PortSide NewYork Fundraiser Is Tomorrow!

Not doing anything tomorrow? Don't forget that PortSide NewYork, the Brooklyn folks who brought you opera on the Mary Whalen tanker and the revolutionary Kayak Valet, are going to hold their first-ever fundraiser on Saturday, June 13, from 6 PM to 9 PM.

Nydia Velazquez will be on hand at the event, to take place at the Brooklyn Lyceum at 227 Fourth Avenue at President Street. PortSide NewYork bills itself as "a young, innovative non-profit organization developing diverse programs about water and the waterfront, and moving soon to Atlantic Basin."

Tickets are $50, and can be purchased at: http://portsidefundraiser.eventbrite.com.

In conjunction with the fundraiser, PortSide is holding an auction on eBay that will expire after the fundraiser on June 17. Items to be auctioned include a gantry crane tour, blacksmithing lessons, tickets for ferries and charter vessels, works from Brooklyn artists, an antique stove and a sailboat.

PortSide is soon to get our first publicly accessible home. The New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is negotiating directly with PortSide NewYork to create a home for the boat in Atlantic Basin, next to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. This will include a berth for the Mary Whalen (below), a pier where they will host "visiting vessels of every description, and an interior space that will house programs and interpretive spaces. Visible from PortSide will be huge cruise and container ships, gantry cranes at work, tugboats, charter, excursion and historic vessels."

Anything that bring Brooklynites closer to their waterfront is a good thing. Show your support!