West Marine announces 2018 BlueFuture Grant recipients

After receiving a record number of late spring applications, West Marine has announced the names of 50 nonprofit organizations that will each receive a $1,500 grant.

Earlier this month, the retailer distributed grant checks to the winners, all of which are community-based organizations dedicated to getting young people on and around the water in recreational and educational capacities.

“During each grant cycle, all of us at West Marine are impressed by the sheer number of outstanding nonprofits serving and working in communities large and small,” said Laura Barry, director of marketing and communications at West Marine. “This year’s BlueFuture grant cycle brought more than 240 applications – all from deserving organizations. We’re delighted to see how each nonprofit will be able to serve their communities and environments with the new funds.”

The spring 2018 BlueFuture grant recipients are:

• Bay Area Marine Institute, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Beach Haven Charter Fishing Association, Beach Haven, N.J.
• Beneath the Waves, Reston, Va.
• Channel Islands Maritime Museum, Oxnard, Calif.
• Charleston Community Sailing, Charleston, S.C.
• Clearwater Community Sailing Center, Clearwater, Fla.
• Common Tides, Denver, Colo.
• Community Boat Building/Third Sector New England, Boston, Mass.
• Community Rowing Inc., Brighton, Mass.
• Community Sailing of Colorado, Denver, Colo.
• Endeavor Chicago—Chicago Parks Foundation, Chicago, Ill.
• Freedom Rowers, Easton, Md.
• Freedom Sailing Camp of Florida, Inc., Clearwater, Fla.
• Friends of Sea Scouts of Maryland, Lusby, Md.
• Greater Farallones Association, San Francisco, Calif.
• Greater Lawrence Community Boating Program, Inc., Lawrence, Mass.
• Hingham Maritime Center, Hingham, Mass.
• Hudson River Community Sailing, New York, N.Y.
• Impossible Dream, New York, N.Y.
• Island Dolphin Care, Key Largo, Fla.
• LifeSail, Van Nuys, Calif.
• Little Washington Sailing School, Washington, N.C.
• Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, Fla.
• Lowcountry Maritime Society, Mount Pleasant, S.C.
• Marine Science Station/Citrus County School Board, Crystal River, Fla.
• Monterey Bay Salmon & Trout Project, Santa Cruz, Calif.
• New Haven Land Trust, Schooner Camp, New Haven, Conn.
• Ocean Community YMCA, Westerly, R.I.
• O’Neill Sea Odyssey, Santa Cruz, Calif.
• Piers Park Sailing, Inc., East Boston, Mass.
• Reef Check Foundation, Marina del Rey, Calif.
• Sail Martha’s Vineyard, Vineyard Haven, Mass.
• Sail Sand Point, Seattle, Wash.
• Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Santa Barbara, Calif.
• Sea Research Foundation (DBA Mystic Aquarium), Mystic, Conn.
• Sea Scout Ship 609, Pensacola, Fla.
• Seacoast Science Center, Rye, N.H.
• Shared Adventures, Santa Cruz, Calif.
• Sonfishers (Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network), Merritt Island, Fla.
• SoundWaters, Inc., Stamford, Conn.
• Surf City Yacht Club Sailing Program, Surf City, N.J.
• Tampa Bay Watch, Tierra Verde, Fla.
• Tar Heel Chapter, Fishing’s Future, Stella, N.C.
• The Outside Foundation, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
• The Pigeon Key Foundation and Science Center, Marathon, Fla.
• Upper Palmetto YMCA, Rock Hill, S.C.
• Watsonville Wetlands Watch, Freedom, Calif.
• YMCA of Southampton’s Road: JT’s Camp Grom, Chesapeake, Va.
• YMCA Southcoast, Mattapoisett, Mass.
• Youth Sailing Foundation of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, Fla.

“We congratulate these organizations on their efforts and recognize the important role they can play in young people’s lives,” Barry said. “We’re also deeply grateful to all the organizations who applied for a grant. With a record number of applications, our judges’ task was tremendously challenging. We extend our best wishes for continued success to all applicants and encourage them to reapply next spring.”

BlueFuture is a donor-advised fund through the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz, Calif. All donations are fully tax-deductible, and twice each year West Marine awards grants to worthy nonprofit organizations across North America.

These much-needed funds allow community-based groups to provide scholarships, purchase new equipment, maintain staff, add programs and more. The West Marine grants are unrestricted, allowing grant recipients to determine how and when they use the funds.

Annually, West Marine distributes tens of thousands of dollars through BlueFuture grants. The fund is supported by an annual Month of Giving campaign in December. The fund also encourages year-round donations through its website, www.westmarine.com/BlueFuture.

West Marine is committed to improving and giving back to the community. In addition to BlueFuture, West Marine also supports community organizations through its Affiliate Program.

When supporters of registered affiliates shop at West Marine, the organization receives up to 10 percent back, earning dollars to sustain its programs, to purchase supplies and more.