MWRA and BioBot honored as Harbor Heroes

On Thursday, October 6th, hundreds of corporate and civic leaders, elected officials, and community partners joined Save the Harbor/Save the Bay at the Lawn on D at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to honor the 2022 Boston Harbor Heroes at the organization's annual Destination Boston Harbor gala. Among those honored was Steve Rhode, Director of Laboratory Services at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, and Dr. Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli, founders of BioBot.

"Each year, Save the Harbor honors Boston Harbor Heroes for their commitment to Save the Harbor's mission, our community, and the Harbor," said Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's Executive Director Chris Mancini. "We are proud to honor MWRA and BiotBot as 2022 Boston Harbor Heros for their work to keep our local communities safe throughout the COVID pandemic.”

MWRA and BioBot were honored for their work in public health. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, BioBot has been a global leader in wastewater epidemiology. BioBot used innovative wastewater testing to test COVID-19 levels from MWRA’s Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. These solution-oriented efforts continue to give hope and reassurance to Massachusetts residents. BiotBot and MWRA have strove to get answers and vital information that keep communities safer across the country.

“All of the MWRA staff who support this effort, from collecting and delivering the samples to posting the results and responding to questions from the public are greatly appreciative of this recognition,” said Rhode.

Save the Harbor also honored Bryan Koop and Boston Properties for their service to the Boston Community, Nicole McClain of Northshore Juneteenth Association for her work promoting diversity and inclusivity, Maureen Mazrimas of Friends of Wollaston Beach for her clean water advocacy; Ruben Hernandez of Save the Harbor’s Youth Environmental Education Programs for his important role he played in making Save the Harbor/Save the Bay the Boston Harbor connection for the region’s youth and families, and former staff member Trevor Etheridge (1992-2022) for his longtime dedication to the organization’s mission.

“This summer Save the Harbor was back on the water to Share the Harbor with everyone”, said Mancini. “It was a true pleasure to gather with all of our partners and friends at Destination Boston Harbor to celebrate our collective accomplishments in making our harbor, beaches and waterfront increasingly more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible for everyone regardless of your race, ability or language spoken at home.”

This year's event featured a terrific auction with exciting getaways including an idyllic beach house in the Dominican Republic as well as Harpoon private beer tastings, staycations at local hotels with dinner pairings, sports tickets, fishing trips, golf packages and more.

According to Save the Harbor's Development Director Patricia Salic, this year's Destination Boston Harbor Gala and Auction raised nearly $400,000 to support free events and programs for kids and families in Winthrop, on the Harbor, the islands, and all of our region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket. "Thanks to all our sponsors and donors for supporting our work to restore, protect and share Boston Harbor."

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the work they do, please visit savetheharbor.org or follow @savetheharbor facebook, instagram and twitter.