Nicole McClain of Lynn honored as a Harbor Hero

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 Nicole McClain, Founder and President of the Northshore Juneteenth Association.

"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 Nicole as a 2022 Boston Harbor Hero for her unwavering commitment to making Boston Harbor and Lynn’s waterfront a welcoming, inclusive place for everyone.”

McClain was honored for her work with the Northshore Juneteenth Association and the Diversity Matters Festival in Red Rock Park in Lynn, MA. McClain is a driving force for positive change on the waterfront and throughout her city and the region. Her ability to listen to the community, amplify their voices, and create programming that is intentional and inclusive are just a few of the phenomenal attributes that make McClain a Harbor Hero. Thanks to McClain’s commitment to the waterfront and our communities, our region’s beaches grow more accessible, equitable, and engaging each year.

Nicole McClain is the founder of the Northshore Juneteenth Association, an organization that seeks to raise awareness about the Juneteenth holiday, educate the community about Black culture, and dismantle racism. In addition to the annual Diversity Matters Festival, the Association hosts regular events and programming that bring people together and amplify the history of Juneteenth throughout the North Shore including Juneteenth flag raisings in Salem, Wakefield, Beverly, Marblehead, Everett, Melrose, Medford, and more.

“Save the Harbor is a terrific partner. Their support helped us launch Diversity Matters Festival, which continues to grow each year, highlighting the many artistic and cultural assets of the North Shore community,” said McClain. “I’m proud to work with them to bring Northshore Juneteenth Association’s message of diversity, inclusion and history to the waterfront and beyond.”

Save the Harbor also honored Bryan Koop and Boston Properties for their service to the Boston Community, Maureen Mazrimas of Friends of Wollaston Beach for her clean water advocacy, MWRA and BioBot for their commitment to health and safety during the COVID pandemic; 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 Lynn and 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 save the harbor.org or follow @savetheharbor facebook, instagram and twitter.