San Francisco swimmers raise money to keep China Beach open during government shutdown

By Amanda Hari

Some local swimmers are coming together to raise money to keep San Francisco’s China Beach open. The gate to access the beach was locked because of the ongoing government shutdown, making access difficult. 

“It’s beautiful, look, the sun is setting, it’s a pretty amazing spot,” said David Yacubian. 

Yacubian lives in San Francisco and uses this beach almost every day. He’s also the organizer of an online fundraiser that produced the funds to reopen the beach starting on Nov. 5. 

Yacubian recalls one day in early October when he came by China Beach to find the gate closed. 

“It was locked,” said Yacubian. “I think when the shutdown first happened, it was a beautiful day and people were climbing the fence, going around the fence there, I think there are hundreds of people out there, and they trampled a bunch of the native plants that were put in there and it was unfortunate.”

China Beach is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is run by the National Park Service. When the government shut down, so did the operations for the gate.

Leaving people like Yacubian with no easy way to access the beach, somewhere that has become a part of his routine.

“Oh! Incredibly important,” Yacubian explained. “Especially during the heart of the pandemic. I’d come here with my kids. I’d come here almost every day.”

It’s still his means of exercise. He swims these waters daily.

After hearing about a group that raised funds to reopen Muir Woods National Monument, he reached out to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area to see if he could do something similar.

“They said it’s like $130 a day and that money goes directly to pay the park service employees that are coming to maintain the beach,” said Yacubian. “Which is great because federal employees aren’t being paid right now.”

He started a fundraising page, sharing it with those who love the beach as much as him.

The first person to donate was Heejay Chung.

“China Beach saved my life,” Chung said. “Especially around the peak of the pandemic.”

She’s a healthcare provider and this was her only outlet at that time. Spending time with the other swimmers gave her community.

So far, they’ve raised more than $4,500, but Chung has mixed feelings about the situation.

“It’s a public beach; it should be open,” Chung stated.” And then we have to put in our own money to open it again? This whole shutdown is wrong, but I’m glad it’s open, and everyone else can enjoy it.”

Right now, they have enough funds to keep the beach open for another two to three weeks.

Yacubian has signed an agreement with GGNRA to pay the funds to them. The funds raised from the GoFundMe will go to Yacubian’s bank account and then transferred directly to the National Park Service. The money will be used to pay maintenance staff that will service the Beach trash during the time. 

Staff will be paid without delays because these are private funds. 

Yacubian doesn’t take credit for reopening the beach. He says that’s thanks to the community that donated.

He’s just grateful he could organize it.

“It seemed like it was doable and it was great to come down here to see,” said Yacubian. “There were people crabbing, people swimming, just having a good time. “