250 Splash in Record Cold to Save Summer Program

On March 5, over 250 brave beach lovers plunged into Boston Harbor at the BCYF Curley Community Center in South Boston in record-breaking cold temperatures as part of the Harpoon Shamrock Splash to benefit Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

Bridget Ryan, a BPS teacher and South Boston resident, takes the plunge for the 6th year in a row,  raising $1365 for South Boston's beaches as part of this year's Harpoon Shamrock Splash. Splashers raised $7000 to support free beach events and programs on South Boston beaches this summer. 

This year, the “pledge and plunge” fundraiser raised over $50,000, crushing 2016’s fundraising record. All proceeds from the event supports Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Better Beaches Program, which every year provides a spectacular summer of free concerts and beach festivals, sand sculpting competitions, and youth programs on the region's public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull. You can find the exact tally at the event website at www.shamrocksplash.org.

This year’s Harpoon Shamrock Splash was the best ever, with post-plunge Harpoon beers and b.good burgers while Mix 104.1 and AMP 103.3 played hit music. After the event, participants went home to warm up with great Harpoon swag for reaching fundraising goals, and roundtrip JetBlue flights for the biggest fundraisers, and for those who showed up in the best costumes. All splashers and contributors had the opportunity to win in two post-splash JetBlue flight raffles. 

This year’s Harpoon Shamrock Splash was also the most important ever, with deep cuts to the metropolitan beaches budget this year, every dollar raised goes straight to help fund another great summer of free events and youth programs on our public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket.

More than 250 splashers get together for a photo in 20 degree weather before dashing to the water’s edge and taking the plunge in the clean, cold water of Boston Harbor. 

"Despite the budget cuts, Save the Harbor is committed to funding a full season of free beach events and programs this summer" said Bruce Berman, Director of Strategy and Communications at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. "All of us froze our fannies off at the Harpoon Shamrock Splash to make it happen."

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's plans to #savethesummer have just begun. This month they will issue a Request for Proposals for their 2016 Better Beaches grant program, which funded 40 great events on the region’s public beaches in 2016. You can read about the impact the cuts will have on beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull on their blog, and how you can help at http://www.blog.savetheharbor.org.

Record breaking cold couldn’t stop these beach-lovers from splashing Sunday to raise a record breaking $52,0000 to support free beach events and programs on their favorite beaches in 2017. 

Thanks to the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the more than 700 people who made pledges in support of the 2017 Harpoon Shamrock Splash. Thanks as well to Save the Harbor's Better Beaches program and policy partners and event sponsors at Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue, b.good, Keezer Sportswear, The Boston Foundation, Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation, MarineMax Russo, P&G Gillette, National Grid, Comcast, Google, Mix 104.1, AMP 103.3 and Boston Centers for Youth & Families, Sullivan's Castle Island and the YMCA of Greater Boston for their support.

About the Better Beaches Program

Save the Harbor launched the Better Beaches Program in 2008 to help local communities and beaches friends groups create and sustain free events and activities on the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket, as recommended by the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, which we help lead and manage for the Legislature.

Over the past 8 years, Save the Harbor's community partners in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull have leveraged $628,700 in small grants received from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay with $1,918,065 in cash and in-kind contributions from local government and small businesses for a total investment of $2,504,725 in 391 free events and programs for the region’s residents and visitors alike.

In 2016, with the support of Save the Harbor’s foundation funders, program partners, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and hundreds of volunteers, the Better Beaches Program awarded $219,442 in small grants and organizational support to 43 groups in 9 beachfront communities and waterfront neighborhoods. In turn, these groups leveraged those funds to support 107 free concerts, fitness boot-camps, beach festivals, sand raking demonstrations and sand sculpting competitions.

You can download a copy of the most recent Better Beaches program report on our website at savetheharbor.org/Content/2016YouthReport.pdf 

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the work they do to restore, protect and share Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands and our region's public beaches, visit their website at www.savetheharbor.org, their blog "Sea, Sand & Sky" at blog.savetheharbor.org, or follow savetheharbor on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Swim and Paddle for Boston Harbor

On Saturday, August 3^rd, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will host The Swim And Paddle For Boston Harbor, a one-mile, championship chip-timed, professionally staffed, competitive swim followed by a chip-timed Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) competition.

Swimmers in last year’s Swim for Boston Harbor

The Swim And Paddle For Boston Harbor will take place at the BCYF Curley Recreation Center at M Street Beach in South Boston, which is among the cleanest urban beaches in America. Swimmers will follow course from the Curley Center in an equilateral triangle and return to the finish line at M Street beach.

Online registration at http://www.swim4bostonharbor.org is open until August 1^st. Participants can also register on-site the morning of the competition on August 3^rd from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM. Swim registration is $50, and the race will be capped at 100 participants.

 

The SUP competition registration is $25, and paddleboard rentals are available for an additional $25. Those wishing to join the party without competing in either event are asked to make a contribution of $25. Save the Harbor/Save the Bay hopes to raise $5,000 to continue our work to restore and protect Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay for all Bostonians and the region’s residents and visitors to enjoy.

