A local non-profit community group, Friends of the Morro Bay Harbor Department, raised $100,000 to help modernize a Harbor Patrol boat.
The group began fundraising in September of 2020 and within a year reached their goal. The contributions include 80% from individual contributors and 20% as a matching grant from Castle Wind.
“I have tremendous respect for the hard work they do on a daily basis, and being able to support them with a $100,000 donation toward retrofitting a patrol boat is an incredible honor," said Bill Luffee, president of the non-profit organization, "That said, I'm really just a facilitator. The real credit goes to our friends and community, to those who purchased art through our fundraisers, participated in our wine auction, and donated money specifically for this cause."
The Morro Bay Harbor Department offers services such as watercraft rescue, firefighting, wildlife rescue, emergency medical aid, pollution cleanup, equipment transport, mooring repair, hazardous material handling, and code enforcement.
The patrol boat is set to be ready by April 2022.