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2007 Fundraising Campaign - Marine Turtle Salvation Program |
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THIS IS THE LAST AND FINAL CALL !!!
We Need Your Donation to Meet Our Goal of US$ 10,000!!
Greetings Cozumel Friends & Carnavaleros !!
As most of you know, Cozumel just finished its spectacular annual Carnaval celebration a week or so ago with "The Burning of Juan Carnaval" and as usual, the final parades were quite colorful and animated. We have collected quite a number of photos covering the highlights and parade of this 130 year island tradition. View highlights of Carnaval 2007. In the spirit of the Kid's Costumes Campaigns of previous years, I have used Carnaval 2007 to initiate an annual fundraising drive for the Cozumel Turtle Salvation Program. This email will close out the campaign so please join with us!!
This is LAST CALL in the Fundraising Campaign for the Marine Turtle Salvation Program. After a very strong kick off with Dive Paradise stepping up with their US$ 1,000 donation, things have continued to go well for this inaugural campaign to recruit Turtle Sponsors. With the addition of several new business donors as well as private family donors, we now stand at just over US $5,000 in total pledges as we approach our deadline of March 15th. These pledges are a fantastic accomplishment for our first year however, WE STILL NEED PLEDGES OF ALL SIZES TO REACH OUR GOAL AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT!! This amount does not yet include several donors who have sent actual supplies to use nor does it include one donor who is offering a very deep discount on an ATV purchase.
And remember, you can easily donate and participate as a Turtle Sponsor from the USA & Canada as well from here on the island so don't let distance be a barrier!! It's easy and details will follow once you make a pledge!!
In my last email, I introduced to you the Coordinator of Cozumel's Marine Turtle Salvation Program, Cristopher Gonzales Baca. Cris has been very excited to see so many Turtle Sponsors come forward these past few weeks to participate in this fundraising campaign. However, he wants to help urge MORE DONORS TO COME FORWARD for Cozumel's Turtles!
Cris works for the City within the Department of Urban Development. From April until November each year, Cris' primary responsibility is managing all aspects of the Turtle Program from conducting Committee meetings to organizing the brigade leaders and developing logistics plans to over seeing the collection of quality scientific data and the preparation of data analysis reports. Seen here accepting donations made by Tim & Noah Criswell on behalf of Healthy Pet Exotics in West Linn, Oregon, Cris is passionate about his work with the Turtle Program and wants everyone to know how much your donations will help the Turtle Program function.
"Not only are the donated items very beneficial, but it helps boost the morale of all the volunteers when they understand that these items were purchased or given by Turtle Sponsors from all around the world who love Cozumel's turtles as much as they do."
So this is FINAL CALL for donations and I sincerely hope to hear from those of you who have not yet pledged. We NEED your support, please!!! We want to reach our goal of US$10,000 this year and would like to have as many donor names as possible in the Turtle Sponsor section of the new webpage being developed so please consider making a pledge/donation to the campaign before our March 15th deadline! The Marine Turtle Salvation Program starts its expenditures in April so it is important to get these funds on hand for this season's use!
I've included below the first email notice about the details of this fundraising drive and the ways you can participate as a Turtle Sponsor in Cozumel's Marine Turtle Salvation Program. A big THANK YOU to all who have already pledged/donated and I sincerely hope to hear from more of you after you receive this email!!
This is FINAL Call for Donations!!!
This is the FINAL Call for Donations!!!
Initially sent early February ~
Greetings Cozumel Friends & Carnavaleros!!
I hope that all of you
are ready for the upcoming Carnaval celebration which will be held February 14 - 21, 2007 which
promises to be as extraordinary and spectacular as ever!
As you may recall, in years
past I served on the Cozumel Carnaval Committee and coordinated a fundraising
campaign to help subsidize the activities of
children participating in the dance competitions held throughout Carnaval
celebration. With the generous support of the American, Canadian and local
community, that fundraising campaign continued for 6 years and
was a much appreciated and very successful endeavor each year.
Last year, in the
aftermath of hurricanes Emily and Wilma, I was not able to get a fundraising
campaign organized. So many of you contacted me as regular, ongoing donors
to the campaign and asked when and where to send your donations. I was
honored by your confidence in me and pleased to know that folks were still
interested in supporting a good community cause. While I no longer serve
on the Carnaval Committee, I am still active in finding donations for the
children's events but on a much smaller scale. However, there are still
many worthwhile community efforts worthy of a large scale fundraising endeavor
and I have selected a very important one to bring to your attention
now.
I am sending this
announcement to launch a Fundraising Campaign for The Cozumel Marine Turtle Salvation
Program. I personally have been working the beaches in the Turtle
Salvation Program for 10 years now. I serve on the managing Committee and
as a brigade leader who goes out each week with the volunteers one night a week
from 10pm until dawn.
The Cozumel Marine
Turtle Salvation Program actually began over 25 years ago as a grassroots effort
by a few concerned individuals who wanted to help the nesting turtle population
of the island survive widespread poaching. Despite little or no funding
and limited manpower over the years, the Turtle Salvation Program continues to
grow and produce amazing results.
This past 2006 Season,
over 100 volunteers divided into brigades and worked every night from May 15
until November 15th protecting the turtles and their nests.
Each year the brigades record amazing hatch rate statistics that show this
species is not yet ready to leave this planet and deserves the best possible
chance we can provide for its survival.
You can read more
about the activities and results of The Turtle Program
here www.cozumelinsider.com/turtles
The Marine Turtle
Salvation Program is a municipal initiative and receives some limited funding
each year. Typically there are enough funds to pay 2 or 3 student
biologists from May until November and then a bit extra for supplies.
