Community Sailing New Orleans | 2021-23 Impact Report

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

“We’re not just about sailing; our mission goes deeper. Our aim is to dismantle the barriers that have long prevented everyone in our community from accessing and enjoying Lake Pontchartrain. We strive to become a vibrant community hub, uniting people of all ages, races, and backgrounds for recreational, educational, and career development opportunities.”

- Warner Tureaud, President

STAFF

Pictured above from left to right.

Khari Parrish Director of Operations

Matt Wierzbach Executive Director

Bethany Byrom Office Administrator

Bob Kimbro

Interim Chief Financial Officer

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends,

Coming on board as the Executive Director of Community Sailing New Orleans earlier this year has brought me to the city and to the organization at an exciting time. The numbers you will see in this report show a program that has been making an impact on the community and the growth underway now with our new building will help usher in a new stage of growth. I am honored and excited to be a part of this organization and look forward to sharing future successes with you!

Our programs have impacted a wide range of individuals over the last three years, despite all the challenges inherent to a new organization and with COVID-19 playing a disruptive role in the organization’s first few years of programming. Through those challenges my predecessor, Jacob Raymond, and our Operations Director, Khari Parrish, brought in participants and grew the organization. From enriching experiences for preteens and teens to empowering opportunities for people with disabilities and military Veterans, our programs have been making a profound impact on the lives of our participants. Your generous contributions not only shape the leaders of tomorrow but also enhance the wellbeing of our community.

As we look to the future, we are actively exploring the expansion of our adaptive sailing programs to ensure that individuals with varying intellectual, developmental, and physical abilities can experience the joys of sailing. Additionally, we are working to enhance our impact on military Veterans and underserved youth in the city by forming new partnerships and strengthening existing ones.

Thank you for being a crucial part of our success by investing in Community Sailing New Orleans. Your contributions, whether they support community impact programs that are offered at no cost, help maintain our fleet of boats, or assist in launching new initiatives, make a meaningful difference. We deeply appreciate your ongoing support and consideration of future investments in Community Sailing New Orleans.

Warm Regards,

ABOUT US

MISSION

Community Sailing New Orleans positively impacts lives by providing accessible educational, recreational, and career development opportunities on Lake Pontchartrain for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities with an emphasis on serving low and moderate income and minority communities in the area by providing access to a community asset that has been historically inaccessible to those large segments of the population.

VISION

Community Sailing New Orleans shall enhance the Greater New Orleans community by utilizing the sport of sailing as a platform to develop independence and self-confidence, improve communication, foster teamwork, as a platform for career development opportunities, and to acquire deep respect of the marine environment.

Matt Wierzbach Executive Director

PROGRAMS

In 2020, US Sailing reported that less than 1 percent of the sailing population is diverse in race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Community Sailing New Orleans is intentionally working to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome.

Demographic information on our 2023 participants:

Community Sailing New Orleans has programming for everyone with a special focus on youth; individuals with intellectual developmental, and physical disabilities; military Veterans, and anyone facing economic barriers to sailing. Since opening our doors in 2020, we’ve served more than 2,400 New Orleans area residents thanks to the support of our community partners and generous donors.

Our programs have been well received and are often full.

To meet the needs of the community, we broke ground on our new headquarters building - the Libby and Robert Alexander Community Sailing Center – in late 2023. Due to the ongoing construction process, we had to limit our program offerings until the building is completed. We plan to welcome the community to our new facility in early 2025.

“The STEM Design + Build + Sail program serves to provide our mentees with a unique opportunity to do, learn, and explore the interactions between science & engineering and everyday recreation activities.”

— Jesse Weber, Program Manager, Son of a Saint

YOUTH SAILING PROGRAMS

A cornerstone of Community Sailing New Orleans is to empower and educate young people through sailing. Our programs nurture leadership potential, new skill building, and positive community connections.

STEM Design + Build + Sail YOUTH PROGRAM

STEM Design + Build + Sail is an afterschool program that takes place once week in the spring and fall. Students develop their scientific and mathematical understanding of sailing while increasing their comfort on the water and appreciation of the local environment.

Approximately 25 middle schoolers from across the area participate each year. The program is free of charge, and 80 percent of students are economically disadvantaged. The program curriculum is aligned with national standards in math and science, enriching students’ understanding of classroom concepts. From understanding the anatomy of a sailboat to designing and testing their own miniature vessels, students experience hands-on learning both on the water and on shore.

MEETJORDYN Crew to Captain Class of 2025 & STEM Design + Build + Sail alumna

“I came to discover a new activity and kept coming back because of the welcoming feeling and acceptance from the sailing community.”

