What began as Day On The Bay in the late 1980s and continued to provide a day of powerboat rides, carnival rides and fun for physically and mentally challenged children and adults for the next 30-plus years, Shore Dreams For Kids in Seaside Heights, N.J., is ending its incredible run. Shore Dreams board president Geralyn Monroe announced the decision this morning in a post on the organization’s Facebook page.

For one day each summer, Shore Dreams For Kids gave joy not only to its participants, but to all the volunteers—such as Steve Lane (above) in his Skater Powerboats 318 catamaran—who made it happen. Photo courtesy/copyright Tim Sharkey/Sharkey Images.

“I’m sad to report that our time as an organization has come to an end,” Monroe wrote. “After 15 years I have decided to step down. In addition to my departure, (dedicated longtime board member) John Marotta has decided to step down as well.

“Times have changed, people’s lives have changed and grown in different directions, but in a positive way,” she continued. “However with these changes, the time needed to dedicate to the event has become harder and donations aren’t so easily to come by making it more than challenging to continue to fund the event in a manner in which it has grown into after all these years. We had an amazing run. But like they say ‘all good things come to an end.”

For many well-known members of the Garden State high-performance powerboating community such as Tom and Andrea Anselmi, Dave Patnaude, Bob and Madelyn Christie, Mark and Sheri Munro, longtime event photographer Tim Sharkey and many more, Shore Dreams became a touchstone event during the years. The annual happening became a day of giving back, but more than a few participants, such as former Shore Dreams board member Dave Patnaude, always said they got more out of the even than they ever gave to it.

“I know firsthand how much work, time and effort goes into producing such an amazing event every year,” he said. “Shore Dreams for Kids touched thousands of lives over the years and I know the memories for both the volunteers as well as the attendees will live forever.”

Added Monroe in her post, “We would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has throughout the years help make this event what it was, which was nothing short of amazing. We certainly could not have done this for the nearly 17 years that we did without the support of our volunteers and generous sponsors. Thank you all.”

“It is truly a shame that Shore Dreams is ending,” said Bob Christie. “Hopefully, someone will consider reviving it in the future.”

Related Story: Guest Commentary: Learning And Loving At Shore Dreams For Kids