Patnaude Stepping Down As Shore Dreams Director

Dave Patnaude, the director of Shore Dreams for Kids, the annual event in Seaside Heights, N.J., that provides a day of powerboat rides, carnival fun and food for mentally and physically challenged children, adults and their families, is stepping down after this year’s event in July. Patnaude, who is the president of the New Jersey Performance Powerboat Club, has served as the director of the event for 10 years.

Patnaude (in white shirt) served as the director of Shore Dreams for Kids for 10 years. Photo courtesy/copyright Tim Sharkey/Sharkey Images.

“We had conference call last night with the board of directors,” said Patnaude in a telephone interview this morning. “I had a call the previous night with (board president) Joe Nasso and advised him that I would be stepping down. Last night I told the board members that I will finish out the year and then I am retiring.”

Said Nasso, “I think Dave was an excellent director who served Shore Dreams very well. He will be deeply and dearly missed by the entire board. We look forward to the junior board members following in his footsteps.”

Patnaude officially announced the news to many of his friends, family and associates through his Facebook page earlier today. According to photographer Tim Sharkey, who has chronicled the event for years, Patnaude “kept everything running smoothly during the event no matter what may have come up unexpectedly.”

“He has been the lead man of the operations during the day of the event for as long as I know,” said Sharkey. “He always had an eye in the ballpark (site of the carnival and food service for the day) as well as what was going on at the docks.”

Patnaude said he will miss working with his fellow board members. But what he’ll miss most, he emphasized, will be spending time with the chidlren and adults served by the charity.

“I am truly blessed to have met so many special people over the years and to have made their lives different, just for a day,” he said.

Added Patnaude in his Facebook post this morning, “As tough of a decision as it was, I feel great knowing the charity is in the great hands of the remaining board members and more importantly the Junior Board Members who will see that Shore Dreams for Kids continues on for many years to come.”