Four East Boston nonprofit organizations each received a Better Beaches grant from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) last Saturday to support free summer beach events and harbor activities throughout the summer.
Piers Park Sailing Center, East Boston YMCA, the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) and Harborkeepers each received $18,180 in small Better Beaches grants to host free kayaking, sunset family fitness, family fun days, and the first annual East Boston marine science and maritime festival.
“One of the best ways to “Save the Harbor” is to “Share the Harbor” with the region’s kids and families,” said Director of Strategy and Communications at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay Bruce Berman,. “These events create excitement and new stewards for our region’s public beaches, who understand the value of these extraordinary urban natural resources to all of us and our communities.”
With the support of The Boston Circus Guild, this year’s lineup also includes ten free Life’s A Beach Festivals, featuring trapeze artists, acrobats and jugglers, as well Save the Harbors troupe of costumed storytellers, performing pirates, a community art project by environmental artist Robin Reed and mandalas in the sand by intertidal artist Andres Amador.
The date for Eastie’s Life’s a Beach Festival at Constitution Beach will be announced at a later time.
“The Baker-Polito administration is proud to work collaboratively with organizations like Save the Harbor/Save the Bay in an effort to ensure the Commonwealth’s state beaches and other parks and reservations remain popular destinations for residents and tourists alike,” said DCR Commissioner Leo Roy. “The Better Beaches Program serves as a great example of a strong partnership that will directly impact visitors of some of the state’s most popular beaches.”
Save the Harbor also thanks our Better Beaches Program sponsors, Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue, and the Boston Circus Guild, and the hundreds of participants and donors to the Harpoon Shamrock Splash, which has raised more than $250,000 to support free beach events since it began in 2011.
“At JetBlue, we are committed to our community and fun is one of our core values,” said Corporate Responsibility Liaison for JetBlue Donnie Todd. “More than 3,000 JetBlue crewmembers call Boston home, we cherish our harbor and proudly support Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the work they do on the region’s public beaches.”