Raising Money To Save The Sea Turtles In Southwest Florida At Wild About CROW

Another weekend in Southwest Florida and another "wildly" successful charity event. This one was for raising money to save and rehabilitate sea turtles in Southwest Florida at the annual Wild About CROW auction. The event brought in just shy of $1 million. CROW stands for Clinic for the Rehabiliation of Wildlife. The refuge is on Sanibel Island. However, the fundraiser was in downtown Fort Myers. It has become the organization's only fundraising event held off the barrier island every year.

Sea turtles and protecitng them are a big deal in Southwest Florida. And until this event, I had no idea that CROW is the only place to help rescue and rehabilitate them between Sarasota and The Keys. The sea turtle enclosures were just one of the many things that were destroyed by Hurricane Ian. The wildlife hosptial is up and running again. Many of the other animal enclosures are also back in operation. However, the turtles still need help. Rebuilding and update the sea turtle rescue and rehab area is expected to cost around $2 million. So organizers were really hoping to raise at least half of that amount at the weekend fundraiser. They are almost there.

The dinner and auction took place at the beautiful, historic Burroughs Home on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River in downtown Fort Myers. Back in the day, the event was held outside on Sanibel. Moving the event into town evolved over the years for a number of reasons and has become a great way to get more participation. Last year's event raised about $250,000. 2024 has been record setting so far for fund raising. However, more money is desperately needed to continue repairs from Hurricane Ian damage.

In addition to the photos below, here is a quick video of the evening. Finally, here are just a few snap shots from Wild About CROW. Love animals? Help CROW reach that $1 million mark. Donations are still being accepted.