Teens and youth program leaders from across the city and around the region enjoyed a healthy lunch from Fresh Food Generation and free ice cream from the Boston Police Department. They spent the afternoon painting murals, listening to music from Rilla Force, enjoying free kayak instruction from Piers Park Sailing Center, beach sports by Volo Sports, and free pedicab rides from TrikeHub.
"It was the perfect way to kick off the summer,” said All Dorchester Sports League Program Director Jessica Jones, whose team took part in the event. “These young people are all going to be working hard this summer. It’s great that they had the chance to spend a fun and relaxing day bonding with each other on the beach before the programs they will help to lead begin.”
“Of course, we want young people to know when the water is safe for swimming as it is on this beach virtually every day,” said Mancini. “But we also want youth and teens to take pride in their beach, respect each other and other beachgoers, and know that Save the Harbor and our partners are here to help them have good clean fun on our region’s public beaches nearly every day this summer.”
According to Mancini, it takes hands-on mentoring by young adults and parents as well as continued investment in free beach events and programs to remind young people to respect their community and enjoy their beach responsibly.
“It doesn’t take much,” said Mancini, who has twenty years of experience leading youth development initiatives. “Good role models, a volleyball net, a chance to learn to kayak or fish with their friends, some cold water and healthy snacks and you will see a sea of smiles on the beach.”
Alex DeFronzo of Piers Park Sailing Center in East Boston which provided free kayak instruction at the event, agreed. “Just hand a kid a lifejacket and a paddle and get them on the water and you can see the stress of every day life disappear,” said DeFronzo. “Thanks to Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the Metro Beaches Commission for making it possible. I wish they had the resources to do this every day on every urban beach.”
At the event teens from across the city and around the region enjoyed a healthy lunch from Fresh Food Generation, music from Rilla Force, free kayak instruction from Piers Park Sailing Center, beach sports by Volo Sports, and free pedicab rides from TrikeHub.
According to Save the Harbor/Save the Bays Development Director Patricia Salic, free beach events like this would not be possible without their program partners and event sponsors, including Arctic Chill and Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue, FMC Ice Sports, P&G Gillette, National Grid, Coast Cannabis, the Daily Catch, Comcast, Mix 104.1, iZotope, Inc, The Blue Sky Collaborative, Boston & Maine Webcams, BostonHarbor.com, The Boston Foundation, and The Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation.
In addition, Save the Harbor recognized the Metropolitan Beaches Commission Co-Chairs Senator Brendan Crighton of Lynn, and Representative Adrian Madaro of East Boston and the legislative and community members of the Commission as well as Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano for their support for their beaches and communities. Save the Harbor also thanked the Baker-Polito Administration, the Massachusetts Legislature, Save the Harbor's partners at the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Boston Centers for Youth & Families, the YMCA of Greater Boston, and the hundreds of people who took part in the Shamrock Splash for their support.
A copy of this release and a calendar of Better Beaches events is available in more than 100 languages on Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s blog Sea, Sand & Sky at http://blog.savetheharbor.org
To learn more about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the great work they do to restore, protect and share Boston Harbor, the waterfront, islands, and the region’s public beaches with all Bostonians and the region’s residents, visit their website at www.savetheharbor.org and follow @savetheharbor on social media.
Organizations present at the event included Aashka Company, Act Up with 5.0 / Boston Police, Afrimerican Culture Initiative Inc., All Dorchester Sports & Leadership, BCYF Marshall Community Center, BCYF Perkins, BOPN, C-6 Youth Leaders, Cape Verdean Association of Boston, Catholic Charities Teen Center, Curtis Hall, Fields Corner Crossroads Collaborative, Four Corners Main Street Inc., Hill to Harbor, Institute for Pan-African Cultural Education, Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion, Level Ground MMA, MIT Seagrant, Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, Reep, Roxbury Youth Programs, SPOKE/Medicine Wheel, St Martin de Porres Summer Enrichment Camp, The Mayor's Mural Crew - City of Boston, Tobin Community Center, Vine Street Community Center, YES, and YPP/ Children's Services of Roxbury.
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