Annapolis Community Boating Receives Grants Worth $20,000

Annapolis Community Boating has been the recipient of several grants totaling $20,000 since February to fund its tremendously successful FreeSail program, Spirit of America youth programs, neighborhood boating and sailing weeks, and public Monday match racing evenings.

Among the grants is a $4900 “grass roots” grant from the Water Safety Council, which works closely with the Spirit of America Foundation for youth water safety programs, such as the one ACB offers in conjunction with Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks in August. This grant will be used for trailers and other equipment necessary for ACB to conduct its mobile youth training programs in the neighborhoods in which the kids live.

The Annapolis Rotary Club also donated $1500 to ACB programs, and the Eastport Yacht Club Foundation named ACB as the recipient for a $3000 grant. As part of a challenge to raise more funds between February 23 and April 30, private donors and Annapolis Yacht Club members, Barbara and Stan Samorajczyk, gave ACB $5000 as a matching grant for another $5000 raised by other private donors. The Annapolis Sailing Industry Association’s Drinks by the Bay Party at the Spring Sails Event raised another $500. Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation has given ACB $1000 to support the FreeSail event this year.

“We’re thrilled about the grants we’ve received this year so far,” says executive director Lorie Stout. “To execute all of our programs, we need 10 times that amount, but it’s a great start. We could not run our existing programs without such grants and our volunteers who donate their time every week to making ACB viable and blossoming organization.” Next on ACB’s agenda is finding a home base in which to store and launch its boats—ranging from J/24s to canoes.

“The National Sailing Hall of Fame has been incredibly generous allowing us storage space and dock space for FreeSail launches. But we are already outgrowing our britches so to speak and are open to ideas from the community for a permanent home base in which to grow our affordable community sailing and boating programs,” says Stout.

To learn more, visit annapolisboating.org, call (410) 703-8248, or e-mail info@annapolisboating.org.