Actor and Manatee Fan, John Lithgow, To Visit
Homosassa, Florida on Saturday, September 13
John Lithgow
(Photo credit: Greg Henry)
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For Immediate Release: August 18, 2003
Saturday, September 13 is a date that many Floridians will be circling on their calendars. It's the day popular actor and best-selling children's book author, John Lithgow, is scheduled to spend the afternoon entertaining children at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Homosassa, Florida. This special event is being co-hosted by Save the Manatee Club and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, in conjunction with the publication of Lithgow’s new book,
I’m a Manatee. To celebrate the event, the park will be offering
free admission for two children per accompanying, paying adult.
As a film, television and theater actor, Lithgow has won numerous awards over the years, including four Emmys, two Tonys and two Academy Award nominations. He is well known for his role in the hit comedy series, Third Rock from the Sun. He has also written several children's books and often performs for his young readers at children's concerts across the country. Lithgow was inspired to write his latest book, I'm a Manatee, after seeing manatees at the Cincinnati Zoo. "Several years ago, John was caught in a downpour while visiting the Cincinnati Zoo and ran for cover in the manatee exhibit," said Deb Shapiro, Publicity Manager at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. "While he waited for the rain to stop, he watched the manatees and was so taken by what he saw, he was inspired to write a little ditty to capture their personalities and I'm a Manatee was born."
In addition to visiting the manatees who make their home year-round in the rehabilitation facility at the park on September 13, Lithgow will be entertaining fans and autographing copies of his new hardcover book, which comes with a sing-along CD and will be available for sale that day at the park. Proceeds from the book sales will go toward Save the Manatee Club's conservation and education efforts. The Club will make a donation to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park for a special manatee-related project. To encourage young visitors to attend, the park will be offering free admission for two children per accompanying, paying adult for this special event. Park Manager Tom Linley said, "We are excited and pleased that Mr. Lithgow has chosen Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park to debut his latest children's book, I'm a Manatee, and we look forward to a large turn out for this fun-filled day."
Various manatee and other wildlife activities for the youngsters will get underway at 1:00 p.m in the “Garden of the Springs” area of the park. Lithgow’s performance will begin at 1:45 p.m. and a one-hour book signing session will take place at 4:00 p.m. A special manatee education program alongside “The Fish Bowl,” the park’s underwater viewing area, is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. (Due to time constraints, Lithgow will only be signing copies of his children's books, limited to three per person. Park visitors are asked to please not bring other memorabilia for him to sign that day.)
Save the Manatee Club will be making Lithgow an honorary adoptive "parent" of Rosie, one of the manatees at the park. Park visitors will also be able to join Save the Manatee Club's Adopt-A-Manatee program and receive educational information on manatees.
As part of the September 13 event, Save the Manatee Club and Simon & Schuster will be donating 200 books to school district media centers, county libraries and environmental education centers throughout Florida. "We'd like the children in the whole state of Florida to have access to Mr. Lithgow's new book," said Janice Nearing, Media Relations Coordinator at Save the Manatee Club. "His amusing, adventurous tale of a boy who dreams that he's a manatee will certainly get kids interested in these fascinating, endangered animals."
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is located at 4150 S. Suncoast Blvd. (U.S. 19) in Homosassa, Florida (about 75 miles north of Tampa). The park opens at 9:00 a.m., and entrance fees to the park are $7.95 for adults and $4.95 for children, 3 through 12, but the park is offering free admission for two children per accompanying, paying adult on this day. For more information about the park, call (352) 628-5343.