Jordyn didn’t know anyone who sailed while she was growing up. In her eyes, sailing wasn’t even an option for her.

She participated in Community Sailing’s STEM Design + Build + Sail program when she was in middle school and is now in its maritime career development program, Crew to Captain.

Currently in her second year of the program, Jordyn has become a skilled and knowledgeable sailor who takes great pride in how much she’s grown as a sailor and a person since arriving at her first STEM class years ago.

Additionally, this program has helped connect Jordyn with some of her dreams and goals. As an aspiring lawyer she hopes to attend Tulane University and has been able to make connections with individuals in the legal and competitive sailing worlds.

Crew to Captain Maritime Career Development

YOUTH PROGRAM

“This was my son’s first exposure to sailing and he LOVED it! Community Sailing is a very inclusive and friendly way to introduce kids to sailing. We will be back.”

— Community Sailing Summer Camp Parent

MEET BENJAMIN Crew to Captain Class of 2023

Benjamin was introduced to Community Sailing New Orleans in 2021 through our partnership with Son of a Saint, a local nonprofit organization that transforms the lives of fatherless boys.

Benjamin graduated from the inaugural Crew to Captain Class of 2023. Throughout the course of the threeyear program, Benjamin learned to sail and was introduced to various career opportunities in the maritime industry by mentors and speakers. He also earned his US Sailing Level 1 Instructor Certification, as well as CPR, First Aid, and Louisiana Safe Boating certifications.

Since graduating from the Crew to Captain program, Benjamin has been working as a paid sailing instructor at Community Sailing. He was accepted into the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point and will start in the summer of 2024.

Our Crew to Captain Maritime Career Development Program helps high school students identify and prepare for potential pathways to careers in the local maritime industry. Leaders from the local maritime industry attend classes as speakers and mentors. By introducing high schoolers to the vast opportunities in the maritime industry they are better prepared to pursue these career paths, which can lead to greater economic stability and a stronger local workforce.

The Crew to Captain Program has three cohorts of 9th and 10th grade students who progressively work their way through the curriculum over a three-year period. Each cohort of four to seven teens meets one evening per week for 10 weeks in the spring and fall. There are 19 students currently in the program; all of them participate free of charge.

We held our first Crew to Captain graduation ceremony in May 2023,

Summer Camps

YOUTH PROGRAM

Summer camps are the best part of summer for many of our students. More than 150 children ages 8-13 participate each year in one of our weekly summer camps.

Campers learn the basics of rigging, points of sail, sailing maneuvers, safety, and recovery in an inclusive, fun environment with trained US Sailing certified coaches.

In 2023, a quarter of summer camp participants received a scholarship to attend free of charge. Every parent surveyed said that their children felt welcome and included while at our summer camp.

We also held a Spectrum Sailing Clinic and an autism-inclusive summer camp for youth with sensory and developmental differences for the

We are so proud of him and can’t wait to see the amazing things he does in the future! It is estimated that

1 in 5 jobs

in Louisiana is connected to the maritime industry, and wages in this industry pay substantially higher than the Louisiana average. Louisiana leads the nation in the number of captains, mates, pilots of water vessels, sailors, marine oilers, and ship engineers.

ADAPTIVE SAILING PROGRAMS

Parents and guardians of children, as well as adults, with special needs often encounter challenges when seeking suitable enrichment activities. Our staff, facility, and fleet of boats accommodate all ranges of intellectual, developmental, and/or physical abilities.

Community Sailing New Orleans provides an inclusive and accessible environment where people of all abilities and their families are welcome.

In partnership with Special Olympics Louisiana and other local organizations, the sailing center has hosted numerous races and clinics for the special needs community. Since 2021, we’ve held weekly training sessions of the Special Olympics Sailing Team, which is comprised of 16 adults and children with cognitive or developmental disabilities. We also offered a Sensory Friendly Summer Camp and a sailing clinic for autistic youth in 2023 that were extremely popular. Throughout the past few years, we’ve held special sailing clinics for our partner organizations including Louisiana Lighthouse and CampABLE NOLA.

All adaptive sailing programs are offered free of charge.

“Sailing opened up new adventures for my son, an autistic 15-year-old, making his closed world a bit wider in scope than before this unique experience.”

— Sensory-Friendly Summer Camp Parent

Experiential Sails

We enjoyed having local nonprofit and community organizations join us for a day on the water, including the following:

COMMUNITY & SCHOOL-BASED SAILING PROGRAMS

We are a welcoming, affordable, and inclusive community center.

