Piers Park Sailing Center
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Mission Statement
Inclusive empowerment through marine science and community harbor access.
About This Cause
Located on the waterfront in East Boston, Massachusetts, the Piers Park Sailing Center (PPSC) is a community sailing center dedicated to providing year round recreational, educational and personal growth opportunities for people of all ages and abilities through sailing and other activities in and around Boston Harbor. Our outreach program affects the lives of hundreds of at-risk youth, provides empowerment through our fully accessible sailing facilities for people living with disabilities and acts as a center for waterfront activities for our entire community. In 1998, Piers Park Sailing Center took over operation of a sailing facility created by The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) as part of its development of Piers Park in East Boston. The park and sailing center were part of a Massport plan to enhance open space and provide outdoor activities to the communities most heavily affected by Logan Airport. After September 11, 2001, changes in security requirements resulted in Massport withdrawing as the primary funding source for the Center. This presented new challenges in organizational strategy as the Center had to develop an alternative funding structure in a short time frame. PPSC weathered this challenge and continues its mission to provide services to low-to-moderate income individuals in Greater Boston and to the communities of those living with disabilities across New England. PPSC’s uses a fleet of Sonar sailboats as its primary instructional tool. The 23 foot keelboat provides an excellent platform for our adaptive, youth and community programs. In 2009, the sailing center became the first organization serving those with disabilities to teach a quadriplegic how to helm a sailboat using Sip & Puff technology. Nearly all of this equipment was developed in-house and remains on the cutting edge of adaptive marine technology. Prior to the development of Piers Park, East Boston had less dedicated green space than any other Boston neighborhood. The design of a community sailing and waterfront recreation center was a key component of the Piers Park project. Massport has a long term commitment with the Sailing Center to provide a rent free lease for our facilities. The Sailing Center provides direct access to the water and an array of maritime activities for neighborhood residents. Since its inception, Piers Park has received an Adaptive Environments Award as well as an International Excellence on the Waterfront Award. In 2009 & 2010, US Sailing (the national governing body of competitive and recreational sailing) named PPSC as the most Outstanding Program for Disabled Sailors in the nation. In 2013, Piers Park Sailing Center was honored by the Boston Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association for excellence in the field of Adaptive Recreation. Best of Boston magazine awarded Piers Park its Best Green Space Award for 2014.