OCEAN CITY — A little over a year since the accident that claimed the life of a former long-time Ocean City local and popular Baltimore restaurateur, a group of Baltimore bartenders carried on his generous legacy last week by recreating his now famous kayak paddle to Ocean City.
Patrick M. “Scunny” McCusker died last August after colliding with an Ocean City bus while riding his bicycle along Coastal Highway in the area of 132nd Street. His passing sent shock waves through the communities on both sides of the Chesapeake, from his former longtime home in Ocean City to his childhood home in Baltimore, where he was an accomplished restaurateur first with his popular Nacho Mama’s in Canton and later his Mama’s on the Half Shell just a few doors down from the original location.
More important, perhaps, than his accomplishments as a successful businessman were his vast charitable contributions and generous spirit, most notably to his favorite charity, the Believe in Tomorrow program in general and its Children’s House by the Sea location in Ocean City specifically. A few years back, McCusker paddled a kayak from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to Ocean City, arriving at the annual Believe in Tomorrow benefit at Seacrets. He raised an estimated $100,000 for Believe in Tomorrow in the process and now, a little over one year after his untimely death in Ocean City last August, some of his colleagues and friends picked up the mantle.
Six Baltimore bartenders, including Nacho Mama’s bartender and former Ocean City local “Delaware” Dave Powell, a
long with Joe Wandishin, Beth Roche, Jeff Mason, Jason Mislan and Steve Twilley recreated McCusker’s feat. Called the “Scunny Memorial Paddle,” the effort was billed as “six bartenders, 175 miles, one great guy, one great cause.”
The crew left Baltimore last Monday, Sept. 9 and arrived Macky’s in Ocean City shortly after 2 p.m. on Saturday. Despite some storms and rough conditions, the crew made good time and actually reached the final destination ahead of schedule last Saturday. They arrived in Bethany on Friday and finished the final 15-mile leg into Ocean City and Macky’s on Saturday afternoon.
Two of the kayakers, Powell and Mislan, towed an empty kayak emblazoned with the Believe in Tomorrow logo the entire length of the trip in honor of their fallen friend. After a few nice words from Believe in Tomorrow founder and CEO Brian Morrison, the happy, but tired crew shared a few Natty Boh’s in honor of McCusker. The kayakers have raised about $47,000, but with a few donations still coming in, they expect to meet their $50,000 goal.