A Spectacular Summer on the Beach

After a very Wicked Winter, it is going to be a Spectacular Summer on Boston Area Beaches

 

On Saturday morning, June 6^th Save the Harbor/Save the Bay awarded more than $200,000 in Better Beaches Program grants to more than 35 different groups in 9 beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket to support over 70 different free public events this summer. 

(First row, from left to right) Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Deputy Commissioner Sam Overton, Metropolitan Beaches Commission Co-Chair Rep. RoseLee Vincent, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay Board Chair Joe Newman of National Grid, Save the Harbor President Patty Foley and Spokesman Bruce Berman with representatives of more than 30 groups from 9 communities who received Better Beaches Program grants totaling more than $200,000 today at Boston’s Fish Pier. 

This year’s Better Beaches Program grants will fund traditional beach events like free concerts and sand sculpting competitions, family fun nights and beach festivals, including a late season beach party hosted by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. It will also include a Quidditch tournament, story telling with the pirate Mary Read, a coastal illumination and sand painting by noted California coastal artist Andres Amadore. To view a comprehensive calendar of all the events happening on the beaches this summer, click here.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay also announced the expansion of their free Boston Harbor Explorers program at DCR’s Carson Beach in South Boston, which is now one of the cleanest urban beaches in America. The program will be based at the McCormack Bath House on Day Boulevard, and run five days a week for 8 weeks in July and August.

Activities at DCR’s Carson Beach will include including free swimming and kayak lessons and beach soccer clinics, as well as environmental exploration, fishing, and art on the shore. Save the Harbor expects more than 2,000 youth and teens from area youth development and community organizations to take part this year.

“The region’s public beaches are an extraordinary asset to the residents of Boston’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket” said Save the Harbor’s spokesman Bruce Berman. “It was a wicked winter. We want to thank the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Metropolitan Beaches Commission and all our program sponsors and partners for making this a spectacular summer for the more than 1 million people who live just a short ride or drive from the coast.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay launched the Better Beaches Program with the support of The Boston Foundation 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.

"We were proud to be there at the beginning to help found Save the Harbor/Save the Bay nearly 30 years ago," said Metropolitan Beach Commissioner Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. "And we applaud and support their Better Beaches Program. It activates our beaches and enhances their value to urban families, and provides another incentive for young professionals to settle in Greater Boston."

“At hearings from Nahant to Nantasket we heard repeatedly that modest investments in free events and programs can put these beaches to work for our communities” said Senator Tom McGee of Lynn, Metropolitan Beaches Commission Co-Chair.

“The people of this region love their beaches,” said Commission Co-Chair Rep. RoseLee Vincent of Revere. “Thanks to Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for making this happen.”

Funds to support the Better Beaches Program come from the proceeds of the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash pledge fundraiser, which was held this year on the first snowy Saturday of spring. Over the past 7 years, Save the Harbor’s community partners in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull have leveraged $205,000 in small grants received from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay with $815,722 in cash and in-kind contributions from local government and small businesses for a total investment of $1,020,722 in 214 free events and programs for the region’s residents and visitors alike.

This year, with additional funds from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay awarded over $200,000 in grants to groups in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.  

"These Better Beaches Program grants offer a tremendous amount of value by financially assisting free, public events that are both enriching and engaging," said DCR Commissioner Carol Sanchez. "By partnering with organizations like Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, DCR continues to seek different ways to make our beaches a fun, unique, and enjoyable experience."

Here's the complete list of 2015 Better Beaches Program Grants.

In addition to the grants given out on Saturday, each group will also given a small bag of marbles to scatter along the shore as a part of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and JetBlue’s summer-long “Simply Marble-ous” Treasure Hunt. If you find a marble on the beach this summer, send a picture along with your contact information to Save the Harbor/Save the Bay to be entered to win a free round-trip flight courtesy of JetBlue.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay would like to thank the Metropolitan Beaches Commission and the Department of Conservation and Recreation for their support of the Better Beaches Program.

