URI Sea Shanty Social Club: Singing for a Cause

October 28, 2025
Captain David Hill M.S. '21 recently presented Barbara Sweeney, director of URI's Rhody Outpost, with a $500 donation after a fundraiser by the URI Sea Shanty Club.

Since its founding in 2020, the URI Sea Shanty Social Club (SSSC) has combined a love of maritime music with a mission to give back. The group recently presented Rhody Outpost, URI’s basic needs pantry for students experiencing food insecurity, with a $500 donation.

At the helm of SSSC is Captain David Hill M.S. ’21, who launched the club while pursuing a Master of Marine Affairs degree as a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer. Hill envisioned more than just a singing group; he wanted a way to connect URI’s coastal community through music, camaraderie, and service.

Most of the club’s public performances double as fundraisers for nonprofit organizations, often tied to maritime and environmental causes—from beach cleanups to hurricane relief. The fundraising method is charmingly simple: during each sing-along, a bucket is passed through the crowd, and proceeds go to an organization selected collectively by members.

The club has raised over $7,783 for organizations such as Narrow River Preservation Association, World Central Kitchen, and URI’s Rhody Outpost.

Since hosting its first fundraising event in spring 2023, the club has raised over $7,783 for organizations such as Narrow River Preservation Association, the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, Surfrider Foundation, Buzzards Bay Coalition, and URI’s Rhody Outpost.

“Being a group of ocean-minded folks, we are glad to raise funds for maritime and other important causes locally and globally,” says J.P. Walsh, one of the handful of original members and a professor in the URI Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) 

What began as a handful of sea shanty enthusiasts from URI’s Department of Marine Affairs and GSO has grown into a 30 member crew spanning multiple URI colleges and the local community. For many, it’s far more than a hobby.

“It has been a really important place for students to start building and feeling part of a community,” says Elizabeth Mendenhall, associate professor in URI’s Department of Marine Affairs. She has been a member of the SSSC for the last three years.  

“Dave and I love it when new students, who are usually new to Rhode Island also, join the club. It gives them an opportunity to socialize with members of their academic community in a low-stakes and fun way. For non-students, I think the SSSC is a place where we can try to learn something new in a supportive environment. There is no feeling like getting up on a stage, singing and performing together, and feeling like a group.”

“He opens his home to us for practice, welcomes new members, coordinates our gigs, organizes our sets, and coordinates our fundraising,” Mendenhall says of Hill. Dorothy Hill, pictured right, local bike safety advocate and champion of the club, provides crucial behind-the-scenes support.

Performances have taken place at venues such as Tower Hill Brewing Company, The Pub at Matunuck, The Pump House, and The General Stanton Inn. Beyond fundraising, the club has performed at community events including the RI Calamari Festival, Meadowbrook Elementary, and the R/V Endeavor’s homecoming.

“Our events are always audience sing-a-longs and are always a lot of fun,” says Hill. “It’s really for the love and lore of the sea.”. 

The SSSC’s next fundraising event will be at Tower Hill Brewing Company on Friday, November 14.