FOLLOWING HIS PUSH, SCHUMER SECURES FEDERAL PERMIT FOR BELOVED SENECA FALLS “RIGHT TO RUN” SO EVENT CAN CONTINUE AS PLANNED NEXT MONTH

Trump Order For National Parks Created Senseless Bureaucratic Red Tape That "Right To Run" Organizers Were Told Would Result In Them Not Getting Their Permit In Time This Year For Weekend Celebration

Schumer Immediately Sprung To Action Calling On the National Park Service To Expedite & Approve A Special Permit So The 10^th Annual "Right To Run 5K/19K Race Weekend" Could Continue As Planned

Schumer: Seneca Falls "Right To Run" Celebration Is Back On!

After a senseless Trump Executive Order threatened Seneca Falls' beloved "Right to Run" celebration, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer announced the National Park Service has heeded his calls and approved federal permits in time for the race on Mother's Day. Schumer explained that event organizers were informed the NPS was unable to approve a necessary permit in time because of a recent Trump executive order, but, after Schumer demanded action, this prized Finger Lakes event can continue as planned.

"Seneca Falls 'Right to Run' celebration is back on! When I heard this beloved celebration was under threat because of a Trump executive order, I immediately called on the National Park Service to cut the red tape and approve these permits," said Senator Schumer. "I'm proud to hear the NPS has heeded my calls in record time, and now the Seneca Falls celebration can continue as planned. Now families and athletes from across the country will be able to gather in beautiful Seneca Falls to celebrate the area's significant role in American history this Mother's Day Weekend."

Right to Run Race Organizer Daniele Bonafiglia said, "We are incredibly grateful to Senator Schumer for recognizing the full weight of what this event means - to the variety of participants who walk and run our streets each year, to the local businesses and vendors who depend on this weekend, and to Seneca Falls' identity as a destination rooted in history, culture, and community pride. His swift action reflects a deep understanding that investing in women's history is investing in New York, and we are honored to have his support."

Schumer explained that event organizers were originally informed that the NPS was unable to approve a necessary permit in time because of a recent Trump executive order calling for the Department of the Interior to re-examine how public monuments and events occurring at those monuments characterize American history and values. The celebration starts at the Women's Rights National Historical Park, which, as part of the National Park system, is under the Department of the Interior's jurisdiction. However, following Schumer's push, the NPS decided to approve necessary permits in time for the Mother's Day weekend celebration. Schumer's letter to National Park Service Comptroller Jessica Bowron can be found HERE.

With approved permits in hand, the weekend can now open Friday evening at the National Park's outdoor Declaration Park amphitheater and adjoining Mynderse Street with local food and Finger Lakes wine and craft beer vendors, and local musicians. There will also be wellness workshops, nationally recognized artist exhibits, and the keynote address and opening ceremony in the National Park's historic Wesleyan Chapel, where the 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention was held.

"We loved the swift support and action from Senator Schumer to make sure my moveable monument sculpture 'Dendrofemonology: A Feminist History Tree Ring' can be installed at the birthplace of women's rights," said Tiffany Shlain, Artist & Emmy-nominated filmmaker and Keynote speaker to kick off the weekend celebration for The Right to Run.

The Right to Run is a decade-old tradition, led and organized by local Seneca Falls-based residents and community members, rooted in the history of the women's rights movement and intentionally centered at the birthplace of that movement to elevate Seneca Falls as a national destination rooted in history, culture, and community. Hundreds of people will convene in downtown Seneca Falls on Mother's Day weekend for the tenth year to celebrate Seneca Falls' role as the birthplace of the women's rights movement, while boosting the local economy by supporting Main Street restaurants and shops. The celebration brings together the athletic, arts, and literary communities for a weekend of programming that honors women's rights while driving meaningful economic activity for the region.

Schumer has long supported Seneca Falls' development as a nationally recognized cultural center and historical destination, securing over $5 million for the Women's Rights National Historic Park and $500,000 to help complete construction of the National Women's Hall of Fame at the historic Knitting Mill building in the heart of Seneca Falls.

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