Good Morning Gloucester

HONORS PLANNED FOR LEADING ADVOCATE FOR COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN

Proceeds from Dinner Event Will Boost Services for Fishermen and Fishing Families

A woman widely considered to be the most effective long-term advocate for commercial fishermen in the history of New England will be in the spotlight during an upcoming seaside dinner event in Gloucester.

Angela Sanfilippo, President of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, is to be the guest of honor at the Sea to Supper Celebration on Thursday, Aug. 24, at the Mile Marker One Restaurant & Bar, 75 Essex Street, in the Cape Ann Marina Resort.

Beginning at 6:00 o’clock, the Sea to Supper Celebration will feature local, fresh seafood specially prepared for the occasion by Todd Snopkowski of Snapchef, fine wines, oral tributes and displays on Cape Ann fishermen, and more. The set-up of Mile Marker One Restaurant & Bar will allow those attending to enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the Annisquam River and the Cape Ann Marina Resort at sunset.

Tickets, at $75 apiece, may be obtained by going to: sea-to-supper.eventbrite.com, or by calling 978-821-1590.

All proceeds will go to Fishing Partnership Support Services, which Angela Sanfilippo helped found in the late-1990s and on whose board of directors she has served ever since. A non-profit organization, Fishing Partnership Support Services helps commercial fishermen and their families through a variety of free services — from safety trainings, to health coverage enrollment assistance, to disaster relief support.

While honoring Angela Sanfilippo, the Sea to Supper Celebration will also highlight the contributions commercial fishermen have made to coastal communities and to the health of seafood consumers, according to J.J. Bartlett, President of Fishing Partnership Support Services.

“Fishermen risk life and limb every time they go to sea to harvest the healthiest source of protein there is,” Bartlett pointed out. “Fishing was the founding industry of Massachusetts. Fishermen have made imperishable imprints on the history, culture, traditions and economy of our state and region.”

Speaking of the night’s honoree, Bartlett said, “For 40-plus years, there is no one in New England that has done more to call attention to the plight of the fishermen and the condition of the oceans than Angela Sanfilippo. At great personal sacrifice, Angela has worked tirelessly to ensure that fishermen and their families are treated with fairness, dignity and compassion.”

Bartlett noted that, in 2009, Salem State University awarded Mrs. Sanfilippo an honorary doctorate in human letters in recognition of her work in enhancing the health, safety and economic well-being of fishermen and protecting marine environments. She is always quick to remind any audience that “fishermen are environmentalists, too. Fishermen understand and value the oceans more than anyone.”

In addition to her employment as a community health navigator for Fishing Partnership Support Services, Mrs. Sanfilippo serves as president of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, a position she has held for 40 years; as executive director of the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership, an organization of commercial fishermen’s associations from all gear and geographic sectors of the Massachusetts fishing industry; and as president of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund.

Mrs. Sanfilippo is also a member of the Gloucester Fisheries Commission and serves on the boards of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, the Boston Fisheries Foundation, and the Governor’s Commission for the Massachusetts Seafood Marketing Program.

The Sea to Supper Celebration is one of several special events this year commemorating the 20^th anniversary of the founding of Fishing Partnership Support Services. Originally a direct provider of health coverage, the organization has functioned since 2009 as a virtual human resources bureau for the fishermen of New England. It operates out of offices in Gloucester, Plymouth, New Bedford, Chatham and Kennebunk, Maine, and offers, year-round, more than 20 distinct services.

In 2016, the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers named Fishing Partnership Support Services its Community Health Worker Program of the Year.

The 20^th anniversary observances will include a large gala and fundraiser at the conference center on the Boston Fish Pier in September

.