By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — It will take a few years, but Roosevelt Avenue will one day be covered by a springtime canopy of pink cherry blossoms. At least that is the vision of Louis Yip and Sunny Ng, two local businessmen who founded the cherry tree project, along with members of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, the Pawtucket Foundation, city officials in Pawtucket and Central Falls and other supporters.

To raise money for the maintenance and expansion of the cherry tree program that was initiated last spring, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council and the Pawtucket Foundation have organized the Rhode Island Cherry Blossom Festival. Congressman Patrick Kennedy will serve as honorary chairman of the event.
The Cherry Blossom Festival, scheduled for Saturday, May 1 along Roosevelt Avenue, features a traditional May breakfast, a 5K run/walk, a chocolate tasting, and a cherry pie bakeoff. The festival culminates with a performance by Odaiko New England in the Japanese ancient art of taiko. Details for all events are available at the website: Richerryblossomfestival.com.
Robert Billington, executive director of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council, noted that it was Yip and Ng's idea to plant cherry trees to beautify and “soften” the industrial look of the mill area along the stretch of Roosevelt Avenue that borders Pawtucket and Central Falls. Several of the former mills have now been converted into residential living spaces and the goal is to make a more pleasant and walkable streetscape.
Yip and Ng, the developers of M-Residential, spearheaded last year's planting of 65 cherry trees  with a $30,000 investment. Collette Vacations as well as Storage America, Anthony Gudas, and the Chinese American Church also contributed to the project.
This year, the city of Pawtucket used a portion of its annual tree planting budget to purchase 20 more cherry trees which will be placed on the opposite side of Roosevelt Avenue. “We'll have over 100 cherry trees by the time we're done,” said Billington.

Billington said that while the Cherry Blossom Festival is meant to be a celebration of the cherry trees, it is important to provide continued maintenance with things like fertilization, watering, pruning, etc. “We can't just plant the trees and hope for the best,” he said. “And Pawtucket and Central Falls have no money in their budgets to maintain the trees. So this festival was born,” Billington said. “We've tried to put bits and pieces together to come up with a unique event that will be fun but will also generate some funding for the tree project.”

From 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., a May Breakfast will be held at the M-Residential, 555 Roosevelt Ave. near the Blackstone River. The menu consists of buttermilk pancakes, sausage, coffee and orange juice. The cost of $8 for adults and $5 for children (under 12). For tickets, call 401-724-2200 or purchase on-line at RIcherryblossomfestival.com.

Next up will be the 5K Run/Walk, which starts promptly at 9 a.m. This event offers a cash prize of $150, $75, and $50 for first, second and third place male and female runners. Participants can choose to compete for the cash or just walk the course for fun.

The pre-registration fee is $25 (includes the May Breakfast) for those who sign up before April 26,   and the day of race fee is $28 (registration is available at 8 a.m.). There is a free Cherry Blossom Festival T-shirt and a medal for every participant. Register on-line at RIcherryblossomfestival.com or by calling 724-2200.

Those with a sweet tooth will appreciate a chocolate tasting that will be held on the site of the historic William Wheat Chocolate Mill. Representatives of the Confectioners Mill Preservation Society will be telling the story of chocolate that was made in Central Falls, and offering participants the chance to
taste chocolate as it was made in 1782.

The food fun continues with a Cherry Pie Bakeoff that will be held at Slater Mill. There are two categories, one for professionals and one for amateurs, with cash prizes for the 1st place winners. Registration is $10. The contest rules can be viewed online at RIcherryblossomfestival.com.

Billington also noted that representatives of the Consulate General of Japan in Boston will be on hand for the celebration. The Japanese Consulate  is sponsoring a performance by Odaiko New England, who will introduce festival goers to the ancient art of taiko. Taiko is connected to many aspects of Japanese history and culture and plays an important role in Japanese festivals.

As an ongoing fundraiser for the cherry tree project, the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council is selling commemorative street signs emblazoned with “Cherry Tree Lane” and an official city seal from Pawtucket  or Central Falls. The signs cost $90.

Another fundraising effort involves the sale of commemorative bricks that can be engraved in memory of a friend or loved one. The bricks are placed at the planting sites and are available for $100, $300 or $500, depending on the amount of engraving.

To order either the street signs or the bricks, call the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council at 724-2200.
-30-