Mary Judge, BBP Program Assistant, took the photo (right) of Jim Vasslides, BBP Program Scientist, as he paddled “SUP the River.” Karen Walzer, BBP Program Outreach Coordinator, snapped the pic (below) of a group of paddlers launching out into the “deep.”
The Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce hosted its 2nd Annual SUP the River 2017 Fundraiser on Sept 16 at the Toms River Country Club. A portion of the proceeds was originally earmarked to benefit the BBP. However, due to the catastrophic damages suffered by coastal Texas after Hurricane Harvey, BBP opted to forward these funds on to its sister National Estuary Programs, with $500 going to the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (Corpus Christi) and $500 to the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (Houston) to help with the massive recovery efforts. (Estuary programs also generously contributed to BBP post-Hurricane Sandy.)
“For the second year in a row, this event was blessed by great weather and an incredible turnout. What a fantastic way to kick-off National Estuaries Week on the Toms River, one of the major tributaries to the Barnegat Bay. Thanks to the Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce for organizing such a great event. We appreciate the generous donation by BHI Insurance and the opportunity to pass it on to our sister estuary programs in Texas for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts,” said Dr. Stan Hales, BBP Director.
