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Annapolis, MD — Annapolis Boat Shows is proud to announce that Paul Bollinger, President and CEO of Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB), has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award. This honor recognizes Bollinger’s extraordinary leadership, vision, and lifelong commitment to making sailing and boating accessible to all.
Bollinger has been at the helm of CRAB since 2016, following his service as a board member beginning in 2015. Under his leadership, CRAB has transformed from a small nonprofit with four boats at Sandy Point State Park into an internationally recognized adaptive sailing organization. Today, CRAB operates out of the Annapolis Adaptive Boating Center, the world’s premier facility designed to provide people with disabilities, underprivileged youth, and recovering warriors access to the Chesapeake Bay.
In 2023, Bollinger oversaw the opening of the $3.1 million Annapolis Adaptive Boating Center, a state-of-the-art facility created through partnerships with the State of Maryland, Anne Arundel County, and the City of Annapolis, as well as significant private support. The center includes the Don Backe Learning Center, expanding CRAB’s offerings to year-round therapeutic programs such as yoga, art, and music.
Under Bollinger’s leadership, CRAB has doubled its community partnerships and increased its service capacity by 50% in just the last year. In 2024 alone, CRAB hosted 96 sailing events, serving more than 1,800 guests, and is on track to welcome over 2,000 in 2025.
Beyond CRAB, Bollinger has advanced sailing as a force for good through initiatives such as founding the Wounded Warrior Sailing Regatta and co-creating the Triple Crown of Charity Sailing Trophy to raise funds and awareness for nonprofit sailing events.
Bollinger’s contributions to the community extend beyond the water. He has served on multiple boards, including the Eastport Civic Association and the Bollinger Foundation, and is a member of the Annapolis Yacht Club. He also holds a U.S. Coast Guard Master’s license.
Bollinger lives in Annapolis with his wife, Elizabeth Stablein Bollinger. They have two adult children and two grandsons.
The 2025 Distinguished Service Award was formally presented at the Sail America Industry Breakfast on October 10th, 2025.
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