Just When You Thought Dad Had Everything
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Frances Cone is a Save the Manatee Club member
and volunteer who lives in South Carolina. |
For further information, contact:
Janice Nearing,
Director of Public Relations
Phone: (407) 539-0990
E-mail: jnearing@savethemanatee.org
Note: An electronic version of this press release and a high resolution jpeg (300 dpi) of Frances Cone or a manatee image are available upon request.
For Immediate Release:
May 22, 2006
June is the month where the focus is on fathers. Whether it’s your own, your children’s dad, your grandpa, or a special father figure, people are on the lookout for that wonderful, unique gift for Father’s Day. Don’t just add to his unused stash of stuff this year! Adopt a manatee for all those dads out there who have a real love of nature.
For $25, you can adopt an endangered manatee from Save the Manatee Club, a non-profit organization that was started in 1981 to raise awareness about these fascinating marine mammals.
The adoption package includes a certificate, a photo of a real manatee, biography, a one-year membership in Save the Manatee Club, a 28-page membership handbook, and a subscription to the Club’s newsletter, TheManatee Zone. Or for $35, each new member who joins the Adopt-A-Manatee program online will also receive a free Save the Manatee Club cap.
Frances Cone from Pawleys Island, South Carolina has been a member and volunteer of Save the Manatee Club for the last 15 years. She recently adopted a manatee for her cousin Billy and his wife in Fort Worth, Texas. “Here’s someone who had everything,” said Frances, “so I figured this way he and his wife could learn about and enjoy a wonderful animal, and I’d be helping the manatees at the same time.”
It can be quite a fun challenge choosing a manatee to adopt from the 30 available in the Club’s three programs at Blue Spring State Park, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and Tampa Bay. Some people like to ponder over their choice – should they pick “Doc” because their grandfather’s a physician, or “Crazy Nick” because, like Nick, their husband’s quite the comic. The decision-making process is delightfully different for everyone.
Frances, who has adopted a number of manatees over the years, sometimes by name, sometimes by their history, first chose Margarito many years ago, and recently she adopted Phyllis, both from the Blue Spring program. She also adopted Merlin and Rosie for her granddaughter’s classrooms. Besides being active for Save the Manatee Club, Frances, now retired, volunteers for a variety of environmental organizations in her community. A big manatee and turtle fan, Frances also enjoys the company of her three cats.
There are only about 3,000 manatees left in the United States today. Found in Florida waters year-round, they are injured or killed by boats, which are the leading known cause of their mortality. Manatees are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Funds from the Club’s three adoption programs go toward education and conservation efforts.
“I care about manatees, and fear they are going to become extinct if we’re all not more conscious of their problems,” said Frances. “Save the Manatee Club is doing a good job in getting the word out about the plight of the manatees.”
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