Charlie Blair grew up summering on the Vineyard, where he spent most of his days sailing through the waters off the Vineyard coast. His most frequented haunt was the Edgartown Yacht Club (EYC), where he learned to sail at the age of 8.
More than 65 years later, on Friday morning, in that same club where he learned to tack and jibe as a young boy, Blair was honored with a community breakfast officially announcing a legacy scholarship fund in his name, meant to serve the next generation.
“For the club to actually do this is just a tremendous way to give back to the Island,” Blair, who served as Edgartown harbormaster for three decades, told The Times after the breakfast.
“Charlie believes in showing up, helping others, and investing in the next generation,” Katie Kidder, EYC trustee and co-chair of the fund, said. “Through this fund, we hope to carry that spirit forward by creating opportunities for Islanders who demonstrate those same values, and for pursuing education, training, certifications, and career pathways that strengthen our community.”
The scholarship is funded by the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation (MVCF) and is dedicated to Island youth and residents committed to settling on the Island year-round and serving in fields like maritime and waterfront operations, public safety and first responder roles, trade and technical careers, and community service and Island care. It can include coverage of college tuition, trade or vocational school, professional certifications, like a captain’s license or EMT course, or other career pathways.
Blair said that teaching the younger assistant harbormasters over the years, people who were often at the start of their careers in the maritime industry, “was the real joy of the job.” Watching those same assistants grow up, have a life of their own, and bring their children back to the harbor where they started, Blair said, was monumentally meaningful.
Elizabeth Bennet, MVCF program manager, was in attendance at the breakfast, and said that she’s never seen a scholarship fund grow as quickly as this one. Kidder said that the community fund will give 4 percent to the scholarship recipient each year, and so far, they’ve raised more than $100,000.
Members of the committee asked those at the breakfast, who included town officials, law enforcement, and other Island leaders, to think of good prospects for this award. The application opens in January through MVCF, and is due in March. Committee members make the recipient selection in April.
“We receive about 140 to 150 applications each year, but we think that that’s going to expand because of this award specifically, and we hope that everyone in this room will help to make this fund known, and to encourage the type of applicants who have the kind of spirit that Charlie has in mind,” Bennett said.
It’s truly wonderful to see how Charlie’s dedication to Edgartown & its waters have been honored.