Hyde Park resident Ruben Hernandez honored as a Harbor Hero

On Thursday, October 6th, hundreds of corporate and civic leaders, elected officials, and community partners joined Save the Harbor/Save the Bay at the Lawn on D at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to honor the 2022 Boston Harbor Heroes at the organization's annual Destination Boston Harbor gala. Among those honored was Ruben Hernandez of Save the Harbor’s Youth Environmental Education Programs.

"Each year, Save the Harbor honors Boston Harbor Heroes for their commitment to Save the Harbor's mission, our community, and the Harbor," said Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's Executive Director Chris Mancini. "We are proud to honor Ruben as a 2022 Boston Harbor Hero for his important role he played in making Save the Harbor/Save the Bay the Boston Harbor connection for the region’s youth and families.”

Hernandez was honored for his work as a Save the Harbor youth environmental educator. Hernandez is known as the “fishing expert” among other Save the Harbor summer staff members. He works with local youth to teach them how to fish and make sure they are continually learning about marine life in Boston Harbor and engaging in the STEAM curriculum.

Not only has Hernandez volunteered to work nearly every Better Beaches event, he also held the role of first mate on every Catch of the Day Fishing Trips this year. “Ruben's dedication to the program is always apparent, whether it’s getting up before 5am to get to the early morning staff meetings, mentoring younger staffers in the college process, sharing his knowledge of fishing, or just giving general life advice to those who ask,” said Save the Harbor’s Deputy Executive Director Kristen Barry. “He is a constant source of energy that we have had the pleasure of being around for the last three summers.”

Save the Harbor also honored Bryan Koop and Boston Properties for their service to the Boston Community, Maureen Mazrimas of Friends of Wollaston Beach for her clean water advocacy, MWRA and BioBot for their commitment to health and safety during the COVID pandemic; Nicole McClain of Northshore Juneteenth Association for her work promoting diversity and inclusivity and former staff member Trevor Etheridge (1992-2022) for his longtime dedication to the organization’s mission.

“This summer Save the Harbor was back on the water to Share the Harbor with everyone”, said Mancini. “It was a true pleasure to gather with all of our partners and friends at Destination Boston Harbor to celebrate our collective accomplishments in making our harbor, beaches and waterfront increasingly more welcoming, inclusive, and accessible for everyone regardless of your race, ability or language spoken at home.”

This year's event featured a terrific auction with exciting getaways including an idyllic beach house in the Dominican Republic as well as Harpoon private beer tastings, staycations at local hotels with dinner pairings, sports tickets, fishing trips, golf packages and more.

According to Save the Harbor's Development Director Patricia Salic, this year's Destination Boston Harbor Gala and Auction raised nearly $400,000 to support free events and programs for kids and families on the Harbor, the islands, and all of our region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket. "Thanks to all our sponsors and donors for supporting our work to restore, protect and share Boston Harbor."

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the work they do, please visit savetheharbor.org or follow @savetheharbor facebook, instagram and twitter.