I am forever grateful of the great opportunity Piers Park Sailing has provided my children for the past several years as Harbor Explorers. Their commitment to teach children all aspects of sailing is remarkable. The staff goes above and beyond their call of duty. All staff members are genuinely friendly and caring. Thank you for providing my children with another wonderful year of learning.
Review from Guidestar
Piers Park is an absolutely remarkable place. To me, Piers Park is all about accessibility. The design of the space and of the programs make it possible for a variety of non-traditional sailors to savor the harbor. Disabled sailors come to Piers Park to really sail, not just to be sailed around. Children and adolescents come to Piers Park to learn and grow, not just for a pleasant summer activity. The staff at Piers Park seems to be always growing themselves and are constantly looking out for ways to better serve their communities. It's a great place, worthy of support...don't miss out on any chance to be part of this!
PPSCis different from other sailing programs due to the fact that it is all inclusive, its amazing to see kids with disabilities of all sorts sailing. My daughter has been involved with other sailing programs in the city and has learned more in two summer sessions at PPSC than any other program. They really teach, and the kids really learn. Amazing program !!!!
Nearly 40 years experience in sailing and maintaining sailboats from 10-44 feet and teaching my children and others to sail.
I've sailed with Piers Park Sailing for several years and delight in the wonderful youth they serve. Piers Park Sailing does more than just introduce at-risk kids to a sport and a world out on the water that they might never experience otherwise - Piers Park Sailing creates young leaders. The kids who learn to sail at Piers Park come back to teach others. Often they progress to study maritime trades, ecology or the environment.
Our boat, Averisera, is moored at one of the moorings that Piers Park provides for local boaters and visitors to Boston Harbor. We interact with the youth and folk that Piers Park serves, whenever we go down to sail in our beautiful harbor. We have met young people doing sample collections and exploration activities on the dock, and invited them onto our boat, so they can see what a cruising/sailing vessel is like. When we dinghy out to our mooring, we observe the members who use the adaptive facilities, like the lift for wheelchair-bound people. It has been a humbling and uplifting experience, sharing the harbor with the population that Piers Park serves. This is an amazing place!
Piers Park Sailing Center brought me up since I was just 10 years old. In the Fall of 2000 I started sailing with Piers Park. I was so impressed and happy with them that I decided to stay with them and do all of their spring, summer and fall sailing sessions. At the age of 15 I became a future leader, training to become a sailing instructor. Now as a cadet at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, I still teach sailing to the youth and underprivileged of the city. I am giving back to a place that gave me so much.
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I had 15 years of sailing experience prior to joining Piers Park Sailing Center in 2007. PPCS has proved to me that disabled people can sail. In my prior life, I was an Outward Bound Instructor. PPSC has brought out the confidence I have in my ability. I highly recommend sailing as a life-long sport. The boats and staff at PPSC are extraordinary. The boats are easy to sail and the staff find ways to help people have a great time.
I have been living in East Boston for nearly two years, and I am convinced that there is no other community like this in the world. The success of the Piers Park Sailing Center is exemplified in the stories of many of its participants, but more importantly, its mere existence is a source of pride for the people of this neighborhood. For years, this organization has penetrated the hearts and souls of every person living in the region, and now for the first time, PPSC is gaining international recognition for its programs that provide access, recreation and therapy for people with disabilities. Many of us here in East Boston count down the days until the start of the season. Hundreds of children and adults of all abilities wait eagerly for the boats to hit the water each spring. Truthfully though, the profound impact of this program stretches far beyond sailing. It fosters hope, confidence and community in a neighborhood that would otherwise be lost. Thanks PPSC!
Last year I learned to sail at PPSC, and it was a great experience. Our sailing coach Santiago grew up sailing at Piers Park and is currently attending Mass Maritime, a true story of how a nonprofit can help children throughout their childhood and give them valuable skills - not just sailing, but discipline, responsibility and respect for our natural resources. PPSC not only serves the inner city youth of Boston, but also the disabled. It was a joy and pleasure visiting the sailing center and seeing how empowering sailing on your own can be for those who may not have full mobility on land. PPSC is truly a great nonprofit.
I am an attorney, and present president of Piers Project Advisory Committee, Inc., a non profit that advises Massachusetts Port Authority on the Maintenance and Security of Piers Park East Boston where the PPSC is located. The sailing program is now in the best condition both fiscally and programatically since its inception, almost 15 years ago. Along the way, there have been all the problems that might be expected in a small, community-based program. These include nepotism and blatant financial mismanagement which threatened the continued viability of this valuable resource. Fortunately for our community, the last two directors, Ms. Cuzzi and Mat Rosa have deployed both skill and integrity to achieve the high level of performance that realize the potential that this program always had. The program is strategically located on Boston Harbor with a unique adaptability build out that offers the sailing experience to many who would otherwise be unable to participate in sailing activity. It is impossible for me to describe the value that this program contributes to the fabric of our community. The development opportunities for our young people are simply unmatched and unmatchable by programs that lack the physical and human resources available at Piers Park Sailing. In my opinion, this program is uniquely deserving of the wholehearted support they receive from their communities. Robert F. Strelitz
This organization serves so many people in the community by giving them the opportunity to learn to sail. Youth, teens, and adults from all backgrounds and abilities are given an opportunity most could not afford on their own. It also teaches everyone the treasure that we have, the Boston Harbor and its importance to our everyday life. I highly recommend this organization to anyone that wants to learn a life long skill, and to someone who wants to meet great people. My wife, and my one year old son enjoy sailing. Our hope is for our son to learn this skill and gain the confidence he needs to succeed in life.
Piers Park is one of the most beautiful waterfront parks I have ever traveled to, and the fact it is in the middle of an inner city urban area makes it even more remarkable. We learned about the program by one of their staff members who is a very inspiring woman who won a gold medal in sailing. Since she was a wheelchair user herself, it was very motivating for the disabled children at our facility. At the Piers Park site, our kids were able to get right on the dock and down to the water. They were having so much fun scooping up jellyfish and racing the crabs they didn't even realize how much they were learning! This place is great and we are very lucky to have such a resource in our city.