Skip to content

Surfrider gets big donation from Jamie's Whaling Station

“That will include six beach cleans that the students will organize themselves."
13720tofinonewsSurfWeb
Surfrider Pacific Rim chair Michelle Hall and beach clean co-ordinator Sarah Greenwood graciously accept a donation from Jamie's staff Stephanie Ramos

NORA O’MALLEY

nora.omalley@westerlynews.ca

 

Surfrider Pacific Rim unwrapped a whopping $14,605 windfall courtesy of Jamie's Whaling Station on Wednesday night.

Jamie's director of operations Corene Inouye said the donated funds were collected through their company's “Research, Rescue and Education” fee, a $3 surcharge tacked on to each passengers' adventure tour fares.

We contribute these funds annually to local, non-profit organizations that are committed to a variety of projects involving whale and wildlife research, marine-related education, marine and inland search and rescue, and various environmental initiatives,” said Inouye.

Surfrider plans to put the generous donation towards the foundation's 2017 “Love Your Beach Clean” campaign. The campaign involves monthly, local beach clean ups and at least two remote beach cleans, including Cow Bay on Flores Island.

Surfrider Pacific Rim chair, Michelle Hall, said it took about a year to develop the campaign.

The big spend will be the remote clean ups,” said Hall. “We'll need to have a barge, have a boat, and if we're remote cleaning that usually involves camping. So it will be like a three night meal and camp. We need to feed our volunteers and make sure they do lots of work so feed them good food.”

Aside from the remote beach cleans, Surfrider also wants to supply all the schools in the Pacific Rim region with beach clean kits. Starting in January, the non-profit environmental organization will be supporting the oceanography course and the Nuu-chah-nulth Trash to Treasure program at Ucluelet Elementary and Ucluelet Secondary schools.

That will include six beach cleans that the students will organize themselves,” said Hall.

Additional funds will also be allocated for shuttle transportation to beaches like Wickaninnish, Florencia, and Schooner Cove.

You don't have to take a million cars. Here's a shuttle and we'll take everyone there,” Hall said.

Surfrider Pacific Rim's new website is set to launch on New Year's Day. Anyone interested in joining a beach clean is encouraged to visit: https://pacificrim.surfrider.org/ or pick-up a Love Your Beach Clean program at your nearest surf shop.

The first beach clean of 2017 is on Jan. 1 at North Chesterman's from 1-2:30 p.m.

The Surfrider Foundation is one of many recipients of the 2016 funds raised by Jamie's. Past and present recipients of include, but are not limited to: Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society, Raincoast Education Society, Pacific Wildlife Foundation, Ucluelet Aquarium, Pacific Rim Marine Search and Rescue Society and West Coast Inland Search and Rescue.

Since 1997, Jamie's has raised over $1 million through the “Research, Rescue and Education” fee.