A Canadian design student with a passion for ocean liners, Riley Bugg discovered the SS United States Conservancy the same way many people today learn about new things - through social media. While Riley had been interested in ocean liners for a number of years, it was an ad on Facebook about the Conservancy’s work to save America’s Flagship that piqued his interest further.

Docked along Columbus Avenue on the Philadelphia waterfront since 1996, America’s Flagship is a recognizable landmark for residents of south Jersey and the City of Brotherly love. Driving across the Walt Whitman Bridge to visit her grandmother in south Philadelphia, Ashley Latrella would gaze upon the SS United States with wonder and fascination.

Stephen Bloom’s passion for ocean liners started as a child, after reading about the maiden voyage of another famous vessel, the Titanic. Bloom’s parents had traveled on board the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2), and Stephen had cruised on the SS Norway (formerly the SS France). Fascinated with ships, Stephen Bloom’s first interaction with the SS United States came when he built a model of the Blue Riband holder during his youth.