Boston Harbor Heroes Awarded at Destination Boston Harbor

Last week, over 400 Massachusetts corporate and civic leaders, elected officials, and community partners came together to recognize this year’s Boston Harbor Heroes at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s annual gala Destination Boston Harbor.

The event recognized eight Boston Harbor Heroes, a collection of distinguished men and women who have proven their extraordinary commitment to the restoration and protection of Boston Harbor, our waterfront, and the metropolitan region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket, through environmental impacts, economic drivers, or community involvement. Joe Newman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay presented the awards.

From left to right: James O’S Morton, Andrea Lopes, Barbara Bishop, Charlie Tyner, Austin Blackmon, Sharon McNally, Bill Delahunt, Tom Kershaw, Joe Savage, and Tom Glynn.

“Every year since 2011, Save the Harbor has honored a handful of men and women for their hard work and dedication to Boston Harbor, our community, and our mission,” stated Newman. Each of these individuals have made unique and lasting impacts through their unwavering support of Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, the Harbor Islands, and all of our waterfront communities.”

This year, Save the Harbor honored eight corporate and civic leaders, as well as one junior at Bridgewater State University who joined Save the Harbor/Save the Bay as a Junior Program Assistant in high school and has stayed with their Youth Environmental Education through her college career. The 2017 honorees included:

• Austin Blackmon, Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space, City of Boston 
• Congressman William D. Delahunt, Retired, U.S. House of Representatives 
• Thomas P. Glynn, Chief Executive Officer, Massachusetts Port Authority 
• Thomas A. Kershaw, Board Member, Chairman, Hampshire House Corporation 
• Andrea Lopes, 2016 Lead Boston Harbor Explorer 
• Sharon McNally, President, Camp Harbor View Foundation 
• James O’S. Morton, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Boston 
• Joseph R. Savage, Board Member, Past Chair, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay 
• Barbara Bishop, Metropolitan Beaches Commissioner, along with the many friends of Winthrop’s beaches. 

Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, Representative RoseLee Vincent, also attended to recognize this year’s Boston Harbor Heroes.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is a non-profit, public interest harbor advocacy organization whose mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, and the marine environment and share them with the public for all to enjoy. Every year, their Destination Boston Harbor event raises critical funds to support their free youth environmental education and family programs which has connected 160,000 underserved young people and their families to Boston Harbor and the Boston Harbor Islands in 2016 since the program began.

You can read more about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Youth Environmental Education Program here: http://savetheharbor.org/Content/2016YouthReport.pdf, and see the full list of all past Boston Harbor Heroes here: http://www.savetheharbor.org/Content/heroes/.