Accessible Miami - A Day on the Bay
*If using a cell phone, hold phone horizontally for better view of photos
Last week our friend Harry Horgan invited us to sail with him on Biscayne Bay. Miami weather cooperated fully, with sunny skies, 16 mile per hour winds, blue/turquoise bay water,--precisely the reason we moved here 25 years ago. Smadar packed the picnic basket full of goods and we headed over to Coconut Grove.
Harry Horgan is the founder of Shake-A-Leg Miami, an organization whose mission is “To utilize the marine environment to improve the health, education, and independence of children and adults with physical, developmental and economic challenges, in an inclusive community setting”.
A native of Rhode Island, Harry became a paraplegic in his early twenties due to an auto accident. He went through a long and rigorous rehabilitation that included a six-week program in New Mexico with Dr. Carl Ginsburg, an expert on the Feldenkrais method and Rolfer Bill Zimmer. The purpose of the New Mexico program was to learn how to walk with crutches and braces. While in New Mexico, Harry fell in the park across the street from his hotel and he recalls telling himself: “Shake a leg Harry, and pick yourself up”. He did just that and spent the entire night in his motel room writing a business plan to start a similar program in Rhode Island.
With a lot of family love and support, he developed a program in Rhode Island which included the two experts from New Mexico - local experts, water activities and more. Everett Pearson, founder of Pearson Yachts designed the Freedom sailboat that enabled persons with disabilities to sail. The boats were later produced by Catalina Yachts. Shake-A-Leg Miami uses Freedom sail boats in their sailing classes to this day. In 1990, Harry and his wife Susie, moved to Miami and founded Shake-A-Leg Miami. With grants from Miami-Dade County and the support of other foundations the organization set up shop by the water in Coconut Grove and through the years, evolved into the supporting organization it is today.
My relationship with the organization began in 2007 when I was searching for sailing classes and ended-up taking them at Shake-A-Leg Miami. Upon completing two courses of four weekends each, I remained as a volunteer and became a program skipper, driving the Freedom boats during many of the events and assisting with the organization’s activities. I met some of my best friends at Shake-A-Leg.
In the summer of 2012 I invited my friend Doug Burris, the legendary director of the Miami Beach Senior High School Rock Ensemble for a sailing excursion. Doug was quadriplegic due to Multiple Sclerosis. It took me a long time to convince him to go out on a sailboat. At first, I thought that he was simply afraid to board a boat in his condition. As we left the dock, Doug began giving me instructions in his deep confident voice on how to operate the sailboat: ”Pull the main, loosen the jib, tighten the halyard….”. In my sixteen year acquaintance with Doug, I had never seen him so excited. It turned out that when he moved to Miami he owned and lived on a 28’ sailboat that was docked nearby in Dinner Key and he had to give it up when his condition worsened. I will forever remember this sailing excursion.
Our plan for the afternoon sailing with Harry was to anchor somewhere in Biscayne Bay and have a lunch picnic on the boat. Harry gave me a refresher course on raising the sails and preparing the boat for departure. The strong wind helped us speed out through Dinner Key Channel. We sailed past Eco Island, an island Shake-A-Leg uses in its educational programs to teach about the environment, sustainability and ecology. We crossed the bay to Key Biscayne, viewed the former Nixon Complex (later used in the movie Scarface), crossed the bay again to Vizcaya and headed back to Shake-A-Leg through the Coast Guard channel. Harry shared the history of the organization and his personal journey through his rehab to building this wonderful organization. He briefed us on how the organization fared through the pandemic and the programs planned for spring and summer of 2021. One must be on a sailboat to feel the power of nature and appreciate moving across the water without using one ounce of fuel. While the strong wind was an amazing contributor to the success of the outing, unfortunately, it didn’t allow us to anchor in Biscayne Bay for lunch. We ended up having our picnic on the third floor of the Shake-A-Leg building with some of the most magnificent views in Miami.
On the way back from the docks we visited The Impossible Dream, a 60’ fully accessible Catamaran that sails the Atlantic shores between spring and fall to raise awareness and work with different non-profit organizations, rehabilitation hospitals and advocacy groups to take their patients and participants sailing.
It is worth noting that Miami is a very accessible city. It is flat and easy to maneuver with wheelchairs. The city is experiencing massive renewal. Almost every intersection, stop sign or pedestrian crossing is fitted for wheelchairs and many crossings have a vocal announcement for the visually impaired. In 2014 a few volunteers at Shake-A-Leg took public transportation from Coconut Grove to Miami International Airport using wheelchairs. The trip included a ride on Metro Bus, Metro Rail and the MIA Mover at the airport. It was an easy ride with pleasant assistance by the Metro Drivers. Powered beach wheelchairs are offered in South Beach, and a new accessible beach park was recently announced on Collins Avenue and 53rd Street in Miami Beach.
This summer Shake-A-Leg Miami will host 250 kids for summer camp. Half of these children have some sort of disability. They will participate in either the Adventure Island Camp or the Marine Academy Summer Camp, a hybrid between fun on the water and virtual distance learning. Other programs starting this May:
Wednesday night sailing
Veterans and general sailing classes on Saturdays
Veterans Fishing Wednesdays – A fishing excursion on a 40’ flat Pearson Pontoon boat.
Family Day – Miami families are invited to participate in a complimentary two-hour water activity, sailing, paddle boarding or kayaking.
Adult Shake Days – Corporate outings and team building programs.
While Shake-A-Leg Miami is an amazing attraction for persons with disabilities, it is also an equal opportunity fun provider for everyone.
For updates on programs, Family Days Reservations, to Volunteer, or any other questions, please review the links and contact information below :
Shake-A-Leg Miami Contact -2620 S Bayshore Dr, Coconut Grove, FL 33133 T. (305) 858-5550
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