“Everyone here relies on coral reefs for jobs and tourism and all of it. We know it’s important.”
This is what Scott Liebert, the general manager of Islamorada’s WorldWide Sportsman, told the Weekly about why his store is proud to be donating $25,000 to I.CARE.
The latter is a local coral restoration non-profit focused specifically on rehabilitating Islamorada’s precious reefs. Coral reefs are the lifeblood of the Keys, supporting not just the natural ecosystems beneath the surface but also the local economy.
Notably, I.CARE draws much of its funding from local businesses like WorldWide Sportsman that donate to the effort. The non-profit recruits much of its “workforce” from local divers who donate their time and energy to physically plant endangered corals on the reef. They take pride in being by locals, for locals, with locals.
“The success of I.CARE’s mission is critical to our future and we applaud all who lend their voice and their support and practical assistance,” Liebert said. No reef, no fish. No fish, no economy, no communities that rely on this beautiful ecosystem, he added. “Without (the reef), we don’t have anything,” he said.
The $25,000 check came from the Outdoor Fund set up by parent company Bass Pro. The fund grows when customers round up to the nearest dollar on their sales. The Bass Pro corporate national office then matches those funds. How well a store does in terms of local round-up determines how much money they receive to donate back to their local community.
“We are usually in the top 10,” Liebert beamed. “It’s truly locals donating to support local causes.”
WorldWide Sportsman has previously donated to the Wild Bird Sanctuary, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, The Turtle Hospital in Marathon and more.
“This is home grown,” emphasized Mike Goldberg, co-founder of I.CARE. He, along with co-founder, Kylie Smith and the entire I.CARE team, were all smiles and hugs as they received the bigger than life check from Liebert in front of the Islamorada store.
“This is the best. We are so grateful for this,” Smith added.
The donation will be used largely to train local divers in I.CARE’s monitoring, maintenance and planting techniques and to bring them diving for free. These dives will alternate among Key Dives, Islamorada Dive Center and Conch Republic Divers. They will take place every Friday and Saturday, and the third Sunday of each month. Because of Bass Pro/WorldWide Sportsman’s donation, the program will continue through April 2024.
Goldberg concluded, “We can’t do this alone. We need everyone to care and do their part. Together, the impossible becomes one step closer to reality.”
More information is at icareaboutcoral.org.
