On Sunday, July 9, Baykeeper hosted our biggest and most energetic Bay Parade yet! More than 200 swimmers, paddlers, boaters, and volunteers–many with noisemakers and elaborate costumes–celebrated a healthy San Francisco Bay in this annual on-the-water event.
We are so grateful to our sponsors, participants, and supporters for their commitment and enthusiasm for raising funds for Baykeeper and raising awareness of Bay pollution issues. We are pleased to announce that the Bay Parade raised over $95,000 for Baykeeper’s work this year. That’s an amazing contribution to keeping the Bay safe, healthy, and clean!
The Parade included the Golden Rivet swim from under the Golden Gate Bridge to McCovey Cove—a 6.5 mile open-water course. The Golden Rivet Award recognizes the fastest solo swimmer, fastest four-person relay team, and biggest fundraiser. Winners' names are engraved on an award plaque below a solid gold rivet.
Here are the 2017 Golden Rivet Award winners, who showed both remarkable athletic skill and a strong commitment to a healthy Bay:
- Catherine Breed, Fastest Solo Swimmer
- The Olympic Club’s Allison Arnold, Jon Leopold, Tiffany Sudarma, & Quinn Fitzgerald, Fastest 4-Person Relay
- Dylan Tweney and Peter Molnar, Biggest Fundraisers
The Bay Parade finished with a flair in McCovey Cove with costumed on-the-water participants, a kayak-tivist banner lift, and The Fishwives, a live sea shanty band. The finale was broadcast live on the AT&T Park stadium jumbotron at the start of the SF Giants’ game, to cheers from baseball fans enjoying the colorful fanfare. The festivities continued at the Bay Parade after party hosted by San Francisco Bay's very own Anchor Brewing.
Proceeds from the Bay Parade keep Baykeeper on the water, defending San Francisco Bay from pollution, all year round. This event helps keep the Bay clean for everyone who enjoys spending time in and on the water.
A big thank you to everyone who made the Bay Parade such a success, including the Bay Parade on-the-water participants, volunteers, and everyone who made a gift in support of a pollution-free San Francisco Bay. It’s not too late to contribute to a healthy San Francisco Bay at baykeeper.org/donate.
And we look forward to building on this year’s success to celebrate an even bigger event for the Bay next year!
Click here to see photos of the 2017 Bay Parade.
2017 Bay Parade Host Committee & Special Guests:
Host Committee
- Larry Baer, CEO, San Francisco Giants
- Kim Chambers, World Champion Open Water Swimmer
- Matt Davenport, President, Anchor Brewing Company
- Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President, Waterkeeper Alliance
- Michael Kobori, Vice President, Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co.
Special Guests
- Leslie "The Peacemaker" Smith, Professional UFC Mixed Martial Arts Fighter
- Carl "Badwater" Seumanutafa, Professional Mixed Martial Arts Athlete
- Bianca Valenti, Professional Big Wave Surfer
Thank you to our 2017 Bay Parade Sponsors:
Photos above: Drew Bird, top row (http://www.drewbirdphoto.com/); swimmer on boat by Clay Schmitz; rowers by Robert McKinney