Oscar J. Tolmas Veteran

SailinG PROGRAM

Sailing is offered as a therapeutic outlet and a pathway of reintegration into the community for those who serve or have served our country. All programming for Veterans is offered free of charge. We have hosted numerous Veterans’ events, including sailing training camps, skills clinics, and restorative yoga in partnership with local and national military Veterans’ organizations, including the New Orleans Office of Veteran Affairs, Warrior Sailing, and Bastion Community of Resilience. We’ve served more than 140 veterans in our programs and clinics since 2021. A quarter of our participants have physical disabilities, which our staff, boat fleet, and facility can accommodate.

“I absolutely love Community Sailing’s Veteran program. Being on the water was therapeutic. The program fosters a sense of calmness and serenity and reinforces the notion that challenges can be overcome through teamwork. I enjoyed interacting with other veterans, volunteers, and staff. The program also provides a chance to be a part of a community.”

— Gina, Tolmas Veteran Sailor

We offer high-quality, reasonably priced (or free) sailing instruction at all levels as well as access to our fleet of boats.

In 2023 we started offering experiential sails* and field trips to our partner nonprofit organizations as well as schools. We had more than 430 people visit the sailing center for a day or two on the water in 2023.

We are also the home of Tulane University’s and Ursuline Academy’s Sailing Teams and provide boats, equipment, and volunteers for collegiate and high school regattas. In 2023, we hosted more than 20 collegiate and high school sailing regattas.

100 Black Men Camp Able NOLA Camp Mariposa College Track

Cultivating Communities Department of Veteran Affairs  Excite All Stars

Gifted Academy at St. Aug  Lake Pontchartrain Women’s  Sailing Association

LOOP Outdoor Adventure Club

Master Naturalists

New Harmony High School

NOLA Homeschoolers

National Women’s Sailing Association

Raintree Services

Rooted Ones

The Living School

Boy Scouts Troop 23  Boy Scouts Troop 48

Tulane Outdoor Adventure Club

UNO Volleyball Team

Youth Empowerment Project

FACES OF COMMUNITY SAILING NEW ORLEANS

EMMA

Community Sailing New Orleans Summer Camp Alumna, Crew to Captain Class of 2025, and Special Olympics Sailing volunteer. Captain of the Willow School’s Sailing Team.

2,400+ PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN OUR PROGRAMS:

15,000 HOURS OF PROGRAMMING

1,100+ YOUTH

120+ SAILORS WITH INTELLECTUAL, DEVELOPMENTAL, AND/OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

140+ ACTIVE AND RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY

59% OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATED FREE OR REDUCED RATE IN 2023

BOATS, WITH SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR SAILORS WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

Emma became hooked on sailing after attending Community Sailing’s summer camp three years ago, which was her first time on a boat. These days, Emma spends more time on the water than she does on land — participating in Community Sailing New Orleans’ Crew to Captain program; volunteering for our Special Olympics Sailing program; serving as a member of Sea Scouts; and taking classes with the US Coast Guard. She also started a sailing team at her high school to encourage other students to participate in a sport that she has grown to love. Emma is exploring various careers in the maritime industry and working towards becoming certified to be a sailing instructor at Community Sailing.

FINN

Special Olympics

Sailing Athlete

Finn has participated in Community Sailing New Orleans’ Special Olympics Sailing program since it began in 2021. He trains weekly with his teammates at the sailing center. Last year Finn also attended our first Sensory-Friendly Summer Camp for tweens and teens with autism. Finn is a freshman at New Harmony High School in its Diverse Learners program. As an example of our caring and inclusive community, at the beginning of the school year, our team reached out to another student at New Harmony who is part of the Crew to Captain program and asked her to keep an eye out for Finn. She responded, “of course!”

“He talks about it all week, and he wants to go back so I know that he’s really happy.

I’m incredibly grateful.”

– Finn’s mother

HAROLD

Veteran Sailing Clinic Participant

“I’ve sat out here for 60 years on the wall looking at sailboats and never dreamed it was possible for me to be sitting in a boat and enjoying. I suffer from PTSD, but while I’m out there on the water, I have no outside interference coming in. It’s just a calmness, you know, you’re like in your own world.  I’ve lived here all my life. I swim off the wall, I’ve fished off the wall, for years I watched the sailboats going. And as I was sitting on the dock, I have a picture and I was just saying, look at me now. I’m on the water looking at the people sitting on the land. It’s real peaceful, and I advise anyone to put your fears away and just come out and enjoy.”

BUILDING UPDATE!

Community Sailing New Orleans began construction on a $4.5 million headquarters building in the fall of 2023. The 4,500 square-foot, two-story building will provide technology-equipped classrooms suited for year-round STEM and maritime career development programs, a community gathering space, storage space and a workshop to house and maintain our boats, and office space for our staff.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2024. With the new building, we will be able to serve over 2,300 people each year. Community Sailing New Orleans’ new home will be community resource in the truest sense of the term: a place where everyone can grow, learn, and enjoy the rich natural environment of one of our region’s greatest natural resources, Lake Pontchartrain.

