This year's 3rd Annual Friends of the Waterfront Dinner was part of a full weekend affair that included relaxed and even some competitive interaction between the alumni and current students.

Friday afternoon was a busy combination of boat rides, EC-SAR training, and storytelling from the "glory days", all of which gave everyone a good appetite just in time for dinner.  Even the current staff were busy handing out "Friends of the Waterfront" t-shirts.  Guests got a chance to take advantage of the beautiful Boca Ciega horizon by sailboat, rescue boat, and the Beachcat pontoon boat.

Perhaps the greatest highlight of Friday evening was the dedication of our newest SAR boat, Rescue 4, purchased through the generous donations of members of the Friends of the Waterfront.  She is a 23' Century center-console with a 250 HP Mercury  4-stroke outboard engine.  She received a full commissioning ceremony, complete with a champagne bottle to the bow and a wonderful speech from a current coxswain trainee…

To the donors, words cannot suffice to describe our appreciation to your kind hearts and generosity.  Without your donations, the team would be struggling to fulfill all of the duties and commitments to its ever-growing causes both on and off the water.

Alumni, staff, and student leadership representatives from the Sailing Team and EC-SAR then joined together to enjoy a delicious catered meal, with an outdoor photo slideshow afterwards, courtesy of Renee's creativity and a student's technical assistance.  Bill Covert segued the speakers from our new Sailing and Asst. Coaches Jesse Combs and Alex Boudreau, to Jim Terkelsen, the Recreational guru, and Ryan Dilkey, Coordinator of EC-SAR.  We closed the relaxing atmosphere with inspiring words from Murray Fournie encouraging the donation of resources and gift of self, not limited to monetary capacity, but whatever we can offer of our time and talents.  Reflecting on good food and hearty words, everyone then took in the warm Florida evening with fun conversation by firelight.

On Saturday afternoon, what started as an impromptu assortment of students, alumni, Ryan Dilkey and Bill Schmidt collectively practicing marlinespike down on the docks, turned into an all-out on-water competition.  With Rescue 6 as the "photography" boat and a group of recreational staff cheering on the students with raucous yelling and a megaphone, two boats got underway in Frenchman's Creek.  The contenders: the alumni, headed by Tom Moore and Dom Campanella on the 24' Aquasport, versus current EC-SAR team members on Rescue 5.  The challenge: "fender football," a high-energy rivalry with pumps, firehoses, and a whole lot of aggressive driving.  In a word, the students were sorely beaten after a long bout of committed defense.  Those EC-SAR alums must have been practicing their SAR skills in secret for the past few years.

We are definitely looking forward to "Fender Bowl 2011" for the forty-year reunion when the students have the chance to vindicate themselves.  On the whole, this was a fun, productive, and wholly successful event!

(Article written by EC-SAR Team Leader - Stephanie Yagovane)