The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Monday approved 179 sponsorships totaling $701,430 for a wide variety of community events and projects. The sponsorship program helps the Port of Long Beach engage with and inform local community members about Port projects and initiatives.

For the spring 2022 sponsorship call, the Port received 28% more applications than in spring 2021. Of the applications, 43% were first-time applicants.

To satisfy the demand for community funding, the Harbor Commission approved a $222,150 increase to the $1 million sponsorship budget, bringing the new sponsorship budget total to $1,222,150 for the 2022 fiscal year.

“Nearly half of the applicants in this round were first-timers, which is encouraging. It’s another indication of how the community is emerging from the pandemic,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero.

“With the current economic climate and continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Port is pleased to be able to fund new and returning organizations helping to revitalize our community,” said Harbor Commission President Steven Neal.

Among the many events and programs sponsored in the latest call for applications are Long Beach Community Table’s Sunday Homebound Food Distribution Program, Compound Long Beach’s Art for All Series, and Operation Jump Start’s 2022 Scholars Day Celebration.

Sponsored events and programs help spread awareness about the Port’s operations and initiatives.

The Port accepts sponsorship applications twice a year, in March and September. More information about the Community Sponsorship Program and a list of approved sponsorships can be found here.

The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. As the second-busiest container seaport in the United States, the Port handles trade valued at more than $200 billion annually and supports 2.6 million trade-related jobs across the nation, including 575,000 in Southern California.