Riverside Park Conservancy | September 5, 2024
Riverside Park has always been more than a public green space – it’s a West Side community cornerstone, made stronger by the hard work and loving care of its dedicated volunteers. This year, at the annual Volunteer Summer Soiree, Riverside Park Conservancy proudly awarded the inaugural Charlotte Mayerson Spirit Award to Debbie Aronson, an extraordinary friend and advocate for the Park and its surrounding neighborhood.
Debbie Aronson receives the inaugural Charlotte Mayerson Spirit Award for her longtime dedication to Riverside Park.
A Lifelong Relationship with Riverside Park
Debbie’s connection to parks – and Riverside Park in particular – is deeply personal and enduring. Growing up in New York City, she spent her free time as a child playing, biking, and sledding in City parks. Later, as a mom on the Upper West Side, she passed this love on to her son, who spent countless hours of his youth at Riverside Park’s River Run and Elephant Playgrounds.
In her professional life, Debbie built a legacy as a passionate educator who helped youth understand the value of local volunteerism. For more than 25 years, in her role as Director of Community Service Learning at The Calhoun School on the Upper West Side, Debbie ran a program where she introduced students to dozens of NYC charities, giving them the opportunity to learn first-hand about different types of nonprofit missions. Applying a “student first” approach, youth were given an opportunity to make informed choices about where they wanted to devote their service hours to the type of projects that resonated most with them. Riverside Park was a fortunate beneficiary of this approach, as Debbie helped connect Conservancy staff directly with students and their families, leading to hundreds of volunteer projects in our park and fostering a whole new generation of park stewards.
“When it comes to caring about people and giving to the community, Debbie Aronson has made it her life’s mission,” said John Herrold, Riverside Park Administrator, who had the opportunity work with Debbie for over twenty years. “Close to 1,000 students a year were active in Debbie’s program, doing all manner of valuable work in Riverside Park and elsewhere in the community – giving of themselves and receiving so much in return.”
Most recently, Debbie, together with her colleague Andrew Hume, partnered with the Conservancy to arrange for Calhoun students to “adopt” an area of the park known as the Triangle Garden near the school on 84th Street. Under this initiative, students commit to regular weekly care of the garden, working alongside Conservancy gardeners and Calhoun teachers to share in its upkeep.
Debbie’s message to students is simple but powerful: We respect and take care of the park because it is our backyard. “I am so honored to accept the Charlotte Mayerson Spirit Award, and I look forward to always having a relationship with Riverside Park,” she said. “The park staff has been wonderful to partner with for many years and has made me feel like part of their team.”
About Charlotte Mayerson
Charlotte Mayerson was a beacon of community service and unity in Riverside Park. As a ParkTender volunteer from the late 1980s until her passing in 2022, she transformed the stretch of park from 115th to 116th Streets along the Olmsted wall base into a vibrant oasis.
After the tragic loss of her son Robert to AIDS in 1990, Charlotte dedicated her gardening site to his memory, fondly calling it “Robert’s Garden.” For over 30 years, this garden became a place of reflection and community. Charlotte was also the force behind the 116th Street Overlook Concerts, a beloved series of music events that she organized and produced for over 15 years.
Thanks to a generous bequest, the Conservancy is able to continue caring for Robert’s Garden and producing the Overlook Concert series in perpetuity. In 2023, we established the Charlotte Mayerson Volunteer Spirit Award to recognize others who embody her spirit of giving back to the Park.
Charlotte Mayerson works alongside fellow volunteers in “Robert’s Garden” in 2015.
Continuing Charlotte’s Legacy
As the inaugural recipient of the Charlotte Mayerson Spirit Award, Debbie Aronson’s efforts underscore the essential role that community building and stewardship play in making green spaces like Riverside Park so special.
“For embodying Charlotte Mayerson’s spirit of partnership, community engagement, and impactful volunteerism, Debbie is the perfect recipient of the Charlotte Mayerson Spirit Award,” said Kristen Meade, Director of Volunteer Initiatives at Riverside Park Conservancy. “From facilitating classroom visits leading up to Earth Day to adopting a garden at 84th Street for students to regularly engage with, her commitment has been instrumental in fostering a deeper understanding of our work.”
Riverside Park Conservancy is proud to inaugurate a new tradition of recognizing individuals like Debbie who exemplify Charlotte’s spirit of ensuring that Riverside Park remains a vibrant and cherished part of New York City for generations to come.
About Riverside Park Conservancy
From 59th Street to 181st Street, from riverfront to city-side, Riverside Park Conservancy cares for and enhances six miles of parkland for present and future generations. Working together with the New York City Parks Department, we make improvements as diverse as the park itself and the city it serves.
