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Connection to the Community<br />
The <strong>Annapolis</strong> <strong>Yacht</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Foundation<br />
James Praley<br />
The <strong>Annapolis</strong> <strong>Yacht</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Foundation was<br />
founded in 1999 with the goals of providing<br />
support and encouragement to amateur<br />
sailors hailing from the mid-Chesapeake Bay region,<br />
supporting sailing instruction for deserving youths who<br />
would otherwise be unable to obtain such instruction,<br />
and supporting other non-profit organizations’<br />
maritime-related charitable and educational activities.<br />
Although the Foundation acts independently from<br />
AYC, it can be viewed as the charitable arm of the<br />
<strong>Annapolis</strong> <strong>Yacht</strong> <strong>Club</strong>.<br />
The Foundation is organized as a public foundation<br />
and managed by a Board of a dozen volunteers,<br />
currently all members of the <strong>Annapolis</strong> <strong>Yacht</strong> <strong>Club</strong>.<br />
AYC's Commodore and Vice-Commodore also serve<br />
as ex officio members of the Board and another 20 or<br />
so members of the <strong>Annapolis</strong> <strong>Yacht</strong> <strong>Club</strong> community<br />
serve on the Foundation’s Grant Advisory, Marketing,<br />
and Fund Raising Committees, which are critical to the<br />
efforts of AYCF.<br />
The Foundation holds IRS Code Section 501(c)(3)<br />
status and as a result, contributions to the Foundation are<br />
tax deductible. Since its formation, the Foundation has<br />
raised and distributed nearly $400,000 to support amateur<br />
sailors, deserving juniors, and non-profit organizations.<br />
The Foundation’s activities are funded both by<br />
annual donations by generous AYC members and<br />
others, and, more recently, through a fundraising auction<br />
held in conjunction with the AYC Annual Membership<br />
Meeting. Last year, over $50,000 was raised by the<br />
auction of a number of items generously provided by<br />
AYC families.<br />
In its short history, the <strong>Annapolis</strong> <strong>Yacht</strong> <strong>Club</strong> has<br />
done a great deal to support sailors and worthwhile<br />
charitable organizations in the mid-Chesapeake area. Its<br />
activities, like those of a number of similar foundations<br />
affiliated with other yacht clubs throughout the country,<br />
enables sailors to pursue their dreams and provide an<br />
opportunity for others to have an introduction to the<br />
Chesapeake Bay and sailing. It is the Foundation’s hope<br />
that it will continue to benefit from the generous support<br />
of AYC members to pursue its mission.<br />
An <strong>Annapolis</strong> Police Officer assists a child in freeing a fish from a hook in<br />
this 2007 event funded by the <strong>Annapolis</strong> <strong>Yacht</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Foundation.<br />
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS<br />
THE FOUNDATION HAS MADE GRANTS TO:<br />
• The <strong>Annapolis</strong> High and Broadneck High Sailing teams,<br />
assisting them in attending National Championship<br />
regattas.<br />
• Olympic hopefuls Andrew Campbell and Ian Coleman<br />
(Star), Farah Hall (Board Sailing), Katy Stork and<br />
Lindsay Gibbon-Neff (470), permitting them to compete<br />
and pursue training opportunities internationally.<br />
• Carol Cronin and Annapolitan Kim Couranz, assisting in<br />
attending the Snipe World Championships in Denmark.<br />
• Members of the team representing <strong>Annapolis</strong> <strong>Yacht</strong> <strong>Club</strong><br />
in the prestigious New York <strong>Yacht</strong> <strong>Club</strong> Invitational Cup<br />
regatta.<br />
• Junior Sailors who attended the Easter Regatta (Holland),<br />
U.S. Youth Championships, CISA Youth Clinic, and other<br />
national and international competitions.<br />
• Scholarships to young sailors attending the AYC Junior<br />
and High School sailing programs.<br />
• Box of Rain, which provides opportunities to<br />
disadvantaged <strong>Annapolis</strong> youth.<br />
• Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB),<br />
which provides sailing opportunities for persons with<br />
disabilities.<br />
• <strong>Annapolis</strong> Community Boating, conducting introductory<br />
sailing programs and youth summer camps.<br />
• The Brendan Corporation, which conducts youth sailing<br />
programs in both <strong>Annapolis</strong> and at St. Mary’s College.<br />
VOLUME 3, NO. 2<br />
AYC BEACON<br />
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