A familiar tradition at Harborfest over the years has been the representation of AmeriCorps to help make the event possible. For the 25th annual festival in 2012, this partnership continued as the Oswego County AmeriCorps Program was represented by Cristina O’Hara.

The Oswego County AmeriCorps Program focuses on services for children and families. Cristina O’Hara and other members mentor and provide fitness and nutrition education activities for youths. They also manage volunteers who serve their community.

At Harborfest 2012, O’Hara added several children’s and or fitness elements to the Novelis Family Park at Franklin Square. She brought in a fitness component for the park throughout the weekend. She offered Zumba and Yoga sessions on Saturday and Sunday. She created a giant obstacle course utilizing mats and games borrowed from the Oswego Y.M.C.A. and the A.P.W. High School and a bike course with a bike donated by Murdock’s Bicycles & Sports in Oswego.

O’Hara created a children’s art display in the Palladium-Times Family Tent. She assisted with the Catskill Puppet Theater’s “Puppet Making Workshop” for the Oswego Health & Palladium-Times Children’s Parade.

For six days, from Tuesday through Sunday, O’Hara was part of the children’s T-Shirt Workshops in both Breitbeck Park and the Novelis family Park at Franklin Square. Oswego Harborfest thanks Cristina O’Hara and the Oswego County AmeriCorps Program for continuing their partnership with the festival again in 2012.