We would also like to thank the more than 600 people participated in this year’s Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash, and all our Better Beaches program, policy and event sponsors, including Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue, The Boston Foundation, Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation, P&G Gillette, Comcast, National Grid, The Department of Conservation & Recreation, BCYF Curley Community Center, Boston Centers for Youth & Families, YMCA of Greater Boston, Food Should Taste Good, Mix 104.1, Sullivans and Russo Marine.

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Better Beaches Program, visit their website at www.savetheharbor.org their blog Sea, Sand & Sky at www.blog.savetheharbor.org or follow savetheharbor on Facebook and Twitter. 

The Cleanest Urban Beaches In the Nation

On Memorial Day weekend, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay released two reports on water quality on the Boston Harbor Region’s public beaches with very good news for the beach going public.

The first was Save the Harbor’s 4th annual Beach Water Quality Report Card on the Boston Harbor Region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket that are managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). 

Click on the image to read the complete story in the Boston Globe

According to the report, “In 2014, water quality on the Boston Harbor Region’s public beaches was very good compared to previous years, with all 15 of the public beaches we studied from Nahant to Nantasket scoring between 87.5% and 100% for an average overall beach safety score of 96%, due in part to unusually low rainfall during the 2014 swimming season.”

The second was Save the Harbor’s 2015 Urban Beach Study, which compared water quality on the South Boston beaches with water quality on iconic urban beaches in New York, Virginia, Florida, California and Hawaii.

The study concludes that “Based on the data for the iconic beaches we examined, from 2012 – 2014 the South Boston Beaches were consistently cleaner than the other iconic American beaches we examined, scoring a perfect 100% in 2014, with a three year overall beach safety average of 99.42%, making them the cleanest urban beaches in America.”

“Having clean beaches in the heart of the city is a great asset, not only to local residents, but to all the ratepayers in our service area,” said Fred Laskey, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

“The Baker-Polito Administration is strongly committed to keeping state assets and waterways clean and beautiful,” said Matthew Beaton, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs. “ I am proud that the Beach Quality Report Card shows that the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s beaches are among the cleanest in the nation, and I applaud the continued efforts of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, MWRA, and others for working collaboratively to ensure that the public can continue to enjoy the Boston Harbor Region’s beaches.”

According to Bruce Berman, Director of Strategy, Communications and Programs for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, “just a few years ago Boston Harbor was a national disgrace, as our waste washed up on the beach and shore from Cape Ann to Cape Cod.”

“Today, thanks to Save the Harbor’s sustained advocacy and important public investments by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, most of the Boston Harbor Region’s beaches are safe for swimming nearly every day, and the beaches of South Boston are the cleanest urban beaches in the nation. Though there is still more work to do, the region’s residents and ratepayers should be very proud of what we have accomplished.”

The Beach Water Quality Report Card is based on an in-depth analysis of thousands of samples taken by the DCR and the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) in 2014. The samples were collected at 34 testing sites on public beaches in 9 communities including Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull. It is based on methodology developed by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Beaches Science Advisory Committee (BSAC), Co-Chaired by Dr. Judy Pederson of MIT’s Sea Grant Program and Dr. Jim Shine of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Here is a snapshot of the results.

Because rainfall amounts vary significantly from year to year, this table which compares overall beach safety from 2011 through 2014 for the metropolitan region’s public beaches.

In 2015, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will continue to advocate for additional public investment to help local communities address persistent pollution problems that continue to close Kings Beach in Lynn and Swampscott and Tenean Beach in Dorchester. Save the Harbor will also continue to work with the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, the DCR, MWRA, EPA, DEP, DPH and the Beaches Science Advisory Committee to develop more accurate models to improve flag accuracy. You can download a copy of the report card online at http://www.savetheharbor.org/Content/beachesreportcard/

Urban Beach Study

On June 23, 2011 Save The Harbor/Save the Bay stood with local, state and federal officials and cut the ribbon on the South Boston CSO Tunnel Project. You can find out more about the project at http://www.mwra.com/

At that time, Save the Harbor’s Director of Strategy, Communications and Programs Bruce Berman made this bold claim:  “This project will make the beaches of South Boston the cleanest urban beaches in the country!” You can read the quote in context at http://tinyurl.com/clean-at-last

In 2015, Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay’s policy staff and interns decided to test that claim by comparing water quality on South Boston’s Beaches with 5 iconic American urban beaches: Coney Island Beach in New York, Virginia Beach in Virginia, South Beach in Miami, Florida, Santa Monica Beach in California and Waikiki Beach in Hawaii.

