© Eric Full
Our friends at Clean Ocean Access have announced that their annual Paddle for Access is returning to Newport Harbor on Saturday, August 21. The 4th Annual Paddle for Access is a 3- or 6- mile paddle around Goat Island and Rose Island in Newport, RI to help Clean Ocean Access (COA) achieve its goal to preserve and protect public shoreline access. 2021 is our fourth year running this event and we can’t wait to get back in the water.
As part of the Access program, COA monitors 50 designated rights-of-way (ROWs) to the shore all year across the coastline of Aquidneck Island. COA’s volunteers support our work to promote and protect these vital connections to the shore. “The ocean has always been a part of my life…now that I have a young son, I really realize the importance of keeping the ocean clean, healthy, and accessible.” COA volunteer Patrick Golden, together with his 5-year-old son Gavin, shared why he values shoreline access while at the Kingfisher Avenue ROW in Middletown, RI. For the past year, the two of them have come down to the water at least once a month, enjoying the beauty and recreational opportunities of the nearby coastline. This summer, COA is thrilled to celebrate their, and all our volunteers’, ongoing effort with the return of our Paddle for Access race event.
COA has hosted the annual Paddle for Access race since 2018. This event started as a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) race around Goat Island and has since evolved into an event for multiple paddle disciplines (SUP, prone, canoe, kayak). Paddlers and volunteers will gather at the Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard starting at 7 am for the race around Goat Island and Rose Island. With the support of sponsors People’s Credit Union, Fitzpatrick Team RE/MAX, and Parker Brown Macaulay & Sheerin, Paddle for Access highlights the value of our beautiful coastline and provides an opportunity for us to enjoy the water as a community. All Paddle participants will receive a unique gift celebrating our work to keep the oceans clean, healthy, and accessible. Help us reach our goal of 100 paddlers and $25,000 raised by registering and donating for this event!
There is no better way to celebrate the importance of access to the ocean than by spending a day in the water. As Patrick Golden and all of our access volunteers know, being by the shore is good for both body and mind. Whether you are a paddleboarder, kayaker, or simply a supporter of our blue spaces, there is a role for you in this year’s Paddle for Access.
Please join us and help support our work to protect and preserve shoreline access! To register, sponsor, sign up to volunteer, and to see event details, please visit the COA Paddle for Access event page on our website: www.cleanoceanaccess.org/p4a
