What does it take to make a big splash on Boston Harbor?
"It takes clean water, live lobsters for the touch tank, 1,180 hot dogs and buns, 1,000 bottles of water and sugar free beverages, 10 boxes of fresh fruit, carrot sticks and cheese, 50 volunteers, 15 lifeguards - and 688 kids," said Bruce Berman of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay, which hosted its 2nd Annual Kids Beach Bash on Friday August 17th at the Boston Centers for Youth and Families Curley Recreation Center at M Street Beach in South Boston.
688 youth and teens from14 youth groups from 7 communities, including East Boston, South Boston, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Braintree and Waltham took part in the celebration. The party included traditional beach activities: kite flying, fishing, painting,building sand castles, playing sports, a lobster touch tank and songs and sea chanteys, including the officialSave the Harbor rap led by one of Save the Harbor's lead Boston Harbor explorer Will Clark.
"It is a great way to spend a hot summer day,” said Save the Harbor's Board Chair Joe Newman of National Grid, who joined the group on the beach in South Boston for the fun. "Andit is a great way to celebrate the success of the Boston Harbor Clean-up, which has made these beaches among the cleanest urban beaches in America.
That sentiment was echoed by Harold Sparrow of the Greater Boston YMCA, who was on hand as well, supervising a team of 15 lifeguards from area YMCA's, Boys and Girls Clubs, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the City of Boston. "Its great to see so many kids have good clean fun in cool clean water - that's what summer in this city is all about." said Sparrow.
So far this year Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's free summer youth programs have brought nearly 6,000 youth and teens from area community organizations and youth groups on free day trips to the Boston Harbor Islands, with more cruises scheduled for the fall. Since 2003, the group has connected more than 60,000 youth and teens to Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands, our region's public beaches and Boston's waterfront.
The "Kids Beach Bash and Splash" was sponsored by Jay Cashman, Inc., Distragas/GDF Suez and the National Grid Foundation. Save the Harbor's free summer youth programs are made possible with Leadership Grants from Distrigas /GDF SUEZ, P. I. Garden Fund, Bay State Cruise Company, Forrest Berkley & Marcie Tyre Berkley, The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Ludcke Foundation, Yawkey Foundation II, The Fallon Company, Massachusetts Port Authority, P&G Gillette and Schrafft Charitable Trust.