Here is a snapshot of the results:

You can download a copy of the urban beach study online at http://www.savetheharbor.org/Content/urbanbeachstudy/

For more information on Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s 2015 Water Quality Report Card or Save the Harbor’s Urban Beach Study, please contact Bruce Berman on his cell at 617-293-6243 or email bruce@bostonharbor.com

Acknowledgements

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay would like to thank Dr. Jim Shine and Dr. Judy Pederson, Co-Chairs of our Beaches Science Advisory Committee, for their advice and support.

Save the Harbor would also like to thank Kelly Coughlin and David Wu of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Dennis Fitzgerald of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Vanessa Curran and Michael Celona of the Massachusetts Department of Public Heath for their help with this year’s beach water quality report card, which was directed by Bruce Berman for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and prepared by policy interns Ben Wetherill, Jingwei Zhang, and Yudan Jiang.

The urban beach study was directed by Bruce Berman for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and was produced by Save the Harbor’s 2015 policy intern Vincent Pei with contributions from policy interns Jingwei Zhang, Mehar Kaur and Max Pohlman.

About Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is a non-profit public interest harbor advocacy organization. We are made up of thousands of citizens, as well as scientists, and civic, corporate, cultural and community leaders 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.

Find out more at www.savetheharbor.org or on our blog
“Sea, Sand & Sky” at www.blog.savetheharbor.org

Join us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/savetheharbor

Follow us on twitter
@savetheharbor

My First Safari with Save the Harbor

The weekend before I started my internship, everyone went on a safari, but of course I was a day late and a trip short. On the bright side I was promised an invite to all the upcoming safaris!
During their trip they saw Cormorants, let me guess you don’t know what that is? Well, a cormorant or in the Latin term Corvus Marinus aka marine crow or sea raven is a long necked bird with a reptilian appearance. Cormorants are everywhere but usually over looked or hard to find. During my time with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay
I have already seen a few of them around the Harbor. I was sent on my own safari around the bay to find my own in fact! Cormorants eat fish and shellfish that is one reason why they are such a controversial bird, fisherman are never pleased with them. They are amazing swimmers and can dive up to 100 feet for fish. They can also stay underwater for more than a minute while diving.
Cormorants stay in huge groups when nesting and drop their poop on trees and rocks, killing the trees and staining the rocks. Many people don’t like cormorants because they are messy and they happen to take fish the fisherman work hard to catch. Chinese fisherman take advantage and use them to catch fish. Cormorants often stand out with both wings spread not to attract the female but to dry their wings because they lack the water proof coat most water birds already have.

One way they physically display their interest in a female is by using the "wing wave display" to attract her. “Males also perform elaborate courtship dances, including dances in the water where they present the female with nest material (Kirschbaum)”. They are pretty interesting birds who dance and stain rocks with their waste and manage to get fisherman upset. If you want to know more about the Cormorants here are some links.
Description of Cormorant
Fun Facts about Cormorants
Mating

Now go out and find a cormorant!

 Darah

Marine Mammal Safaris a Big Success!

On Saturday, April 18, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay ran three Marine Mammal Safaris on Boston Harbor.  The trips on Mass Bay Lines’ MV Freedom were fun-filled and popular—over 650 people joined us to tour the inner harbor and spot seals on a sunny day.

 The Safari aspect of all three trips was successful—we spotted seals all day long! Kids and families helped to point out seals, and Baywatcher Bruce Berman narrated from the bridge.

One of the many seals spotted swimming in Boston Harbor.

