Ocean City Beach Patrol Reunion

BY FRED MILLER

THE Ocean City Beach Patrol will be celebrating its 125th anniversary at the 85th annual Reunion/Hall of Fame Party, Saturday, August 12 at 6pm at the Ocean City Historical Museum, 1735 Simpson Avenue.

The reunion is always held the day after the South Jersey Lifeguard Championships. This summer, the 83rd annual rowing and swimming tournament will be held on Friday, August 11, 6:30pm on the Decatur Avenue beach in Margate.

The first South Jersey championship was held in 1924. The OCBP has dominated the tournament winning 34 times. The Ventnor City Beach Patrol is a distant second with 16 wins. Ocean City rowers and swimmers have won the most individual titles.

This year Graham Parker (rookie 2004) and Rachel Boudart (rookie 2008) will be the 115 and 116 lifeguards to be inducted into the OCBP Hall of Fame since 1975.

Graham won or placed second in every OCBP swim championship from 2004 to 2014, and Rachel was the fastest women rower from 2010 to 2014. Both won many South Jersey lifeguard competitions.

The 27th annual Robert Stowe Jr. Award will be awarded to Corby Derr (rookie 1992) for his outstanding service and contributions to the profession of ocean lifesaving in Ocean City.

The following are Stowe Award winners: Fred Miller, George T. Lafferty, Chet Derr Jr., Thomas H. Heist III, Alfred “Bud” McKinley, Vince Hink, Bill Dorney, Joe Grimes, Angelo Psaltis, Joe Schmitt, Anne Copeland Merrill, John McShane, Sam McDowell, Bob French, Jack Brooks, Bill Pugh, Russ Leary, Bob Speca, Jim Sullivan, Chuck Betson, Tom Mullineaux, S. John Loeper, Tony Mehalic, Bob Ogoreuc, Jeff Garbutt, Tom Oves, and Corby Derr.

The members of the Ocean City Beach Patrol are proud of their history and record of accomplishments, and the annual reunion gives everyone an opportunity to celebrate 125-yearold tradition of excellence in the lifesaving profession.