Shared Adventures Shares our Sanctuary

(Image description: A group of volunteers pushing an outrigger canoe into the ocean.)

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation was a proud of sponsor of this year’s Shared Adventures’ Day on the Beach event, an annual event where more than 300 people with special needs, 400+ family members and friends, and over 250 enthusiastic volunteers team up to share a full day of adaptive sports—kayaking, outrigger canoeing, SCUBA diving, beach wheelchair rides—and life-changing memories.  

(Image description: An image of Foster Anderson, founder of Shared Adventures, and Elaine Reyes, volunteer and representative of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation standing next to a booth. They are both smiling.)

Founded by Foster Anderson, Shared Adventures is a local nonprofit that has been providing outdoor recreational activities for people with special needs and physical challenges in Santa Cruz County since 1992. Every year, volunteers lay out over 200 pieces of plywood on frames to create a 5,700 square foot platform on the sand that enables individuals to travel over it with ease and participate in activities. Over the past 28 years, Day on the Beach has become Shared Adventure’s most popular event, amassing hundreds of volunteers from other local nonprofits and organizations.  

Here at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, we believe that our ocean is for everyone and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of the event this year. We work to keep our waters healthy so that everyone can find their sanctuary in our bay. We look forward to Shared Adventures’ future events and hope to see you next time at the beach!

(Image description: A group of attendees and volunteers seated and smiling at one of the booths as an artist sketches them.)

(Image description: Empty beach wheelchairs on the sand at Cowell’s Beach in Santa Cruz)