Groups joined in the fun from BCYF Gallivan Community Center in Dorchester, BCYF Blackstone Community Center in the South End, the Charlestown, South Boston, and Dorchester Boys and Girls Clubs, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Maverick Landing Tenants Association, Franklin Field/Franklin Hill Healthy Boston Coalition, and more.

Brendan, Marianna, Jahnea, Tina, Jahsiah, and Jaliyah from the Dorchester Boys & Girls Club

Mayala, Isabella, and Grace Barr of Chelsea

Karen Lee, John Xu, and Nancy Tsui of Quincy

The sunshine and spring-like temperatures ensured a good time for all.

Stay tuned for more opportunities for youth groups and families to get out on the Harbor for free, fun adventures and educational opportunities!

Save the Harbor's free youth environmental education and family programs are made possible with Leadership Grants from Bay State Cruise Company, Distrigas/GDF SUEZ, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Ludcke Foundation, and the Yawkey Foundation II.

Save the Harbor is grateful for Partnership Grants from Forrest Berkley & Marcie Tyre Berkley, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, The Chiofaro Company, The Fallon Company, Hampshire House Corporation – Cheers for Children, John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., Massachusetts Bay Lines, Massachusetts Port Authority, National Grid Foundation, P&G Gillette, William E & Bertha E. Schrafft Charitable Trust, and the Clinton H. & Wilma T. Shattuck Charitable Trust.

Save the Harbor also appreciates funding support from

Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation, Baystate Federal Savings Charitable Foundation, BCYF Curley Community Center, Blue Hills Bank Foundation, Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, BOMA, Boston Bruins Foundation, Boston Center for Youth and Families, Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Carnival Foundation, Clippership Foundation, Circle Furniture, Community-Suffolk, Inc., Department of Conversation and Recreation, Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation,Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, Matthew J. & Gilda F. Strazzula Foundation, Goulston & Storrs, HYM Investment Group Inc., Lovett Woodsum Family Foundation, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, National Park Service, Rowan Murphy & Andus Baker, P&G Gillette, Reebok Foundation, Santander Bank Foundation, South Boston Community Development Foundation, Thomas & Lucinda Foley, Red Sox Foundation, Lawrence J. & Anne Rubenstein Foundation, Senior Housing Property Trust, TD Charitable Foundation, YMCA of Greater Boston, and hundreds of individual donors.

We would also like to thank our Better Beaches Program funding partners for their support,  including the more than 500 participants in the 2014 Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash and:

Comcast Massachusetts

Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust

Harpoon Brewery

JetBlue Airways

Mass Bay Credit Union

National Grid

P&G Gillette

Russo Marine

UBER

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org, join savetheharbor on Facebook or follow @savetheharbor on Twitter

Darah B. Moreira

  Hey everyone, my name is Darah. I am 17 years old and I attend Cardinal Spellman High School as a junior. I am extremely excited to be working with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay as an intern for the week. Coming into this I had no idea what the program was about, but even after getting a quick look at the Programs and reading about Save the Harbor I am really excited for the rest of the week. If I am good at anything it would be having fun, and Save the Harbor has fun but also supplies Bostons residents with better, cleaner, beaches. All this beach talk leads me to another thing, summer! The summer program looks like a blast! I will definitely look into a job for this upcoming summer, and hopefully get a chance to expand my knowledge about the Harbor and its history.
  About me, I spend most of my time playing soccer whether its for my school or club team. I really enjoy summer and traveling. Especially being from Florida and being so used to summer all the time, I value a clean beach. In ways just like the families of the Harbor. I am so excited to finish off the week and learn more about the things I can do to make beaches around me cleaner!
                                                                                                                                        -Darah

Marine Mammal Safaris on April 18th

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay invites you to join us on a Marine Mammal Safari on Saturday April 18, 2015. These trips are FREE for schools, community groups, youth organizations, families, and friends of Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay. Join us as we search for harbor seals and porpoises, sing sea shanties and share stories of the sea on our annual Marine Mammal Safaris narrated by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Bay Watcher, Bruce Berman.

