Sailing Nonprofit Collects Nearly $100K For Construction At New Annapolis Marina

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A sailing nonprofit for people with disabilities recently collected a major grant to help construct an accessible classroom at its forthcoming marina in Annapolis.

The organization, Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating, announced the news Saturday. The $94,000 grant comes from the Phillips Charitable Foundation.

The grant will go toward the Don Backe Learning Center at the new marina, which will be called the Adaptive Boating Center. The learning facility gets its name from the founder of Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating, also known as CRAB.

The funding will help CRAB buy the accessible classroom furniture and adaptive technology that's necessary for people with disabilities to thrive. This classroom will let guests partake in year-round training and educational opportunities at the Adaptive Boating Center, which is also called the ABC.

Related: Sailing Nonprofit Builds Marina For Marylanders With Disabilities

CRAB has worked with these organizations to design the most accessible learning facility:

• Maryland Department of Disabilities
• Maryland Assistive Technology Reuse Center
• Maryland Division of Rehabilitation
• Sennheiser and CSS Presentation Systems

"The identified adaptive technology is essential to ensure that people with all types of disabilities will be able to access and enjoy a thorough and robust learning experience at the ABC," CRAB President David Hankey said in a press release.

CRAB broke ground on the Adaptive Boating Center this June. The nonprofit expects the facility to open in March 2023.

The 0.86-acre property will feature the 2,660-square-foot learning center and an open-air pavilion. The 16-slip marina will offer floating docks with lifts and slides to board guests onto boats.

The facilities will all meet or exceed the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"Phillips Charitable Foundation is thrilled to provide funding to support the educational goals of the Don Backe Learning Center," said Eileen Gross, the charity's founder and board chair.

Related: CRAB Breaks Ground On Adaptive Boating Center In Annapolis

CRAB is building the complex on Back Creek. The development will replace the old Port Williams Marina, located at 7040 Bembe Beach Road. CRAB previously docked its vessels at Sandy Point State Park, but the team outgrew those confines.

The $5 million Adaptive Boating Center is a partnership between CRAB, the State of Maryland, Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis.

In 2017, CRAB agreed to acquire the property. The group finalized the paperwork three years later. The City of Annapolis officially owns the land, but CRAB leased the plot for 40 years.

Anne Arundel County contributed $1.3 million to the construction, the state gave $1 million and the city committed $500,000. CRAB will raise money to cover the rest.

Leaders expect the Adaptive Boating Center to help triple the number of guests participating in CRAB programs by 2026.

"There's no limit to what CRAB's going to be able to do from this center," CRAB Executive Director Paul Bollinger Jr. told Patch in an exclusive interview last year. "It's incumbent upon us to ensure that it is the best facility."

Anybody interested in donating can contact CRAB Director of Development Debbie Daugherty at debbie@crabsailing.org or visit crabsailing.org.

To learn more about CRAB's mission, read Patch's full feature story on the organization at this link.

The Phillips Charitable Foundation was created in 2016 at the request of the late Howard W. Phillips Jr.

Phillips left his entire estate to the charitable foundation, which supports organizations that help others solve problems and remove obstacles.

The Phillips Charitable Foundation has no relation to Phillips Seafood. The separate entities were created by different families with the same last name.

Visit phillipsgrants.org to learn more.