September 15, 2026 — During the 13-day run of the New York State Fair, PEF members from Long Island to Niagara Falls traveled to Syracuse to work at agency booths and educate hundreds of thousands of people who visited the fair about the work they do.
From Department of Environmental Conservation members handing out tree seedlings, processing subscriptions for the agency’s Conservationist magazine, and sharing information on hunting and fishing regs, to members at the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence talking about technology and gender-based violence, PEF members were the face of state government.
At the PEF Region 4 booth, Regional Coordinator Monica Moore encouraged members to add a leaf to the PEF Members Grow New York project, a visual reminder of the varied work of PEF members, in which fairgoers could add a leaf on the branch representing their work.
“It was an awesome time and there was a lot of engagement with our members,” said Moore. “Our ‘Rooted in Solidarity’ tree is in full bloom thanks to all the members and retirees that stopped by the booth. It was wonderful to meet members from around the state, and to interact with Region 4 members. We also had many individuals register to vote!”
