Hands Across the Water travels to Salt Spring Island

||| FROM NATALIE ZOHAR for HANDS ACROSS THE WATER |||

Organizers from Hands Across the Water attended the December Board Meeting for the Orcas Community Resource Center. Hands Across the Water celebrated the bonds of our Salish Sea islands through a fall cruise to Ganges on Salt Spring Island, bringing 21 boats and over 100 people from the United States to enjoy a weekend of friendship, stewardship, and camaraderie with their Canadian counterparts, all starting with a handshake across the bow of Orcas Island’s Nootka Rose and Canada’s, The Providence.

Organizing members strived to make this a “No Loss/No Profit” event with a promise to donate an equal amount of any profits to Orcas Island Resource Center and Transition Salt Springs.

On December 2, 2025, organizers of Hands Across the Water, Ross Newport and Natalie Zohar, presented a check of $2,000 and a box of commemorative Salish Sea maps to Erin O’Dell of the Orcas Community Resource Center. Maps are available to the public upon request by emailing of Keri@orcascrc.org or by stopping in at the Orcas Community Resource Center.

Please continue to support these amazing programs, which keep our communities accessible to all.