ACB and CRAB Join Forces

 Annapolis, MD (February 11, 2011) -- Annapolis and Anne Arundel County are blessed to have two nonprofit organizations sharing the same mission—overcoming obstacles to give everyone a chance to enjoy boats and boating. Both groups believe that with hundreds of miles of shoreline along the nation’s largest and most productive estuary, no one in this area should go without experiencing time on the water.
  Now, Annapolis Community Boating (ACB) and Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) have agreed to forge a vigorous partnership this spring, with plans to merge.
  In the two years since it was formed, ACB has introduced more than 1,000 people of all ages to boats and boating, most at free or low-cost, one-day events or week-long camps. In its 20-year history, CRAB has specialized in taking disabled people sailing and has touched the lives of thousands. Both organizations have built fleets of boats to serve their needs and today oversee more than 50 boats ranging from kayaks and canoes to motorboats and sailboats.
  CRAB founder Don Backe is also an original member of ACB’s Board of Directors. He supports the merger as a way to continue and expand his organization’s mission by using ACB’s diverse fleet and extensive network of licensed instructors. ACB President Lorie Stout said merging will help solidify the fund-raising base for both groups, thus expanding boating opportunities to the greater Anne Arundel Co. area.
  The name CRAB will be adopted for the new entity, reflecting the commitment to continue serving the disabled community. The obvious fit of the two missions fulfills CRAB’s unstated goal — to integrate with all boaters. CRAB’s fleet of larger boats completes the large number of small craft which ACB has amassed. CRAB’s predominantly adult clients and ACB’s youth emphasis further bolsters the strength of what will become known as CRAB — accessible to all
  The two groups will cosponsor the Spring Sails Event party, a fund-raiser scheduled for May 7 at Port Annapolis, and will share keelboat training events for residents of all ages and abilities while ACB will run two weeks of adaptive summer camps for disabled youngsters at Mayo Beach. Merger negotiations will continue through the summer.
  Said Backe, “This merger will reflect our continued commitment to bringing people out on the water in boats, to providing introduction and training for the skills required to safely operate small craft on the Chesapeake Bay.”