By Rachel Strom
Rain came down Sunday morning but broke just in time for New Yorkers to wage war with fluffy pillows in Washington Square Park. The rules of Pillow Fight NYC 2016 were simple: don’t hit hard, be aware of cameras, and nothing sharp.
Scores gathered for a chance to swat their fellow New Yorkers and then, once the fun was done, donate pillows to homeless shelters. Participants could bring their own clean cotton, not feather pillows, but organizers asked that they buy two for $10 at nearby Sleepy’s locations, where $3 would be donated to Dare2B, an organization fighting child homelessness.
“I was worried that I would get in trouble for hitting someone, but pillow fighting for a good cause? What could be bad?” said Joshua Ortiz, 25, before running off to join the cheering crowd once more.
Acting like a kid was a theme and many enjoyed hitting random people. Some parents were standing on benches trying to stay out of the way of the flying pillows.
Once the battle was over, cotton was left on the dirty concrete. “I am so glad I came, it’s been a rough week, and letting out some relief made everything a little better,” said one participant while holding a deflated pillow in his arms, squeezing it like a little child.
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