UPDATED: Aug. 1 at 1:16 p.m.

John DeSantis has lived in Syracuse practically his entire life, having been raised in the suburb of DeWitt and graduating from Syracuse University in 2008.

After permanently settling in Syracuse and working as a grassroots organizer, DeSantis discovered most of the friends he grew up with had moved away, unable to connect with the various business and other hidden gems Syracuse has to offer.

It wasn’t until one moment in January 2013 that he realized how much this city meant to him.

DeSantis was participating in a SU University College program called Thursday Morning Roundtable when something struck a chord. A Destiny USA vice president said one of the biggest challenges facing the community is that people just don’t believe in Syracuse, mainly thanks to the economic decline that had occurred between 1950 to 2000. DeSantis wrote “believe in Syracuse” on a napkin, and then set out to change that commonly held mindset.

That’s how the organization Believe in Syracuse came to be. DeSantis is its executive director, and he’s seen a lot of growth even within the past year.

From there he created various social media accounts to get the word out about his ideas and organization. Eventually he developed a board of people who had the same passion as he did, and they began organizing community events and service projects.

“Our mission is to promote positive perceptions and improve the quality of life in the greater Syracuse area. Believe in Syracuse generates a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and excitement for Syracuse,” DeSantis said before mentioning that the organization’s Facebook content reaches thousands of people per day.

“We put all that reach and energy to work for programs and events that improve the quality of life in Syracuse,” DeSantis said.

This weekend, Believe in Syracuse is celebrating its fourth birthday at a party at Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology in Armory Square. This year, the theme for the party is local art, and it will be the biggest annual event the nonprofit has ever hosted, expecting over 800 attendees, 200 more than last year’s.

Eighty vendors are signed up for the event — 50 more than last year — which will offer free food, beer, wine and dessert samples, on top of face painting and art vendors such as Whimsical Windows by Robin, Ashanti Bell Art, the Everson and Pretty Kitty Commissions. There will also be musical performances by Symphoria and the Syracuse Children’s Choir.

Courtesy of Believe in Syracuse

Believe in Syracuse has undergone tremendous growth and progress since last year’s birthday party. During this time the organization held its first Progress Gala at the newly reopened Hotel Syracuse, the Reading is Fun Block Party and Syracuse Neighborhood Olympics.

Paul Colabufo, president of the Believe in Syracuse board, said this is the first year where all of the committees — the community service committee, the neighborhood committee and the North and South Side committees — will all have the same overarching goal: to further develop the arts in Syracuse.

“There’s a Renaissance happening in Syracuse, an explosion of art,”  said Colabufo. “I did some reading about how an increase in arts affects a community and I found that an increased involvement in the arts leads to better performing school, revitalized neighborhoods, economic prosperity and psychological well-being. We want those things in Syracuse, right?”

Colabufo has already noticed an increase in the arts throughout the last year. The Connective Corridor invested $650,000 in the public arts, and the Lakeview Amphitheater was built, bringing approximately 150,000 out-of-towners to the city, he said. In addition, the Redhouse Arts Center has finalized plans to take an abandoned building and turn it into an art theater.

While putting the spotlight on local artists, Believe in Syracuse will also be contributing to the arts themselves, Colabufo added. The organization has set aside tens of thousands of dollars in its annual budget to put towards creating pieces of public art in Syracuse. The organization has also created a challenge for Syracuse inhabitants to find “creativity crates” that are filled with art supplies hidden around the city at various art venues. Aspiring artists can receive a passport from Believe in Syracuse containing clues on the whereabouts of these crates.

SU sophomore Audra Linsner just joined the Believe in Syracuse team this week as a fellow, where she will be acting as a liaison between Believe in Syracuse and SU to increase student engagement with the program and the community. Linsner, an advertising and citizenship and civic engagement dual major, said she thinks change in a community can’t be incited without having a consistent support system — exactly what she sees in Believe in Syracuse.

“Many people have a negative opinion of the city because of the effects of the recession, among other factors,” Linsner said. “However, there are so many incredible people, organizations, businesses and initiatives that are working hard day in and day out to make Syracuse the best it can be. Believe in Syracuse works to switch up the conversation and prove to people that this city is one worth living and thriving in.”

Published on January 25, 2017 at 9:46 pm

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