                               

These playful harbor seals have been hanging around the Fish Pier all winter!

We are excited to be offering THREE free cruises this year, on April 18th:

First Trip: boards at 9:00am, departs at 9:30, returns by 11:00am

Second Trip: boards at 11:15am, departs at 11:45, returns by 1:15pm

Third Trip: boards at 1:30pm, departs at 2:00, returns by 3:30pm

All three trips depart from and return to the Massachusetts Bay Lines dock at Rowes Wharf (behind the Boston Harbor Hotel).  Find directions at www.massbaylines.com/directions/ 

Reservations are required. The cruises are free but space is limited! To reserve your spot TODAY please contact Amy Gaylord at (617) 451-2860 x1008 or gaylord@savetheharbor.org  
Please specify how many people in your group and which cruise you would like to go on!

Please bring warm clothing, as it may be cool or windy on the water. If you have binoculars, they are helpful to see the seals and porpoises. Snacks and beverages may be purchased aboard the boat, but you are also welcome to bring your own brown bag lunch. 

These trips are designed for groups, families, and children over the age of 5 and under the supervision of a parent or guardian.

For more information please contact Amy Gaylord at Gaylord@savetheharbor.org or (617) 451-2860 x1008.

A very special thanks to all our Youth and Family Program Funders

and Massachusetts Bay Lines for their generous support of this event!

2015 Better Beaches Program Grants

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is now accepting proposals for Better Beaches Program Grants to support free events and activities on the Boston Harbor Region’s public beaches in 2015.

This year, at the recommendation of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, the Legislature appropriated funds to support free events and programs on the beach in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, Hull and in the Boston Harbor Islands. The Department of Conservation and Recreation has asked Save the Harbor/Save the Bay to invest these funds along with the proceeds from this year’s Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash as part of our Better Beaches Program.

 Download a copy of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission Report

As a result, we are delighted to announce that this year Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will distribute more than $190,000 to support free events and programs on the region’s public beaches in 2015!

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay launched the Better Beaches Program in 2008 to help friends groups in Boston’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket create and sustain free events and activities on our region’s public beaches. Each year, Save the Harbor hosts its annual Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash pledge fundraiser during which hundreds of participants show their support for their beach by “splashing” into the cold water to raise funds to support these free, family-friendly events. 

 Download a copy of our 2014 Better Beaches Program Report

Over the last seven years, thanks to the support of our funding partners and the success of the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash, our Better Beaches Program has invested more than $205,000 in small grants to beaches friends groups in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.  Our partners, in turn, have leveraged our funds with additional cash and in-kind support for a total investment of $1,020,722 to fund 214 free events and programs.

Better Beaches Program Grants range from $500 - $10,000, with a typical grant of $3,500. In rare cases we may consider a larger grant. All these great events have one thing in common: They bring people together to strengthen their communities and enjoy our region's most stunning natural resources,  the 19 miles of public swimming beaches that connect us to each other and to Boston Harbor, Mass Bay and Broad Sound.

It is easy to apply for a grant – all you have to do is send us a brief letter outlining your request.

The DEADLINE is end of day on MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015. 
Please email your request to info@savetheharbor.org

Please be sure to include the following information in your request:

1. The name of your organization (include website and Facebook page) 
2. The beach (or beaches) where you propose to hold your event(s) or program(s) 
   
3. Contact information for the event(s) or program(s) leader  
4. The title, description and tentative date(s) of your proposed event(s) or program(s) 
5. The total estimated cost of your event(s) or program(s), including in-kind support. 
6. The amount of money you are requesting 
7. Other partners and funders that support your event(s) or program(s) 
8. Plans to promote your event(s) or program(s)
9. Be sure to tell us what excites you about your proposed event(s) or program(s)
10. Feel free to include other materials that support your request. 

In May, the Better Beaches Grants Committee will review the proposals. We may have additional questions for you, so please be sure to include up to date contact information for the event or program leader. We expect to notify recipients of our decisions by the end of May.

