Asphalt Green

06/02/2026

In case you missed it... here’s a look back at our first-ever Big Play Day! 

Last month, we brought the community together in Battery Park City for an afternoon filled with games, movement, and fun for all ages. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make our first Big Play Day such a success.

A special thank you to , , , and .DJs for helping make it all possible.

We can’t wait to do it again next year! 💚

For more fun, free events, check out our full lineup at the link in our bio or go to asphaltgreen.org/events

06/01/2026

A kid who found his future on a soccer field. A family who found each other because of it. A coach who shows up not for the title — but for the work. A retiree who came for the fitness and stayed for the community. A father raising his kids in the same place that raised him.

Asphalt Green’s Stories That Move tells the stories behind the programs — the real, human impact of what happens when a door is open.

This is what access looks like. This is what community builds.

05/31/2026

“Asphalt Green is an idea. It is the people of New York coming together in all their diversity and greatness.”

For nearly 50 years, William S. Eakins has carried a torch passed down to him by Asphalt Green founders, George and Annette Murphy.

Programs across five boroughs. 100,000 people who learned to swim. A generation of New Yorkers who know what it means to belong somewhere.

This is the Asphalt Green story. And it is far from over.

Watch our tribute to William S. Eakins, our 2026 honoree.

05/30/2026

Thursday, at our annual gala, we honored Ashleigh Johnson as the recipient of the 2026 Zesiger Award of Excellence. 💚 
 
Ashleigh is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist with the U.S. Women’s Water Polo Team. But despite reaching the pinnacle of her sport, Asleigh’s legacy extends far beyond. Throughout her career, Ashleigh has used her platform to expand access to swim instruction and advocate for water safety for all. 
 
The Zesiger Award of Excellence is named after longtime board members Barrie and Al Zesiger, who built Asphalt Green’s AquaCenter with an Olympic-sized pool so New Yorkers of all backgrounds can experience the life-changing benefits of swimming, and sports, fitness, and play for all.

This well-deserved award honors their legacy and Ashleigh’s, as leaders who have transformed the lives of countless people through the power of swimming and sports.

05/29/2026

Joy filled every corner of the Central Park Zoo last night.
 
Together, our community raised more than $1.5 million to expand access to sports, fitness, and play for New Yorkers of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
 
A special congratulations to our 2026 honorees William S. Eakins and the George E. and Annette Cross Murphy Charitable Fund, whose decades of dedication helped build the foundation our mission stands on today.
 
And to Zesiger Award of Excellence winner Ashleigh Johnson, whose commitment to making the water accessible to every New Yorker reflects the very values we celebrated last night.
 
Thank you to everyone who joined us and continues to support our mission of transforming lives and building community through sports, fitness, and play for all.
 
Click the link in our bio to view photos from the gala.

05/29/2026

05/28/2026

Ready for our Summer of Play? 👀☀️
From Big Kick and swim lessons to sports, summer camp, and so much more… June is just the beginning.

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming up in the first few weeks of summer:
💚 Outdoor HIIT Camp
💚 School’s Out Play Days
💚 Sunrise Yoga
💚 Workout Wine Down
💚 World’s Largest Swim Lesson
…and SO much more through August.

Click here to see everything we have in store this summer: https://www.asphaltgreen.org/events/

05/20/2026

Have you checked out our Big Play Day photos yet? 👀 There’s a chance YOU might be featured!

Click the link in our bio to view them now!

📸: .nnie.wu