Company Holiday Celebrations: Party with a Purpose

By: Zach McCue, Citizen Action Coordinator

This season, Clean Ocean Action is offering tips on how to green your holiday. Here is the tenth of twelve in COA's '12 Days of Green Giving' series.

Plymouth Rock Assurance at
Seaside Sunset 2013

Every year, Clean Ocean Action holds our annual fundraiser, the Seaside Sunset.  COA welcomes supporters, volunteers, partners, and of course corporate sponsors to attend the event.  Year after year COA is thrilled to see more companies helping to sponsor the event and turn the night into a team building event.  Most notably, Plymouth Rock Assurance has supported Seaside Sunset the last few years and treated their staff to a night of drinks and dancing to benefit ocean protection. With great food, music, and giveaways, many companies have the chance to support Clean Ocean Action while having a great time out of the office.

Photo Credit: Google Images

Many non-profit or charity organizations have holiday functions that tie a fundraiser to the holiday season.  It may be too late for this year, but for next year think about encouraging your office to have their holiday outing supporting a local charity or non-profit.  Not only will having an office outing at a fundraising event relieve your office manager of the logistics and cost of hosting your own party, it will also set an example of service and giving to employees and their families.  Year after year the relationship between your office and the organization (and your respective staff) will grow, making your annual company outing just like home at the holidays.

Another fun way to create a more environmentally-friendly workplace is to consider greening your company birthday and holiday celebrations.  At Clean Ocean Action, instead of exchanging gifts for staff birthdays or a “Secret Santa” for the holidays, we all contribute a modest amount of money to donate to another nonprofit organization.  Each staff member writes a favorite nonprofit on a slip of paper and we draw the winner from a hat.  COA makes a donation in honor of our 'crew' to that organization.

Whether it’s a cocktail reception, green gift exchange, or open bar with live music, consider a charity fundraiser during holidays to party with a purpose with your company!

15th Annual Seaside Sunset, COA Celebrates Environmental Education Programs

L to R: Seaside Sunset Committee Member Debbie Disakis,
COA Executive Director Cindy Zipf and
Seaside Sunset Committee Chair Ann Gilmartin

Vibrant music, dedicated coastal supporters, and delightful food and drink from area businesses and local restaurants set the scene for the 15^th Annual Sunset event, a benefit for Clean Ocean Action (COA), Thursday, October 10 at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch, NJ.  This year’s event supported Clean Ocean Action’s environmental education programs.

COA’s environmental education programs include Beach Sweeps, the largest grassroots environmental event in New Jersey with thousands of volunteers cleaning waterways up and down the coast.  Clean Ocean Action also holds a biannual Student Summit where students become marine scientists for a day and experience hands-on marine environmental education at Sandy Hook, NJ.  School presentations to students of all ages are an additional component of COA’s programs.

The Sunset event gathered supporters of Clean Ocean Action, including ocean enthusiasts, local organizations and corporate partners.  The evening’s menu included a delicious raw bar by Lusty Lobster Seafood Market & Catering, a unique spread of artisan cheeses by Sickles Market, and a buffet designed by McLoone’s Chef Joe Racioppi.  Music for dancing was provided by local favorites and long-time COA supporters - Thom White and The Rogues.  The event invitation featured an image from New Jersey native and dedicated COA ally Ryan Struck, an award-winning surfing photographer.

“Defending the ocean is serious work, but the Seaside Sunset is a fun way to support the ocean.  Fellow friends of the ocean gathered, enjoyed fabulous food from the sea, and had a rocking good time,” said Clean Ocean Action Executive Director Cindy Zipf.   “Our education programs motivate people about how they can make a difference and become the solution to ocean pollution,” she added. 

Plymouth Rock Assurance enjoying the event

Seaside Sunset is sponsored by Plymouth Rock Assurance, The McManus Family, Shore Point Distributing Co., The Bailey Family, Litwin & Provence, LLC, Montecalvo Material Recovery Facility, and Guaranteed Plants & Florist. COA’s auction and raffles were filled with unique, ocean-friendly gifts and services with a focus on New York and New Jersey shops and restaurants.  