We will present the checks at our annual BETTER BEACHES AWARD RECEPTION on Saturday, June 6, 2015 on Boston’s Fish Pier at 10:30 am, which all grant recipients are expected to attend. If you receive a grant, you will also be required to complete a closeout report after your event, and send us copies of event materials, photographs and news clips. 

In the past we have supported events that are as diverse as the beachfront communities and waterfront neighborhoods that host them. They include concert series, kite festivals, sand-sculpting competitions, campfires, art festivals, neighborhood beach parties, and family reading and movie nights on the beach.

We look forward to hearing from you about your ideas for 2015.

All the best,

Patty Foley & Bruce Berman

Patricia Foley and Bruce Berman

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

P.S. Please feel free to distribute this Request for Proposals widely, and to contact Bruce Berman by email at bruce@bostonharbor.com or on his cell at 617-293-6243 with any questions about the Better Beaches Program or your request.

A Record Breaking Splash to Celebrate the End of a Record Breaking Winter

On Saturday, March 21st nearly 200 Cupid Splashers braved the cold and raised more than $39,000 at this year's Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash

to benefit Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's Better Beaches Program! 

Nearly 200 brave splashers took a quick dip into the cold, clean harbor to raise money to support free programming on Boston's public beaches- and boy were they successful! 

Thanks to 609 donors we crushed our goal and raised $39,500 to give back to beaches friends groups and community organizations to run free events on the region's public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

Click here to learn more about why we splash! 

After the splash, participants were greeted with refreshing Harpoon Beer and burgers from Sullivan's as they warmed up for the beach party. Despite the flurries, everyone had a blast getting together to celebrate the end of the Wicked Winter of 2015- the sun even came out for a bit to help warm everyone up!

"What a fitting way to end the Wicked Winter of 2015" said Charles Storey, President of event sponsor Harpoon Brewery who splashed again with us this year. "A quick dash on the first Saturday of Spring across a snowy beach, a quick dip into the icy water of Boston Harbor, and a refreshing Harpoon and a Sullivan's burger on one of the cleanest urban beaches in America, to support a very good cause."

"It was record breaking winter and thanks to everyone who joined us on the beach it is going to be a tremendous summer." said Bruce Berman of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. "Thanks to all our sponsors and friends for helping us make this year's Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash the best ever."

There were also great prizes for best costumes and biggest fundraisers 
thanks to our friends and partners at JetBlue!  

JetBlue Flight prize winners:

Best Female Costume- Tina Karas as Katy Perry with her Sharks

Best Male Costume- Michael Brenker as the S.S. Cupid

Top Two Fundraisers- Carol Haney and Lynne Crosby 

$500 and Up Raffle- Bob Tucker

All Participants and Donors Raffle- Joanne Hayes-Reines

Red Sox Tickets prize winner: 
$250 and Up Raffle- PJ McCann

"As a South Boston resident, open water swimmer, runner and triathlete I feel so fortunate to have the ocean in my own 'backyard' and feel a certain obligation to help protect it for others to enjoy," said Tina Karas, Best Female Costume winner. "The events hosted by Save The Harbor Save The Bay are just one way we can all come together, have some fun and help make a difference for such an important cause."

-Best costume winners Tina Karas as Katy Perry with her sharks, Monica Manning & Donnalee Guerin, and Michael Brenker as the S.S. Cupid with Kennedy Elsey of Mix 104.1 and Charlie Storey, president of Harpoon Brewery-

"This year, we are celebrating the weekend of World Water Day with our partners at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. Our Boston and New England crewmembers look forward to teaming up with Save the Harbor every year for this cold-water plunge!" Said Rhonda Ivy-McLeod, Manager Regional Marketing, JetBlue Airways. 
"JetBlue's mission is to inspire humanity and we work hard to help protect our greatest natural resource-- the ecosystem. As an airline, we are taking action to help oceans and beaches throughout our network remain clean and protected so our customers and crewmembers are able to enjoy these shorelines, now and in the future."

-Team Harpoon gearing up to splash into the harbor-

-Team JetBlue warming up after the splash-

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year's Cupid Splash such a success! 

