Page 14 - Port of Baltimore - May/June 2017

PORT SOUNDINGS COMMUNITY
MSC Fundraiser Provides Nearly $7,000 for Catch a Lift
Word has gotten out about the annual Catch a Lift Pit Beef Fundraiser in Dundalk, near Seagirt Marine Terminal. This year, Port of Baltimore community sponsors served up traditional Baltimore fare and raised nearly $7,000 for Catch a Lift, a veterans’ aid group.
“I came over from my office in Canton because this pit beef is the real deal and you don’t see that much anymore,” said Raymond Fusco, a local office worker. Even the Lyft driver who brought him stayed for lunch and bought some raffle tickets. This is exactly what Susanne Kennedy, the event’s organizer, had hoped for.
“Catch a Lift is such a great organization,” said Kennedy. “Once people learn about it, they want to be part of it.”
The group helps wounded vets regain physical and mental health by making grants for gym memberships, exercise equipment and providing personal support. Kennedy, who once worked for MSC and now volunteers full time for the group, said the Port community has come together to support vets each year with the fundraiser sponsored by MSC. Maryland Line Handlers provides the authentic pit beef and turkey, with support from other port companies. “This was our biggest year yet and as word spreads, it will keep growing,” said Kennedy. 􏰀
EVENT
Pride of Baltimore Marks Vessel’s 40-Year Anniversary
Pride of Baltimore Inc. recently celebrated
40 years since the original Pride of Baltimore was commissioned. The organization commemorated the anniversary at its first- ever Spring Sailabration, which took place April 27 at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Guests enjoyed food, drinks, live music, a live and a silent auction, and deck tours of the Pride II.
The original Pride — the first Baltimore Clipper to be built in 150 years and the first tall ship to represent a city and a state — made its debut at a ceremony in the Inner Harbor held on May 1, 1977.
The vessel had logged more than 150,000 nautical miles — roughly the same as circumnavigating the globe six times — when it was struck by a microburst squall north
of Puerto Rico in May 1986. The ship sank within minutes, and its captain and three crew members were lost at sea.
Following the tragic sinking, Pride of Baltimore Inc. received a great outpouring of public support, and plans for a new ship were soon underway. The Pride of Baltimore II was commissioned October 23, 1988 in Fells Point. Since then, Pride II has visited more than 200 ports in 40 countries. 􏰀
[12] The Port of Baltimore ■
May/June 2017
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHY BERGREN SMITH