Oh, What Fun It Is to Give a Manatee!
For Immediate Release
Note: A high resolution jpeg (300 dpi) of a manatee image, as well as a photo of Kelly Hasse and her daughter Alex, are available upon request.
Spread some holiday cheer by giving considerate, animal-loving gifts this year. Green things up and Adopt-A-Manatee® from Save the Manatee Club. Unlike most other animal adoption programs, the manatees in the Club’s adoption programs are real, living manatees with known histories.
For the past 36 years, Save the Manatee Club, an international 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has educated millions around the world about imperiled manatees and the threats to their long-term survival. Through the adoption program, many more are learning about manatees, compassion for animals, and stewardship.
For $25, Save the Manatee Club sends a personalized adoption packet, which includes an adoption certificate, photo and life history of a real Florida manatee, and a fact-filled membership handbook. Four print newsletters and six e-newsletters are also sent to gift recipients throughout the year. Adopt at the $35 level or above and Save the Manatee Club’s 2018 full-color wall calendar is also included with the packet. Shipping is free within the United States. Choose a manatee such as Aqua, Gator, Brutus, Ariel, Rocket, and many charming others. Each manatee up for adoption can be viewed on the Club’s website at savethemanatee.org/adoptees. It’s as fun to select one as it is to give one. From the Lone Star State of Texas, Kelly Hasse, an Environmental Biologist and a member of Save the Manatee Club, adopted “Whiskers” last year as a holiday gift for her 11-year-old daughter, Alex. Kelly says her daughter is very interested in helping the manatees when she grows up, and after Alex discovered that she could adopt a manatee from the Club, she frequently asked if she could join. “I knew adopting Whiskers for her would be the perfect gift,” said Kelly. “We wish we could adopt them all!”
Kelly said Alex was completely overjoyed upon receiving a manatee adoption for Christmas. “In fact, she screamed with glee when she saw the certificate with Whisker’s picture,” said Kelly. “She was happy that she was finally helping manatees and was a member of Save the Manatee Club. Alex said ‘it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.’ Yes, she loves manatees that much!”
Save the Manatee Club was founded in 1981 by former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator, Bob Graham and singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett. The Club’s mission is to protect manatees and their habitat. Its formation was precipitated by Governor Graham’s backstage visit with Buffett, who was concerned for the manatees’ wellbeing and asked, “Can’t more be done to protect them?”
“With the caring support of people like Kelly and Alex, the Club continues to spread the word around the globe about the manatee’s daily struggle for survival,” said Patrick Rose, aquatic biologist and Executive Director of Save the Manatee Club. “We advocate for the strongest possible manatee protection measures like boat speed zones and sanctuaries; habitat protection measures, such as the protection of seagrasses, which are the manatee’s major food source; and public policies that will take into account the manatee’s needs, not just for today, but for long into the future.”
Kelly says that she appreciates the Club’s science-based and sincere approach to helping the manatees survive and thrive. “It gives me and Alex hope that these beautiful, vulnerable animals will continue to be protected. Manatees need the Club now as much as ever, and I’m glad that we have the opportunity to help through the Adopt-A-Manatee® program and other ways the Club facilitates through its website and communications.”
Holiday shop for tax-deductible manatee gift adoptions and special gift items from the Club’s Manatee Store. To adopt, call toll free at 1-800-432-JOIN (5646), or by visiting our Adopt-A-Manatee page at the web site. Shop for treasured manatee gifts at your convenience online at shopsavethemanatee.org.