Waterspirit Annual Benefit

Joys of the Sea, Waterspirit’s annual benefit, was a resounding success. The outdoor celebration held on June 8 at the First Presbyterian Church of Rumson brought the Waterspirit community back together after an extended shift to virtual programming. The event was filled with community-building conversations, delicious plant-based food and wine, and relaxing harp music.

The highlight of the evening was guest speaker Maria Lopez-Nuñez of the Ironbound Community Corporation. She shared inspiring remarks about her environmental justice work and how she’s helping empower her Newark neighborhood to take charge. Lopez-Nuñez was recently featured in the documentary, The Sacrifice Zone, which depicts the environmental injustice in the Ironbound neighborhood. According to the film’s website, the documentarians “follow Maria as she leads a group of environmental justice fighters determined to break the cycle of poor communities of color serving as dumping grounds for our consumer society.”

During the Joys of the Sea event, Waterspirit Executive Director Blair Nelsen honored Maria with the 2022 Suzanne Golas CSJP Award. The award is presented each year to an environmental champion whose work honors the legacy of Waterspirit's founder.