HOLMES BEACH – The seventh annual Suzi Fox Turtle Watch Wednesday fundraising event held on Oct. 21 raised $31,122, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella.
The proceeds from the fundraiser held at Hurricane Hanks restaurant in Holmes Beach will support the nonprofit Turtle Watch organization. The event is named in honor of former AMI Turtle Watch Executive Director Suzi Fox, who passed away in 2022.
When discussing how the proceeds will be used, Mazzarella said, “It’s going to go to a number of different things this year. It’s going to go toward our educational programs. Another big one is lighting grants we can give homeowners and businesses to get their lights changed out.”
Mazzarella said disorientation by sea turtles remains a problem due to adults and hatchlings crawling landward instead of seaward when attracted to the artificial lighting along the shoreline.
Turtle Watch volunteers monitor sea turtle and shorebird nesting activities on Anna Maria Island’s beaches and use ATVs to conduct their daily patrols during the nesting seasons.
“We may be purchasing more ATVs because we still have one or two that are really old,” Mazzarella said.
The fundraising activities included more than 130 gift baskets and gift cards donated by local businesses for the silent auction. There was also a wine pull, a raffle for a Yeti cooler filled with cheer and a live auction hosted by Bob Slicker.
Sea-renity Beach Spa and Body & Sol Spa and Wellness owner Amanda Escobio donated the proceeds from her chair massages, and Angie Blunt donated the proceeds from a raffle that featured photographs from her “2027 Anna Maria Life: Through the Lens of Angie Blunt” calendar.
Mike Sales performed the live music during the fundraising event attended by an estimated 200 to 300 people.
“It’s incredible to see our community come together with so much enthusiasm for the wildlife we all love,” Mazzarella said. “Every donation, auction bid and helping hand makes a difference in our ability to protect sea turtles and shorebirds right here on Anna Maria Island.”
“Fundraisers like Turtle Watch Wednesday do more than raise money,” Mazzarella said. “They bring people together around a shared commitment to protecting our Island’s wildlife.”
The event has been held at Hurricane Hanks since its inception in 2018 but was paused in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and paused again in 2024 following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
In addition to Hurricane Hanks and Hurricane Liquors, the event was sponsored by A Paradise Realty and Rentals, CabanUp, Mike Sales, Harbor Lane Court vacation rentals and the Anna Maria Island Sun.
To make a donation or learn more about AMI Turtle Watch, visit Turtle Watch website.
