MASSACHUSETTS – Save the Harbor / Save the Bay was awarded $30,000 in Better Beaches grants that will help to support 15 groups to support dozens of free public events in nine beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket this summer. The beaches of the NoBo region are set to receive $16,000 to aid programming to attract residents back to the beaches of Massachusetts Bay. “The Boston Harbor region’s public beaches are important assets to the region’s residents and visitors alike,” said Patricia A. Foley, President of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. “We are proud to support our partners in the city’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities as they work to share their beaches and the harbor with the region’s kids and families.” This year’s “Better Beaches” events include sand sculpting competitions, beachfront concerts, environmental education programs, family fun nights, reading nights art festivals and beach programs in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull. Save the Harbor / Save the Bay launched the Better Beaches grants program in 2008 to help local communities and formal and informal beaches Friends Groups jump-start free events and activities on public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket with the support of The Boston Foundation. The funds to sustain this program come from the annual “Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash” pledge fundraiser as well as Save the Harbor’s Better Beaches Program funding partners at Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue Airways, National Grid, Comcast Massachusetts, the Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, Tasty Burger and Russo Marine. This year’s “Better Beaches” grant recipients include: Revere: The Revere Beach Partnership, which was awarded $6,000 to support the National Sand Sculpting Competition on Revere Beach. Lynn & Nahant: The Friends of Lynn & Nahant Beach was awarded $2,500 to support the Red Rock Summer Concert Series and The Friends of Heritage Park was awarded $1,000 to support the World Folk Festival. Winthrop: The Friends of Winthrop Beach was awarded $1,000 to support family activities on the beach and the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh was awarded $1,000 to support educational activities on the beach. East Boston: The East Boston YMCA was awarded $3,500 to support the Summer Food Service Program and Campfire, and Harbor Arts, Inc. was awarded $1,000 to support the HarborArts Festival. South Boston: The BCYF Curley Community Center was awarded $3,500 to support Summer Youth Programs, South Boston Neighborhood House was awarded $3,500 to support Family Fun Night on the Beach, and The City Point Neighborhood Association was awarded $1,000 to support Beat the Summer Sizzle at Pleasure Bay. Dorchester: The Friends of Savin Hill Shores, which was awarded $2,000 to support the Beach Festival Family Movie Night. Quincy: The Friends of Wollaston Beach was awarded $1,000 to support Kids Fest and the Quincy Beaches and the Quincy Beaches and Coastal Commission was awarded $1,000 to support the Pumpkin Fest. Hull: The Friends of the Paragon Carousel was awarded $1,000 to support Museum Projects and their Reading Program, and the Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce was awarded $1,000 to support the Endless Summer Waterfront Festival. Over the past five years, Save the Harbor’s community partners in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull have leveraged $143,500 in small grants received from Save the Harbor with $503,500 in cash and in-kind donations from local government and small businesses for a total investment of $647,000 in more than 150 free events and programs for the region’s residents and visitors alike. In addition to the grants, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay also gave each group 22 one-inch diameter blue and white marbles to scatter on their respective beaches as part of the “Simply Marble-ous” Treasure Hunt sponsored by JetBlue Airways. Anyone who finds one of these marbles between July 4th and the end of the summer will be entered into a drawing to win round trip airline tickets from JetBlue Airways. “Like” Save the Harbor on Facebook or follow them on Twitter to learn more about this “Simply Marble-ous” summer treasure hunt.