-Team Save the Harbor/Save the Bay-

Thank you to our sponsors:

Harpoon Brewery

JetBlue

Russo Marine

Mix 104.1

Boston Centers for Youth & Families

National Grid

Sullivan's

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation

P&G Gillette

Comcast

the YMCA
The Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust
Food Should Taste Good
The Boston Foundation 

Why Do We Splash?

As you all know by now, this Saturday, March 21, 2015 Save the Harbor/Save the Bay expects two hundred people to join us at the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash at the BCYF Curley Community Center at M Street Beach in South Boston.

So why do we do it?

We are splashing in the cold, clean water of Boston Harbor to celebrate the end of the Wicked Winter of 2015, and to raise money for Save the Harbor's Better Beaches Program which hosts or sponsors free events and programs on the region's public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

In 2014, we awarded $31,500 raised at the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash to 18 groups in 9 beachfront communities and waterfront neighborhoods to support more than 30 free concerts, beach festivals and sand sculpting competitions on the Boston Harbor region's public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket.

We also hosted a few events of our own, including our annual Youth Beach Bash and Splash, which this year brought 788 kids to the beach to celebrate clean water. As you can see, they made a pretty big splash of their own!

Over the past 7 years, Save the Harbor's Better Beaches Program community partners have leveraged the $205,000 we raised at the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash with $815,722 in cash and in-kind donations from local government and small businesses for a total investment of $1,020,722  in more than 200 free events and programs for the region’s residents and visitors alike.

This year, at the recommendation of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, the Legislature appropriated additional funds to support free events and programs on the beach in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, Hull and in the Boston Harbor Islands. The Department of Conservation and Recreation has asked Save the Harbor/Save the Bay to invest these funds along with the proceeds from this year’s Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash as part of our Better Beaches Program.

As a result, we are delighted to announce that this year Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will invest more than $200,000 to support free events and programs on the region’s public beaches! If you would like more information on how to apply for a grant to support your event or program, send an email to info@savetheharbor.org

The Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash is a lots of fun, with refreshing Harpoon Beer and burgers from Sullivan's and  great prizes for best costume and biggest fundraisers thanks to our friends and partners at  JetBlue Airways, where fun is one of their core values!

We hope that you will join us on the beach - and in the water - on Saturday.

We will all be cold for a few minutes - but the warm feeling we will get from taking part in this great event will last until summer begins.

To register or make a contribution today, visit www.cupidsplash.com

Thanks!

Your Friends at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

P.S. You don't have to splash to take part in the party. Just register as a "Chicken" and join us on the beach!

Boston Harbor Beaches: Cold but Clean!

When Harpoon Helps Cupid Splashers hit the beach at the BCYF Curley Community Center at M Street Beach in South Boston for their annual plunge and pledge fundraiser at noon on Saturday, March 21, 2015 the water will be a chilly 35 degrees.

However, the 200 cupid costumed participants can take some cold comfort in knowing that South Boston's beaches are among the cleanest urban beaches in the nation, according to a recent study conducted by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay policy interns Vincent Pei, Jingwei Zhang and Mehar Kaur.

Boston's Harbor is a chilly 35 degrees - and very, very clean!

The study compared water quality on urban beaches in South Boston with data from iconic American urban beaches including New York's Coney Island, Virginia Beach, VA, Miami's South Beach, Santa Monica Beach in California and Waikiki Beach in Hawaii from 2011 to 2013.

The results? South Boston's beaches topped the list, scoring 98.2%, followed by Virginia Beach, VA at 97.67%, South Beach, Fl at 97.38%, Waikiki Beach, Hi at 97.05%, Coney Island Beach, NY at 95% and Santa Monica, CA at 81.74%.

"Thanks to Save the Harbor's sustained advocacy and continued investment in clean water by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, South Boston is now home to some of the cleanest urban beaches in America" said Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's Director of Strategy, Communications and Programs Bruce Berman. "After the wicked winter we have had here we will still freeze our fannies off tomorrow, but its good to know that we will be splashing in very clean water!"

