Ahoy there Boston!
RNLI CREW AMERICA-BOUND AFTER ACCEPTING PARADE INVITATION
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Wednesday March 10 2010
THE volunteer crew from Skerries RNLI Lifeboat Station are Boston bound. An official invitation to participate in the city's St Patrick's Day Parade was received by the volunteer crew at the end of last summer. Senior helm and trip organiser, Eoin McCarthy said: 'After much discussion, the crew decided it was an invitation not to be refused and so they started saving.
'As a registered charity, the crew are unable to fundraise for their own endeavours for this trip, they can only for the RNLI Lifeboat Institution.'
Over the coming months, all those who decided to go on the trip, started paying into a savings fund and when all monies were paid up, flights were booked, uniforms purchased and a dress rehearsal held .
The 22-person volunteer crew depart for the US city on Thursday, March 11th. The US Coastguard, on hearing of their arrival, have invited the crew to spend a day with them, visiting with them and taking part in their day-to-day activities, comparing how their methods of sea rescue differ from our own. The Boston Marine Police have also asked the crew to spend time with them and they will be doing that the following day. The group are also hoping to spend time with the Boston Fire Brigade.
The parade itself, billed as one of the biggest in the US, takes place on Sunday, March 14th. The crew will then spend some of Monday sightseeing around the city, before following home on Tuesday, in time for the Skerries parade on St Patrick's Day.
Just because many of the crew are heading west, doesn't mean that the station will be unmanned.
Someone has to stay home to keep watch and the volunteer crew at the lifeboat station will continue to provide 24x7 emergency response cover for any vessel and crew who get into difficulty at sea.
Later in March, the crew will be hand on at Rush Sailing Club on Sunday, March 28th to provide support and 'on the water' assistance to those hardy souls who take to the sea to raise funds for the lifeboat station.
Richard Flynn and his team, along with the great supporters in Rush Sailing Club, have been organising this 2k Winter Fin Swim for many years now and all who participate know how well run and what fun it is.
The swim will start at 11am and any one who would like to register or needs more detail, please contact Richard on 0872803658 or Jeena on 087 - 2929646.
