News from the Water

We have a lot happening this Summer & Fall and are looking for volunteers! Come paddle with our local Veteran groups and underserved youth. For those that want to stay on land, you can build oyster cages with us for our new Full-Service Marylanders Grow Oysters (MGO) Program.

It is REQUIRED for the Wai Koa (Veteran programs) and Junior Wai Koa (underserved youth programs) you be a seasoned paddler as we will be paddling with those who require extra assistance. Paddling equipment will be provided for you at no cost.

None of us need to be reminded of how stressful these last eighteen months have been while battling the COVID-19 pandemic. For students, this experience has been especially difficult as they navigate through a period of life that is already challenging. After three months of careful planning, South River High School students Grayson Smith, Jamison Ballard, and Andy Horning, created a kayak therapy program for their classmates as an outlet to deal with the mental health crisis accelerated by the pandemic and the subsequent shift to remote learning.

We are honored to be chosen by the Eastport Civic Association to receive a grant that will support our Junior Wai Koa program this summer! This specific program will focus on engaging the Eastport Terrace and Harbor House youth in water safety, swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking and environmental education.

On Sunday, April 28th Luna Blu Ristorante Italiano hosted their Virtual Charity Wine Dinner benefiting the Live Water Foundation. The dinner consisted of four phenomenal courses each paired with exceptional bottles of wine from Alexander Valley Vineyards and a delicious dessert. The event raised $820 which will go towards supporting our underserved youth programs this Summer. 

It's always exciting to get publicity from the media, especially the local news which reaches our core community. The Live Water Foundation's Vice-President Mary Howser wrote a letter to the Capital Gazette, Annapolis, MD's news organization asking for the local community to rally around local non-profits that are bettering our community and to supporting them as we lead into a new year.

The uncertainty around the COVID 19 pandemic interrupted the expansion of our 2020 programmatic initiatives; however, since our programs are conducted outdoors, we were fortunate to still be able to make an impact in our communities. Bridge Over Troubled Water is an overview of the organizations accomplishments this year and a preview of what we have in store for 2021.