(Brooklyn, NY) August 12, 2016- The 26th Annual Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest, presented by Brooklyn Community Services (BCS) and Astella Development Corp, invites the public to attend this creative, family-friendly competition on Saturday, August 20 from 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm on the Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk from West 10th Street to West 12th Street. It is free.

The Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest features amateur and semi-professional sand sculpting artists of all ages. There are cash prizes for top winners in the family, individual adult and group adult sand sculpting categories. Each contestant team receives a free beach pail to fill with water supplied by the NYC Parks Department. Judges will base sand sculpting winners on unique creativity and artistic execution.

Last year, the Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest attracted more than 10,000 attendees from the U.S. and around the world to check out the sand artistry. This year’s fun, festive event will feature a music DJ, a performance by the Santos Latin band, Brooklyn Dance Center and Coney Island Brooklyn Public Library representatives showcasing  the children’s summer reading program.

An original sand sculpture to salute the BCS 150th anniversary year-long celebration will be built on the beach during the Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest. The Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest is co-sponsored by the Alliance for Coney Island and NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation. Sponsorships are still available.

Registration for making sand sculptures at the Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest is currently closed. However, at 12:00 noon on August 20, pre-registered sand mounds will be forfeited if applicant has not arrived and will be open to same-day registrants. Additional information is available online at wearebcs.org/sand.

About Brooklyn Community Services

Brooklyn Community Services (BCS) celebrates the strength of the human spirit, and in 2016, we celebrate our 150th Anniversary. Our mission is to empower at-risk children, youth and families, and adults with mental illness or developmental disabilities to overcome the obstacles they face, as we strive to ensure opportunity for all to learn, grow and contribute to ONE Brooklyn Community. To achieve this mission, we offer comprehensive and holistic services: early childhood education; youth development services and educationally rich after-school programs; counseling for at-risk families; treatment, recovery and job training to support the life goals of adults living with mental illness; person-centered rehabilitation and community living support for adults with developmental disabilities and disaster recovery case management and relief services. BCS also seeks to increase public awareness of the impacts of poverty on individuals and the community at-large. With a staff of over 400 and over 20 sites around the borough, BCS serves 12,000 people every year. Today, BCS is one of the longest serving nonprofit,non-sectarian social service providers in New York City.