On Wednesday, Aug. 10, more than 250 kids hit Malibu Beach in Dorchester for the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester’s BeachFest, made possible by a grant from Save the Harbour/Save the Bay’s Collaboration of the Better Beaches program with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Youth from the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester and the BCYF Leahy Holloran Community Center enjoyed free activities, music, sports, food and more at the beach.
“Dorchester has some of the region’s secret gems in terms of Malibu and Savin Hill public beaches, and it’s great to see so many new young people experiencing these spectacular urban natural resources right here in Boston,” said Chris Mancini, Executive Director of Save the port/Save the bay. “Thank you to Mike Joyce and everyone at the Dorchester Boys and Girls Club for putting on this incredible event year after year and helping to create a new generation of environmental stewards who understand that these beaches belong to them.
“The Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester partnered with the Leahy Holloran Community Center of Dorchester to provide free and accessible summer fun to the youth of Dorchester. When they arrived at the beach, the children were met with large bouncy houses and games provided by Pleasant Entertainment Games and sports were scattered along the shore including corn hole, giant jenga, gaga ball, badminton and hockey provided by Knucklebones Children lined up to get cartoons drawn by local artists and face painting at the South Shore Pottery Store while the Circus Guild wowed the kids with stunts. Later in the day, Fresh Food Generation provided a free healthy lunch to all in attendance. The kids, too they enjoyed frozen treats from the Boston Police Department ice cream truck and Richie’s Italian Ice.
“Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester is excited to partner with the Save The Harbor/Save The Bay on the Better Beaches program. Our BeachFest event is an opportunity to get our members off-site for an event full of fun that also exposes them to the natural resources of their own community,” said Mike Joyce, senior vice president of operations for the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester. . “Our hope is that through participation, these members and their extended families will return to the beach and enjoy this recreational space for additional family fun.”
According to Save the Harbour/Save the Bays Director of Development Patricia Salic, free beach events like this wouldn’t be possible without their program partners and event sponsors, including Arctic Chill and Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue, FMC Ice Sports , P&G Gillette, National Grid, Coast Cannabis, The Daily Catch, Comcast, Mix 104.1, iZotope, Inc, The Blue Sky Collaborative, Boston & Maine Webcams, BostonHarbor.com, The Boston Foundation and The Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation.
Additionally, Save the Harbor recognized Metropolitan Beaches Commission co-chairs Sen. Brendan Crighton of Lynn and Rep. Adrian Madaro of East Boston and the Commission’s legislative and community members, as well as Senate President Karen Spilka, and House Speaker Ron Mariano for their support of their beaches and communities. Save the Harbor also thanked the Baker-Polito Administration, the Massachusetts Legislature, Save the Harbor partners at the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Boston Centers for Youth and Families, the YMCA of Greater Boston and the hundreds of people who participated in Shamrock Splash for their support.
