Twelve years ago Sail Martha’s Vineyard started the Vineyard Cup Regatta as a way to direct its fundraising efforts to a broader constituency than just those businesses and individuals here on the Island, many of which probably are approached virtually every day by one nonprofit or another. The good news is that we’ve been successful in decentralizing our fundraising with this strategy. That said, it is still local businesses that remain at the core of our being able to pull off year after year an event that is fun and affordable for the community we serve and the competitors who come from all over the country (and world) to compete. Contributing to our success each year are enterprises like Our Market, Net Result and Tisbury Wharf which have been right there beside us since the beginning of both the seafood buffet and auction and the Vineyard Cup. We could not have accomplished what we have without their support and the support of scores of other local businesses, and we want the Island community to know how extraordinarily generous all of these Island companies have been over the years. Hats off to them!

Brock Callen
Chilmark

The writer is director of Sail Martha’s Vineyard.