There was wine, wonderful food, dressed up people, a silent auction and speeches by important officials and activists. A truly great time was had by all. But what was really special at the Bronx River Soiree, a fund raiser put on by the Bronx River Alliance in the stunning new Hunts Point Riverside Park on Monday night, was something not on the agenda.

As a Latin jazz trio played on a hill overlooking the river and adults with wine glasses chatted on a nearby dock, a boy, about 12 years old, was skipping stones into the river. He quietly hunted for flat rocks, and when he found one, he’d sidearm it into the water (see photo).

The accomplishments of the Bronx River Alliance and all the community organizations who have invested years of sweat equity in reviving the vast riverfront, are not measured in money raised and parties organized, though those can obviously be a means to the end; they are measured in boys and girls skipping rocks, jumping rope, and sucking in fresh air.

Congratulations to everyone who has put in time and energy restoring the Bronx River. May their important work yield many more children doing childlike things up and down the riverbanks.