • This is a ride, not a race.

  • Helmets are required.

  • Please bring your own water bottles.

    • This is to reduce waste. and our overall footprint as we strive to be stewards of the environment. 

  • Need a bicycle? Let us know early. 

    • There are a limited number of mountain bikes being offered at no cost by the Parks Department as well as commuter-style bikes by Bike New Haven. If you or others you know will be needing one or more, you must let us know in advance.

    • Due to limited number of available bikes, please provide your age, height and weight to determine appropriate bike size and availability.

    • Please Note: Bike New Haven bicycles are only available to riders who are at least 16 years old.

  • Riding with Children:

    • Families/groups with riders under the age of 14 must ride together, and children must have adult supervision at all times

    • Everyone under 18 must have parents sign a waiver, which will be completed during online registration.

  • The Hike Option. The hike will be guided through East Rock Park. Accessible to all hiking levels. More details to come soon.

  • Community Celebration. More details to come soon.

  • Community Conflicts:

    • ​We are planning the timing of this Rock to Rock experience to minimize community conflicts and maximize participation.

    • If there are community conflicts or concerns, please contact multifaith.rocktorock@gmail.com, so that we can do our best to try and find ways to accommodate those who would like to participate in all of the wonderful activities happening around our community.

  • Volunteers. Interested in volunteering either at the event itself with set-up and other needs, or to help out before the event with planning, logistics, or promotion? We need you. We will certainly find a way to use your hands and appreciate any and all help. We are planning for this event to be fully supported and to nurture it to be able to grow this year and into the future.

  • Be a Promotional Partner for your Community. If you’d like to be a promotional partner with us to reach out to your community to share this event, we’d be so appreciative. Let us know that you’re connecting with them, and/or if you need anything, by contacting your Rock to Rock Multifaith coordinators at multifaith.rocktorock@gmail.com. We want to reach and include as much of the diverse religious and faith-based communities of New Haven in this experience!

  • Donations. We are looking for environmentally friendly snacks, fruit, and treats for the rest stop. If you or anyone you know might be interested to make a donation, please be in touch. If you’d like to support this event by helping to cover any of our various expenses with a tax-deductible donation, please reach out to multifaith.rocktorock@gmail.com.

  • Note on Food. Please see the notes above about Ramadan. Any food provided at the event will be both Kosher and Halal, and inspired by shared values of protecting the environment and compassion for animals and people. Any concerns about food, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

 

Are you in? 

• Please reach out to multifaith.rocktorock@gmail.com with any questions. 

• Create or join your own team or join ours, the Multifaith Riders, today!

• This event is going to Rock!