From Water Wings to Olympic Rings: AYC Foundation Featured on Eye On Annapolis
Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation President Kathy Parks and board member Rob Flaherty recently joined Eye On Annapolis for a Local Business Spotlight exploring how the Foundation expands access to the water throughout the community.
Founded 26 years ago by 20 Annapolis Yacht Club members, AYC Foundation is an independent charitable organization that supports local maritime programs rather than operating programs of its own. Flaherty described its far-reaching mission as helping people progress from “water wings to Olympic rings.”
That mission comes to life through funding for swimming lessons, need-based sailing scholarships, adaptive boating programs, and competitive sailors pursuing ambitious goals. Last year, AYCF awarded 27 sailing scholarships and continued working with community partners such as Seafarers Yacht Club, Box of Rain, and Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating to make on-the-water experiences available to more people.
The interview also highlights the Foundation’s High Performance Fund and its support of local sailor Leo Boucher as he campaigns toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Kathy and Rob share inspiring examples of young people whose confidence, skills, and lives have been transformed simply because someone gave them an opportunity to step aboard a boat.
The conversation offers a closer look at how AYCF’s donors and partners are extending the impact of sailing throughout the greater Annapolis community.
Listen to the full Eye On Annapolis interview to discover how the Foundation is opening pathways to the water—from a child’s first swim lesson to the highest levels of competitive sailing below!
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