Proceeds from the swim will benefit Save The Harbor/Save the Bay, while funds raised from the SUP competition will benefit both the Massachusetts Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

The top fundraiser will receive a round trip ticket from JetBlue Airways to any destination they fly from Logan Airport. Winners of each event will be entered into a raffle to win tickets from JetBlue Airways as well.  Everyone who donates and attends the party can enjoy a cold pint of Harpoon Beer from our friends at Harpoon Brewery and treats from our new partners at Tasty Burger after the competitions.

10 years ago, this event would not have been possible because the water in the Boston Harbor was often unsafe for swimming after even a small summer storm. Today we are proud to say that this event will take place rain or shine on one of the cleanest urban beaches in America, thanks to the hard work and commitment of thousands of people and the tenacious advocacy of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

About Save the Harbor/Save the Bay 


Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is a non-profit, public interest, environmental advocacy organization, whose mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, and the marine environment and share them with the public for everyone to enjoy. 

About the Massachusetts Chapter of Surfrider

The Massachusetts Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation was founded in 1996.  They are an all-volunteer chapter composed of local New England surfer/environmentalists dedicated to the preservation of the New England coastal environmental, elimination of pollution, and open access to our beaches. 

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, please visit: www.savetheharbor.org. 

For more information about The Surfrider Foundation, please visit: http://www.surfrider.org.

To register for the Swim and Paddle for Boston Harbor, please visit:

http://www.swim4bostonharbor.org. 

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay Awards Over $25,000 in Better Beaches Grants

Save the Harbor Save the Harbor / Save the Bay awarded more than $25,000 in grants to 12 groups to support 30 free public events in nine beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket at an awards breakfast at our office on the Boston Fish Pier on Saturday, June 23^rd.

Recipients of this year's Better Beaches grants with representatives
from Save the Harbor / Save the Bay, Harpoon Brewery and JetBlue Airways

This year’s “Better Beaches” events include sand sculpting competitions, beachfront concerts, environmental education programs, family fun nights, reading programs, and beach programs.

“The region’s 19 miles of sandy public beaches have the power to connect a million people with the Harbor we have worked so hard to restore and protect,” said Patricia A. Foley, President of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay. “We are proud to support our partners in the city's waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities as they work to bring the regions kids and families to their beaches and the harbor.”

In addition to the grant, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay also gave each group 22 one-inch diameter blue marbles to scatter on their respective beaches. Anyone who finds one of these marbles between now and the end of the summer will be entered into a drawing to win one of five prizes of 40,000 TrueBlue points from JetBlue Airways. Click here for more information about this "Marble-ous" summer treasure hunt.

Save the Harbor's "Better Beaches" program was launched in 2008 in partnership with The Boston Foundation, whose early support helped make it a success. In the past four years, local community partners in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull have leveraged $116,500 in small grants from Save the Harbor with $403,500 in cash and in-kind donations from local government and small businesses for a total of $520,000 to support 130 free beach events and activities for everyone to enjoy.

Funds to support this year's grants came from the 2nd annual Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash and the more than 500 “Splashers” who plunged into the chilly ocean water to support their beach. Additional financial support comes from Save the Harbor's "Better Beaches Program" funding partners at Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue Airways, National Grid, Comcast Massachusetts, the Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, Russo Marine and Legal Sea Foods, as well as our in-kind supporters at the BCYF Curley Community Center and the Department of Conservation & Recreation.

About Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

Founded in 1986, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay is the region’s leading voice for clean water and the restoration and protection of Boston Harbor, the waterfront, our region's public beaches, the Boston 

Harbor Islands and the marine environment.

To find out more about Save the Harbor / Save the Bay’s Better Beaches Programs, visit our website at http://www.savetheharbor.org.

2012 Better Beaches Grant Recipients

Community	Group	Event	Amount
Lynn & Nahant	Friends of Lynn & Nahant Beach	2012 Red Rock Summer Concert Series	$2,500
	Friends of Heritage Park	World Folk Festival	$500
Revere	Revere Beach Partnership	National Sand Sculpting Festival	$5,000
Winthrop	Friends of Winthrop Beach	Family activities on the beach	$1,000
	Friends of Belle Isle Marsh	Educational activities on the beach	$1,000
East Boston	East Boston YMCA	Summer Food Service Program and Campfires	$3,500
South Boston	South Boston Neighborhood House	Family Fun Night on the Beach	$2,500
	City Point Neighborhood Association	Beat the Summer Sizzle at Pleasure Bay	$1,000
	BCYF Curley Community Center	Summer Youth Programs	$3,500
Dorchester	Friends of Savin Hill Shores	Beach Festival Family Movie Night	$2,000
Quincy	Friends of Wollaston Beach	Kids Fest	$1,000
	Quincy Beaches and Coastal Commission	Pumpkin Fest	$1,000
Hull	Friends of Paragon Carousel	Museum Projects and Reading Program	$1,000
	Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce	Endless Summer Waterfront Festival	$1,000