Fish & Wildlife Foundation of FL to Host Conservation & Hurricane Irma Relief Fundraiser
For immediate release: October 18, 2017
Contact: Andrew Walker, Foundation President & CEO, 941 809-7805 or [email protected]
Fish & Wildlife Foundation of FL to Host Conservation & Hurricane Irma Relief Fundraiser
Tampa, FL (October 18, 2017) – Florida conservation, outdoor youth programs and Hurricane Irma assistance are the beneficiaries of this week’s BlueGreen 2017 fund raiser at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa.
More than 40 Florida companies are sponsors of the Saturday, Oct. 21st evening event, which is being held by the nonprofit Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida. Principal sponsors include the Mosaic Company, Hancock Whitney Bank, Contender Boats and Bass Pro Shops.
“We are proud to partner with the Fish & Wildlife Foundation to support their continued conservation efforts and their promotion of outdoor recreation,” says Mosaic’s Mark Kaplan, VP of Phosphates Service. “Recognizing the impact that so many of our neighbors and employees experienced as a result of Hurricane Irma, BlueGreen 2017 provides our community and our company with an opportunity to give back to FWC’s first responders as their families also recover from the storm.”
One hundred, twenty-five FWC staff traveled to Houston to rescue more than 500 people caught in the floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey, then returned to Florida to help with rescue and recovery of people and wildlife stranded by Hurricane Irma. Dozens of FWC staff had their own homes damaged or destroyed by Irma. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will be dedicated to the Foundation’s goal of raising $150,000 for Irma relief.
“We’re very pleased to have Mosaic support our efforts,” said Foundation CEO Andrew Walker. “They are consistently included in Corporate Responsibility magazine’s list of companies with strong records of corporate citizenship, and in 2016 were recognized internationally for their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam will be the featured speaker. Commissioner Putnam led successful efforts earlier this year to halt decimation of the iconic Key deer population by a non-native parasitic fly that also presented a danger to Florida livestock.
Other prominent BlueGreen sponsors include the Ferman Motor Car Company, Dex Imaging, BlackRock Asphalt, BKS Insurance, Pure Fishing, Deseret Ranches, Harrod Healthcare Development, HDR Engineering, Allstate Insurance Co., Kimmins Contracting, Southern Strategy Group, Marine Towing of Tampa Bay, Alfonso Architects, USAmeriBank, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, FPL, RIPA & Associates, Bertram Yachts, Radiant, TECO, Team Cone [Distributing] and Publix Super Markets Charities. Organizational supporters include the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Captains for Clean Water and Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing! Inc. and others.
“Our Foundation is very pleased to have such outstanding support,” event co-chair Preston Farrior said. “We sincerely thank all of our sponsors. A love of fishing, boating, hunting and wildlife conservation unite us all.”
Individuals wishing to know more and contribute to the Foundation’s Hurricane Irma relief fund for FWC staff and the recreational fishing industry can visit www.flfishdev.wpengine.com/Irma. For more information about attending BlueGreen 2017, please visit www.BlueGreen2017.org.
About the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida
The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other public and private partners to conserve Florida’s outstanding fish and wildlife. The charity watchdog Guidestar rates the Foundation as a “Gold” organization; more information can be found at http://wildlifeflorida.org.