People From Near and Far Love The Rock

In August, Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, in Riverside, RI, held an I LOVE THE ROCK Selfie Contest. Signs announcing the contest were displayed on the East Bay Bike Path and notices were posted on Facebook and in local media. The purpose of the contest was to encourage those who saw Pomham Rocks to share their love of the local lighthouse with others.

A surprisingly wide range of people participated in the contest. People on the Bike Path who took selfies included walkers, cyclists and in-line skaters. Chad Anctil of Riverside, who was the inspiration for the contest and submitted the initial selfie, noted, “I love it. I run by it every day.” Ed Mace of Riverside noted, “Rain, snow, sleet, hail…you name it. I’m walking by it several times a week.” Stephanie Branciforte of Montclair, NJ stated, “It was such a special day riding the bike path again and rediscovering all the beauty of Rhode Island, including the lighthouse.” Some visitors on summer lighthouse tours took selfies on the island. A trio of kayakers took a selfie from the middle of the Providence River. Kayakers Dee Bird of Lincoln, Lisa Watts and John Blakeslee of Smithfield said, “We do, indeed, Love The Rock…We have run in the Pomham Lighthouse 10K. We have pedaled past the lighthouse innumerable times (which is where we spotted the announcement of the contest for a selfie), and this morning, we paddled around the lighthouse. Yep, WE LOVE THE ROCK!” Graham Maione of Riverside noted, “I know if I get to see the lighthouse, I’m going to finish my day on a high!”

Participants came from near and far – some from Riverside (two were neighbors) and other parts of Rhode Island; others from New Jersey, Michigan and North Carolina. Two participants hailed from London. Graham Atkins and Anika Heckwolf of London, United Kingdom, stated, “We loved the rock so much we travelled all the way from London to see it this summer. Not only that, we saw it twice – by bike and by ferry!” One was a State Representative. All received prizes of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse t-shirts, hats or mugs for helping to spread the word about the beloved lighthouse. Their photos can be seen on the Pomham Rocks Lighthouse Facebook page.