Our final port stop in the East Coast Expedition was in Annapolis, Maryland, a hub of maritime activity. We were hosted by Epilepsy Foundation Maryland at the South Annapolis Yacht Center, which is located on Spa Creek, just off the Severn River. We welcomed nearly 70 members of the local epilepsy community and were thrilled with the army of volunteers who helped make this event so successful.

After registering and receiving their t-shirt and give-away bag, families were able to pick up a bag lunch and have a picnic, while a magician wandered the crowd making balloon hats. Dessert was a choice between ice cream or donuts. Rahel Rosner, Chief Financial and Operating Officer at Epilepsy Foundation, welcomed everyone and introduced Phil, who spoke a little bit about his epilepsy journey and the Sail For Epilepsy mission.

Following a brief magic show, the nautical activities began, where everyone had the opportunity to learn to tie knots, find the north star, play the signal flag decode game, and make their own signal flag that we’ll make into the Annapolis port stop flag to be flown on future voyages. Others continued to enjoy the beautiful afternoon, make new friends, and take their turn snapping photos at the photo booth.

We finished the afternoon with the One More Step Challenge activity, where Phil asked everyone if there was something extra that they could do, to live a fuller life. We are thrilled to welcome 21 new Virtual Shipmates to our crew, who will have their name displayed on the boat as Sail For Epilepsy sails the oceans of the world. Chrissy is going to volunteer at a soup kitchen. Mason is going to walk the Appalachian Trail, which is 2,190 miles long! Harrison is going to tell a friend about epilepsy. John is going to take his wife for walks and make sure that she takes her medicine. Melanie is going to do 10 sit ups and 10 pushups per day. Kate is going to educate her friends and family about epilepsy. These are all great steps and we’d love to hear about the progress you’re making towards your goal!

Thanks to our hosts as well as to the generous volunteers and sponsors for a wonderful day of events supporting the Annapolis epilepsy community.

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