"Its only fair to point out that water temperatures on Saturday at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu will be 78 degrees, 73 degrees on Miami's South Beach and a refreshing 66 degrees at the Santa Monica Pier." said Berman. "But on the bright side, we have more snow!"

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will publish the final results of the study in the spring when they issue their annual Water Quality Report Card on the Boston Harbor Region's public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

In the meantime, if you care about clean water and aren't afraid of cold water, you can join them for a quick dip, a refreshing Harpoon Beer and a burger, and the chance to win JetBlue flights at the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash plunge and pledge fundraiser at noon on Saturday, March 21.

Funds raised at the event will support free beach events and programs from Nahant to Nantasket this summer, when the water will be much warmer!

To register for the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash, or to make a donation to support clean water and free beach programs, visit www.cupidsplash.com

To find out more about the results of this study, call Bruce Berman directly on his cell at 617-293-6243 or email him at bruce@bostonharbor.com

Five Feet of Snow On The Beach Won't Stop Cupid Splashers!

We're Saving A Space For You On The Beach In South Boston For This Year's Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash!

Walter Baranowski of South Boston relaxes in the sun - on five feet of snow - 

at the BCYF Curley Community Center after a refreshing swim in Boston Harbor

When we scheduled the 8th Annual Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash for the first Saturday of Spring on March 21st, we thought we knew what to expect.
 
Boy were we wrong!

We're still looking forward to a fast dash across the beach on a brisk spring morning, a quick dip in the chilly water, the chance to win JetBlue flights and enjoy refreshing Harpoon beer and burgers on the beach with a few hundred costumed friends, all to raise funds to support a great cause.

But with 60 inches of snow on the beach at the BCYF Curley Community Center at M Street Beach in South Boston and ice on Dorchester Bay, we were a bit concerned that the record cold and the record snow would dampen enthusiasm for this year’s splash.

Snow on the beach at the BCYF Curley Community Center at M Street in South Boston.

 Fortunately, our friends and supporters have stepped up to the plate and are hard at work to make this year’s Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash the most successful splash ever!

Despite the brutal winter, more than 100 hearty souls have already signed up for this year’s Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash at www.cupidsplash.com and already raised more than $10,000 to support free events on the Boston Harbor region’s public beaches this summer.

So say “No!” to the snow and help us celebrate the first Saturday of Spring on the beach with us on March 21st. Registration is just $20, and includes a refreshing Harpoon Beer and a burger, the chance to win JetBlue flights for biggest fundraiser and best costumes, all for a very good cause.

Register today at www.cupidsplash.com

Start a team, challenge a friend or simply sign up as a “Chicken” and join us for a beer and burger at the party. Sure, you will be cold for a few minutes, but the warm feeling you get from joining in the fun and supporting the cause will last a very long time.

See you on the beach on March 21st at noon!

-Your Friends at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

About the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash

Since 2008, with the support of our friends at Harpoon Brewery and JetBlue Airways and our community partners in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull have leveraged $205,000 in small grants received from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Better Beaches Program with $815,722 in cash and in-kind contributions from local government and small businesses for a total investment of $1,020,722 in 214 free events and programs for the region’s residents and visitors alike.

In 2014, Save the Harbor awarded $31,500 in grants and additional organizational support to 18 groups in 9 beachfront communities and waterfront neighborhoods. These groups in turn leveraged our funds with $212,222 in cash and in-kind support from local government and businesses and more than 5,000 volunteer hours to support 44 free concerts, beach festivals, soccer tournaments, swims and sand sculpting competitions.

In the spring of 2015, Save the Harbor’s Better Beaches Grants Program will distribute the funds we raise at this year’s Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash and additional funds we have received from the Department of Conservation and Recreation at the recommendation of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission to support free beach events and activities in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull this summer.

For more information on how to apply for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Better Beaches Grant Program this year send an email to info@savetheharbor.org or give us a call at 617-451-2860.

To register for the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash, visit www.cupidsplash.com