COA Showcases Seaside Sunset and Local NJ Surfer

We have received many comments about the photo featured on the cover of this year’s Seaside Sunset invitation asking who has taken such a beautiful picture of the ocean we all love. 

New Jersey’s own Ryan Struck often allows Clean Ocean Action to use his photographs.  Ryan, a long-time friend to Clean Ocean Action, features the New Jersey Coastline in his work as well as local surfers. A surfer himself, Ryan has been a professional photographer for about four years.  First featured in a Hurricane Bill story for Eastern Surf Magazine, his photos can be seen in magazines from all over the world.

During his frequent travels, Ryan often photographs the local landscapes.  On a recent trip to Belize, he captured both the beautiful waters and friendly people who live there.  In Tahiti, he took incredible photos of waves caused by the Teahupoo reef.

Ryan’s award winning photos have been featured in Surfing Magazine, Surfer Magazine, The Surfers Journal, Carve, Surf Girl, Surfline, and Australia’s Surfing Life.  He was also part of the “Within Sight” group photo show in Brooklyn to benefit Waves For Water and those affected by Superstorm Sandy. 

Perhaps Ryan summed up his journey best when he said, “Much like a wave, photography presents me with something different continuously. I've met new people, seen different things and felt new ways about the world around me with a camera in my hand. Time for reflection away from the pixels is probably just as important in my journey as well. Life after photography opened my eyes to difference, details and has really captured my attention. Even more than a passion and means of employment, photography gives me a sense of fulfillment.”

Please join Clean Ocean Action for Seaside Sunset, Thursday, October 10^th 2013 from 6:00-10:00pm at McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch.  

Supporting environmental education programs, the Seaside Sunset will feature a raw bar by Lusty Lobster, tasty treats from Sickles Market, and other local favorites.  

Enjoy dinner and dancing overlooking the ocean with music by Thom White and the Rogues.  

Ryan’s engaging photos can be seen at ryanstruck.com.  

To purchase tickets for Seaside Sunset, click here.

Showcase Your Support for the Shore and Our Oceans

An update from Manager of Development and External Affairs, Diana Reinhardt Paradis:

“Seaside greetings from Clean Ocean Action!  Thanks to the generous support of friends like you, Clean Ocean Action has been working to assist our coastal communities as they recover from Superstorm Sandy and continue to improve and protect the marine environment.  

As we look ahead to fall, I am excited to announce three important opportunities for you to showcase your support for the shore and our oceans:

Seaside Sunset – October 10:  Our fall season will start with a benefit evening that will raise important funds for our youth education programs.  Join us for this special evening by the ocean for the ocean!

Fall Beach Sweeps – October 19:  The largest grassroots environmental event in New Jersey, with thousands of volunteers participating up and down the coast. State, county and individual sites sponsorships available. 

Waves of Action Conference and Awards – December 7:  Our continued response to Superstorm Sandy, the Waves of Action Conference and Awards will celebrate the achievements of the almost 12,000 volunteers (so far this year) who have worked to make improve and protect the marine environment.  


In recognition of the strong support for Clean Ocean Action from the community, we are also pleased to introduce a new benefit.  If your company is a premier level sponsor for an individual event, or sponsors two of the three events listed above, we are pleased to grant your company a complimentary Corporate Beach Sweep – a $1,500 value.  Corporate Beach Sweeps are the perfect team-building event, providing a day of service, learning, and fun in the sun at the shore.  Please visit CleanOceanAction.org to learn more about our Corporate Beach Sweeps.  

Your thoughtful participation as a sponsor would help to ensure that our fundraising efforts take off on a wave of success.  If you are a business owner, or know of a business who might be interested in supporting our ocean protection work and youth education programs, please feel free to contact me anytime.”

For questions about sponsorship opportunities with Clean Ocean Action, contact Diana Reinhardt Paradis at development@cleanoceanaction.org, or by phone at (732) 872-0111.