Thanks to all of our generous donors who helped turn a dream into a reality!

2023 NAVIGATORS

CIRCLE LEVEL DONORS

Navigation is key to success on the water, whether racing or simply getting from point A to point B.

Navigation also holds great importance when setting a course for success on shore. As Community Sailing

New Orleans embarks on its course, we are supported by annual gifts of significance that demonstrate a strong commitment to our mission. The members of the Navigators Circle, who make annual gifts of $1,500 and above, help to ensure a bright future for Community Sailing New Orleans. We are so grateful for their support.

Nan Alessandra

Rob and Libby Alexander

The Azby Fund

Ballen Family Fund

Baptist Community Ministries

Burt and Karen Benrud

The Ann and Robert S. Boh

Family Fund

Booth-Bricker Fund

Allen Borne

Steve and Sarah Bourdow

The Boysie Bollinger Fund

Guy and Pam Brierre

Lynne Burkart

Brian and Elizabeth Burress

Capital One

Cox Communications - Cox Southeast

Glenn and Kimberly Darden

Richard Deichmann

Mont Echols and Isabelle Schneidau

Entergy New Orleans

James and Sheila Favrot

Five R Investments, LLC

Louis and Judy Freeman

Peter and Catherine Freeman

Richard and Sarah Freeman

Fore!Kids Foundation

Peter Gambel

GPOA Foundation

Chris and Susan Granger

Gulf Coast Bank & Trust

Lee and Angie Henderson

Whit and Maureen Huguley

Jeffrey and Andrea Huseman

Mary Lynn Hyde and Steve Rossi

JPMorgan Chase

Bob and Jenny Kottler

The Landis Foundation

Merritt and Elly Lane

Laureus Foundation USA

Louisiana Healthcare Connections

Gustaf W. McIlhenny Foundation

John and Mamsie Manard

Charlie and Tabby Marts

Robert and Sheryl Merrick

Bill and Cindy Metcalf

J. Edgar Monroe Foundation

Municipal Yacht Harbor Slip Tenants

Association

New Orleans Hash House Harriers

- Red Dress Run

New Orleans Rotary Fund, Inc.

Gray and Mary Kay Parker

Wayne and Ginny Peacock

Barry Radell

Miles Reidy

Randall and Katie Richmond

The RosaMary Foundation

Carl and Kathryn Rosenblum

Michael Rubenstein

Ric and Bootsie Smith

Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust

Sissie Twiggs

United States Sailing Association, Inc.

Steve and Melanee Usdin

Calais and Patrick Waring Fund

White Clay Consulting

Guy and Dale Williams

Bill and Alice Wright

“I’ve been a contributor to Community Sailing New Orleans over the years because I’m so passionate about their mission. This is a sailing organization which truly delivers on its promise to bring sailing to the underserved of our community. Not only have I supported the organization financially but also with my time as a volunteer instructor for the Special Olympics program.”

— Dr. Richard Deichmann

“I am a huge believer in community sailing programs. Providing access and instruction in sailing to people of all backgrounds provides huge opportunities. Some direct opportunity such as new-found friendships and self-confidence. And many intangible and indirect opportunities such as a basis for college sailing scholarships and professional networking. Sailing is a sport that marries teamwork with analytical thinking and a good deal of athleticism. I hope that Community Sailing New Orleans continues to grow and provide such access to people of all backgrounds, especially to those who are economically limited, as I believe this is where it will have the greatest impact on our community.”

— Charlie Marts, Community Sailing New Orleans Supporter

2023 RACE WEEK SPONSORS

COMMODORE SPONSOR $5,000

Lynne Burkart

John and Mamsie Manard

SKIPPER SPONSOR $2,500

Grayson Data Services

TACTICIAN SPONSOR $1,000

Burt and Karen Benrud

Allen Borne

Degan Dansereau

Eymard Marine Construction and Repair

Chris and Susan Granger

Henderson Hutter Group

Bob and Jenny Kottler

Lovell Wealth Management/Raymond James

Barry Radell

Warner Tureaud

Bill and Alice Wright

SPONSOR A CSNO BOAT $500

Guy and Pam Brierre

DELTA Olympic Sailing Association

Deutsch Kerrigan

Eagan Insurance

Hahn Enterprises

Junius Ship Shape

Tim and Regina Molony

NOLA Mosquito Authority, LLC

Red River Bank

SageWay, LLC

Melissa Warren / Stirling Properties

Lisa and David Winter