Win Some Hearts this Valentine’s Day!
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Shane Beranek (Photo courtesy of Krista Daniels.)
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For further information, contact Janice Nearing,
Director of Public Relations
Phone: (407) 539-0990
E-mail: jnearing@
savethemanatee.org
Note: A high resolution jpeg (300 dpi) of a manatee image as well as a photo of Shane Beranek are available upon request.
For Immediate Release
During 2006’s Christmas vacation in Florida, 8-year-old Shane Beranek from rural Minnesota fell in love with manatees. “It was love at first sight,” says his mother, Krista Daniels. “Shane’s Grammy took him to see the manatees at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, and he hasn’t stopped talking about them since.”
A couple of months later back home up north, Krista decided to adopt a manatee for her son for Valentine’s Day. She chose Chessie from the 32 manatees featured in Save the Manatee Club’s three Florida adoption programs. “I picked Chessie because Shane found a book in his school’s library about a traveling manatee named Chessie. It told the story about a manatee who wandered up the East coast and became famous for it. Shane thought it was cool that it was a true story,” explains Krista.
Manatee adoptions have become increasingly popular as Valentine’s Day gift alternatives. Chocolates and long-stemmed roses don’t last, whereas adopting a manatee is a long-lasting, symbolic gift from the heart – plus it’s affordable. For $25, your loved one will receive an adoption certificate, photo of a real Florida manatee, biography, membership handbook, a subscription to the Club’s quarterly newsletter, The Manatee Zone, and the bi-monthly e-newsletter, Paddle Tales. Or for $35, each new member who joins the Adopt-A-Manatee program online will also receive a special plush manatee. Each adoption comes with a personalized Valentine’s Day gift card.
About 3,000 manatees remain in the United States today, and they are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the World Conservation Union.
“Manatee deaths from boat strikes and the destruction of the manatee’s habitat from rampant growth must be brought under control,” explains Patrick Rose, Executive Director for Save the Manatee Club. “According to state researchers, 50% of the statewide manatee population could be lost in the next 45 years from rising threats to the manatees’ long-term survival.”
Manatee fans like young Shane are more than a little concerned about what is happening to Florida’s manatees.
“Whenever Shane sees a picture of a manatee with scars on his back, he gets very sad and upset,” says his mom. “Save the Manatee Club is vital to the manatees, and we’re just glad the Club is here to help them!”
The Club’s Adopt-A-Manatee program helps to fund education and public awareness endeavors; research, rescue, rehabilitation, and release projects; and advocacy and legal efforts to help protect manatees and their habitat. Save the Manatee Club, a national, nonprofit advocacy organization, has been working to protect manatees and their habitat for over twenty-six years.
For more information about manatees or the adoption program, contact Save the Manatee Club at 500 N. Maitland Ave., Maitland, FL 32751, call 1-800-432-JOIN (5646), or visit their web site at www.savethemanatee.org. Also, sign up for the Club’s free E-Newsletter.
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