Winds of Change | Clearwater Community Sailing Center

Winds of Change at CCSC

Supporting Youth Sailing Scholarships

About Winds of Change

Winds of Change event is an annual fundraiser for Clearwater Community Sailing Center. With your support – as well as local individuals, businesses, and foundations – we can provide free sailing instruction for children of Pinellas County. You are making a difference in young people’s lives that will endure a lifetime, now more than ever. This year we are working on an event to raise funds to scholarship several kids through summer camp and year round sailing lessons at CCSC. We are currently trying to accommodate families from Hope Villages in St. Pete and the Grace House in Clearwater, Florida Sherriff Youth Ranches, City of Clearwater, SailFuture and additional organizations. Offering these children an opportunity to experience the outdoors while learning a life skill on many levels.

This event has several elements to make it successful and reach as many individuals as possible, these include:

Annual Boat Parade

CCSC Partners with Brian McAllister, Pinellas County Center for the Arts @ Gibbs High School & Gibbs Mural Club Advisor and his students who are Local Pop & Street Artists. They showcase their artistic talents promoting values of inclusion and promoting respect and appreciation for oneself, others, society via sail art expression in our beautiful natural coastal environment.

The students paint 9 Opti Sails that are used to connect Art, Inclusion and Sailing. CCSC uses Opti boats with the Pop & Street Sail Art to create a floating art boat parade around Clearwater Bay to display the students' works.

Check back in early Spring 2026 for this year's parade route.

Annual Winds of Change Night Event

Our Annual ‘Winds of Change’ Fundraiser is hosted every year at the Clearwater Community Sailing Center with live music, food, drinks, silent auction and the year's painted sails on full display. This year the band CocoRed & Nicaea entertained as guests dine and bid on Auction items. Funds go directly to CCSC to expand sailing opportunities including summer camp scholarships and other activities that make sailing more accessible to the community.

Check back in early Spring 2026 for tickets to this year's event.

Fundraising Opportunity

Prior to our annual event, we are hoping to count on your Sponsorship support for the kick-off event and share ways to support CCSC year-round. Beyond the events ticket sales, food/beverage sales and live auction, we are hoping for a new audience, to bring new wind to the sailing center. This is a wonderful time to create ‘Winds of Change’ for those who are not aware of CCSC 501(c)(3) status and commitment to our Clearwater community.

Partnership

CCSC will work to strengthen relationships within the community by partnering with local organizations to provide these campers with the best experiences. Can we count on you?

Why sponsor CCSC?

Clearwater Community Sailing Center is successfully reaching into the local community and building confidence and character through our free sailing instruction.
CCSC seeks to eliminate financial and other demographic barriers that would prevent most kids from learning to sail.
Our sailors reflect the diversity of the larger community as we successfully reach an increasing number of Hispanic and African American students through the local schools and local programs.
CCSC continues to establish and cultivate synergistic collaborations with area agencies such as Haven, Hope Villages, Grace House and Salvation Army in greater Clearwater area.
CCSC relies entirely on private funding from individual donors, and the Winds of Change annual event is poised to become a major source of outreach expansion.
This is a fun way to support our mission and make a lasting difference in the lives of our local youth.