Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Communities and organizations from Lynn to Hull are receiving funding to host free beach events this summer.
“We’re kicking off another summer out on the water,” said an announcer to cheers and claps on Thursday at the annual Better Beaches Award Breakfast hosted by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.
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“Today we’re giving out money, so it’s an exciting place to be,” said Maya Smith, partnerships and program development director.
She shared that they are distributing over $300,000 to regional groups to create free beach events throughout the summer.
Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is a non-profit, public-interest harbor advocacy organization founded in 1986.
Since 2008, they have been partnering with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation to award small grants to local organizations to “activate the region’s public beaches.”
The Better Beaches Grant Program has invested over $7 million in almost 1,500 events with the help of cash and in-kind donations from Save the Harbor, local businesses, and local governments.
“We try to make sure that our events represent all of the very different interests of our community members because it’s community money and it’s community spaces,” said Smith.
Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
Valinda Chan with Mutual Aid Eastie explained how the $6,000 check they received will help them “to be able to encourage our community to come take advantage of the space at the beach [and] to offer food [and] resources.”
Jessica French, director of community & strategy at FROLIC, a queer events organization, said that the goal of these events is “bringing people back to the harbors because the pandemic really killed that, bringing people back outside, and bringing people together.”
83 partners are working on hosting 200 free events this summer.
“I hope that everyone gives the beach a chance,” encouraged Smith.
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports.
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