Aglaia crew raise thousands for charity in Palma

The crew of S/Y Aglaia raised more than 30,000 euros for two local charities in Palma in early April with a dock party they put together to make a difference.

The yacht makes its winter base in Palma. In cooperation with Complete Marine Freight, Edmistons, Blue water and STP, its crew decided to give back.

“We felt that we were in a great position to help some local causes,” Chief Stew Laura Cubie wrote in an e-mail. “We are a high-profile yacht with a young and energetic crew, and it is our duty to get involved in local causes.”

Money raised will benefit Mediterranea, an independent humanitarian aid organization to help those in poverty in Mallorca and around the world (http://mediterraneaong.com). Last year, the crew of Aglaia hosted a Christmas party and raised more than 13,000 euros for the kids and collected more than 200 Christmas presents and a transit van full of clothes.

Donations also will help Ondine Association, a small group focused on maritime conservation around the Balearic Islands (asociacionondine.org).

“Apart from fundraising and awareness for our two chosen charities, I really want the yachting community to see how simple this is to raise large sums of money and to encourage each yachting hub to do the same,” Cubie said.

More than 600 people attended the Hawaiian-themed event. The dock, bar and hog roast buffet were decorated with hundreds of flowers hung up by hand, and the yachting community in attendance dressed the part. And when it was over, the party continued at a local bar, which donated one euro of each drink sold back to the cause. All drinks and food were donated, so 100 percent of the money raised — plus 2,000 liters of milk for the children — were given to the charities.

“It just goes to show how generous a community we live in,” said Capt. Mark Stevens. “I would love each yachting community to do one of these. It is so easy to set up and helps the local communities, which usually feel very alienated from us. If Antibes, Viareggio, La Ciotat, etc., could do this, imagine what we would have started? It’s a great way of bridging the gap.”

As of press time, money coming in totaled 31,507 euros. They plan to have an even bigger and better event next year.

Lucy Chabot Reed is editor of The Triton. Comments are welcome at [email protected].