Board Chair Jennifer Graham invites you to celebrate our 30th Anniversary at the Toast to the Coast!

Last weekend, my husband and I packed up the car - chairs, towels, umbrella, cooler, surfboard, and our dog - and headed to Manresa State Beach in Santa Cruz County. We got a somewhat early start and the fog was just clearing as we arrived. Manresa is one of my favorite beaches (and the site of my first Save Our Shores beach cleanup days). I love to take long walks there and as I walked, I noticed the many ways people enjoy our beautiful shoreline. Some were walking their dogs, others were jogging, others still were setting up blankets for a day of fun with their families. Kids seemed immune to the chilly water as they built sandcastles, looked for shells or learned to boogie board in tiny board shorts and rash guards. Surfers were riding the morning swell. I gazed out toward the bay to see a pod of slow-moving porpoise swimming just beyond the surf and a large sail boat plying the calm waters further out.

As I meandered down the beach, checking every now and then on my pod of porpoise, I thought about how lucky I was to be in this magical place. I thought about what I didn't see. I didn't see oil rigs where the porpoise swam and sail boat sailed. I didn't see piles of trash and dead sea life washed up on shore. I didn't see high rise hotels and houses built on the beach. I thought about how different this beach and the larger Monterey Bay would be if not for those who, 30 years ago, banded together to start Save Our Shores. I thought about you - whether you are one of those heroes who have been an advocate for our ocean from the beginning, or you are a new member whose actions now will mean so much in the next 30 years - and I was thankful. I hope you can join the Save Our Shores board and staff as we celebrate 30 years of ocean conservation at the Toast to the Coast with new and old friends. Thank you for giving me and all those who enjoy our coast a wonderful day on the beach.