However, each year the quantity of nests being monitored increases and the
number of volunteers needing supplies increases so the funds provided by the
City are never really enough to provide the supplies and equipment necessary to
work safely and effectively with the turtles.
The goal of this
Fundraising Campaign is to raise $100,000 Pesos (approx. US$ 10,000) that will
be utilized to improve and elevate the quality of the program by purchasing the
following ~
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Sufficient
quantities of basic supplies such as protective gloves, batteries and
flashlights for each brigade. |
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Sufficient
quantities of radios, GPS and measuring devices for each
brigade. |
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Basic laboratory and
scientific equipment for the biologists to facilitate research and
documentation during the season. |
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Computer/software
and photographic equipment for scientific data collection and
documentation. |
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2 ATV motos to
assist in the patrolling of beaches and movement of volunteers. |
This Fundraising
Campaign is beginning now with PLEDGES AND/OR DONATIONS and the intention of
terminating in time to help support the upcoming season's efforts which will
begin April 15th 2007. This campaign timeframe will also work
well from a donation collections standpoint. The locals wanting to support
the program will have a bit extra to contribute since it is high season and
visitors wanting to contribute can personally deliver their donations if they
plan to be here during these very popular vacation months. By closing the
campaign March 15th, the funds will be on hand and ready for use as
the Turtle Salvation Program begins its work April 15th each
year.
Since
this is the FIRST Fundraising Campaign for the Marine Turtle Salvation Program
of Cozumel, it is with great pleasure I announce that Dive
Paradise has
kicked off the 2007 Campaign with a US$1,000 donation! (Thank
You Apple!!!)
This Turtle Salvation
Program Fundraising Campaign will begin now with PLEDGES OR DONATIONS and run
until March 15, 2007. We
will do our best to post interim status and recognition of donors on a special
page on the City's website as well as cozumelinsider.com so everyone can
keep tabs on progress in the fundraising. The final deadline for receiving
contributions is March 31, 2007 since the season begins shortly thereafter.
I kindly ask all of
you to please consider donating to this cause and taking a more active part in
helping conserve one of Cozumel's most precious
treasures: the nesting sea turtles. Making a donation is
easy and will be explained in the next email update. I will also use the
next email to introduce the Coordinator of the Turtle Salvation Program,
Cristopher Gonzales Baca, so that he may share a few words directly with
you.
My own personal
concern regarding the turtle program and its continued effectiveness lies in the
increasing pressure being placed on the City by developers who want beachfront
properties. For all of these millions of years, Cozumel's east side has been wild and left to nature and
this is where the turtles return every year.
If the City yields to the
pressure to develop all of the east side of the island, then the turtles will
have no nesting grounds to return to annually and it will most likely mean even
further reduced funding for the Turtle Salvation Program because the turtles
will then be considered "in the way" of development and in no need of
protection. This is why the Fundraising Campaign is a critical
endeavor. Right now, the Program needs supplemental funds for
critical supplies and scientific equipment but the funding needs could be
greater in the future. We must try to ensure that development
"co-existing" with nesting turtles is not only appropriate but absolutely
necessary due to the broad based support of the community for Turtle Salvation
in Cozumel.
By initiating this
Fundraising Campaign and by organizing/documenting (via a website) the existence
of a broad based support group for Cozumel's Turtle Program, hopefully the City
will begin to recognize the value that others see in leaving at least part of
the east side "just as it is" ~ home to nature and the
turtles. The next section of
information below details the various ways in which you can participate in the
fundraising drive and the recognition items received for the various levels of
participation. So please review it, think about it and email me your pledge
amount or make a donation as soon as possible!!
Please pass this on or
forward to anyone you feel might be interested in donating to help the Turtle
Salvation Program of Cozumel in
2007!!
Sherri Davis
Cozumel Marine Turtle
Salvation Program Volunteer 1998 - 2007
COZUMEL MARINE TURTLE SALVATION PROGRAM FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN 2007
The Presidente
Municipal & the Cozumel Marine Turtle Salvation Committee of 2007 have
kindly invited us to participate as "Turtle Sponsors" to raise funds for the
needs of the Program for the 2007 Season which begins April 15, 2007.
COMPANIES AND GENERAL PUBLIC TURTLE SPONSOR LEVELS
SPONSOR LEVEL |
INCLUDES |
DONATION |
LORA |
Recognition Certificate
Public
Thank You on website |
$50-999 Pesos
(US$ 5 - 10) |
CAREY |
Recognition Certificate
Public Thank You on website
4 Turtle Program t-shirts |
1000-2,999 Pesos
(US$ 100 - 299) |
BLANCA |
Recognition Certificate
Public
Thank You on website
8 Turtle Program t-shirts
Recognition
with logo on website
CD
with the final results of the program |
3,300- 4,999
Pesos
(US$ 300 –
499) |
CAGUAMA |
Recognition Certificate
Public
Thank You on website
12
Turtle Program t-shirts
Recognition
with logo on website
"Tripticos"
of the program
CD
with the final results of the program |
5,000 – 14,999 Pesos
(US$ 500 -
1,499) |
LAUD |
Recognition Certificate
Public
Thank You on website
20
Turtle Program t-shirts
Recognition
with logo on website
"Tripticos"
of the program
Company
logo on banners displayed in strategic places
CD
with the final results of the program |
More
than 15,000 Pesos
(US$ 1,500+) |
*** NOTE: Sherri Davis
volunteers her efforts as a service to the Turtle Salvation Program and receives
no portion of donations made. |
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