A message from Gary DeSanctis, VP & Group Publisher of AIM Marine Group, a Division of Active Interest Media

Dear Friends, Colleagues, Family and Readers:

As you may have seen and heard, many coastal communities in the Northeast were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.  One of our marine industries beautiful coastal towns, Long Beach, NY, was devastated.

Most of the families in Long Beach have lost everything they own (including their cars) and are still without power, heat and hot water. For me, I fondly remember growing up and going to Long Beach and enjoying this beautiful coastal community with my family.  The mere thought of so many of our marine enthusiasts that reside in Long Beach, not being able to enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner, is more than upsetting and something I cannot stand idly by and watch.

With that, I am pleased to annouce that the AIM Marine Group, together with Swingbelly's BBQ, a local restaurant in Long Beach that has become the beacon of light during these difficult times. I am pleased to be working together with Sean & Kelly Sullivan from Swingbelly's BBQ to make this Thanksgiving a little brighter for the residents of Long Beach.  It is with this mindset, that we hope to feed thousands of people and families on Thanksgiving Day in Long Beach.

To do our part, I am respectfully requesting that our readers, advertisers and employees join together to help this community enjoy Thanksgiving.  Help us feed a hot Thanksgiving Dinner to as many families as we possibly can.  With your help, the tremendous volunteer network of our partner organizations and the cooking capacity of Swingbelly's, we hope to restore a Thanksgiving spirit within the community.

Together with Skudin Surf, Surfforall.org, the Long Surfers Association, Sean & Kelly Sullivan and the entire Swingbelly's BBQ, as well as our AIM Marine Group, I KNOW this will happen.

I would like to personally invite you to join myself, my family and my AIM Marine Group family to volunteer in Long Beach on Wednesday, November 21st, and/or Thursday, November 22nd. If you would like to join us, please contact Jen Jones at jjones@aimmedia.com and she will coordinate the volunteer effort.  If you cannot join us, I ask that you click on the 'make a donation' tab to help with this tremendous cause.

I personally thank you for your help and wish you and your family an incredible Thanksgiving.

Best Regards,

Gary DeSanctis

VP, Group Publisher

AIM Marine Group

If you would like to learn more about the organizations we are partnering with: Please feel free to check us out at: Swingbelly's BBQ FaceBook page, www.skudinsurf.com, www.surfforall.org, www.longbeachsurfersassociation.com or any of our AIM Marine Group Websites and FaceBook pages: www.yachtsmagazine.com, www.passagemaker.com, www.soundingsonline.com, www.boatquest.com, www.sailmagazine.com, www.powerandmotoryacht.com and www.showmanagement.com