Friends of Morro Bay Harbor raise $ 100,000 • Atascadero News



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The modernized vessel will be used by the Morro Bay Port Department to provide a wide variety of services unique to the region

MORRO BAY – On October 7, the Morro Bay Port Department (MBHD) received a donation of $ 100,000 to help modernize a recently purchased Harbor Patrol Boat. The funds were raised by the Friends of the Morro Bay Port Department, a non-profit community group established to help improve services at the Morro Bay Port.

In an effort to modernize its fleet, the Harbor Department purchased a lightly used boat in Port San Luis with the help of an $ 85,000 grant from the California Department of Boating and Waterways. However, more funds were needed to undergo a major reconstruction in order to provide the unique services that the Port of Morro Bay needs. As a result, the Friends of MBHD launched fundraising efforts in September of last year. They hit their goal a year later, with 80 percent of funds raised as individual contributions and 20 percent as a matching grant from Castle Wind. The ship is expected to be ready for port by April 2022.

“Working alongside the Port Department on this fundraising effort has been a real privilege. I have immense respect for the hard work they do on a daily basis, and being able to support them with a donation of $ 100,000 for the modernization of a patrol boat is an incredible honor, ”said Bill Luffee, president of the ‘non-profit organisation. “Having said that, I’m really just a facilitator. True credit goes to our friends and community, to those who bought artwork through our fundraisers, participated in our wine auction, and donated money specifically for this cause.

Go through this together, Atascadero

The Morro Bay Port Department offers a wide variety of services including boat rescue, firefighting, wildlife rescue, emergency medical assistance, pollution cleanup, transportation of equipment, mooring repairs, handling of hazardous materials and code enforcement. MBHD’s jurisdiction consists of some of California’s most turbulent waters, with 150 days per year of small craft warning conditions and an average of 30 days per year of unsafe conditions at the port entrance. With an average of 1.1 million visitors each year, Morro Bay sees a large number of inexperienced recreational users in the bay and ocean.

The mission of the Friends of Morro Bay Port Department is to help improve port services in Morro Bay. As a non-profit organization, the organization relies on donations from people who want to make a difference and preserve the beautiful harbor of Morro Bay. Learn more by visiting friendsofthembhd.org.

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