For Immediate Release

The search for memorable gifts is in full swing once again as the holiday season gets nearer. There is a certain special gift that remains a classic, no matter what time of year or occasion. It can’t be found on any rack or shelf, or in the hustle and bustle of stores and shops. It’s a manatee gift adoption, where you simply choose a manatee from Save the Manatee Club’s Adopt-A-Manatee program on their website, or by phone or mail. They do the rest! For $25, Save the Manatee Club will send that special person on your holiday list an adoption certificate, a photo, a life history of an individual manatee, along with lots of other information on this endangered species. Or for $35 each new member who adopts a manatee will also receive a free mousepad featuring unique photo of manatee mother and calf (while supplies last).

People from all parts of the country and from around the world enjoy adopting manatees for loved ones. Douglas and Shelly Fears, Save the Manatee Club volunteers and members from South Carolina, adopted a manatee for their cousins in Los Angeles. “We have an aunt and uncle who adopted a little girl and boy several years ago,” explained Douglas. “My wife Shelly and I wanted our cousins to become adoptive “parents” themselves through Save the Manatee’s Club program, so that they, in turn, could learn more about these precious creatures and share the news about their manatee with their young friends.” Since 1990, the Fears have been “parents” of Merlin, a manatee in the Club’s Blue Spring State Park adoption program, named after the magician in the tale of Camelot. “We even had a plush manatee toy we named Merlin as the ring-bearer at our Hawaiian wedding, and we put his name in the newspaper announcement as a member of the wedding party!” said Douglas.

Volunteer and member Lisa Yee-Litzenberg from Michigan decided to adopt Dana, another manatee, for her friend, also named Dana. “She was absolutely thrilled!” said Lisa. “She enjoys getting alternative gifts that aren’t about materialistic things, but ones that actually make the world a better place.” Lisa’s husband, Dale, also adopts Dana for his wife every year as a Christmas gift. “We go to Florida to try and visit her when we can,” Lisa said. “It’s just so nice to know she is out there somewhere and that we are supporting efforts to ensure manatees will be here for future generations.”

Manatees are quite rare in Florida waters – only about 3,000 of them are left. These harmless, aquatic vegetarians face numerous human-related threats from collisions with boats, ingestion of fish hooks and entanglement in crab trap and monofilament fishing line. In addition, increasing human population growth has resulted in destruction of their habitat. Back in 1981, singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett and former Florida Governor Bob Graham founded Save the Manatee Club, a nonprofit organization dedicated to manatee conservation. Funds from Save the Manatee Club adoptions and donations go toward numerous conservation and education programs to protect endangered manatees and the ecosystems they inhabit.

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Adopt-A-Manatee!

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