Win a 2010 Ford Mustang Convertible!

We want to let everyone know about an exciting fundraiser for the Coral Restoration Foundation that will be taking place on May 18th here in Key Largo.

A local boat dealership called Boats Direct USA has organized the "Key Largo Fun Run", a fun day on the water put-putting from place to place around Key Largo.  CRF is excited because the sponsors of the Fun Run are including a raffle for a donated 2010 Ford Mustang with all proceeds going directly to the Coral Restoration Foundation!

The Mustang is the generous donation of Offlease Only (www.offleaseonly.com), a South Florida auto dealership.  In addition, businesses in the Keys and South Florida have donated items for a silent auction that will also benefit the work of the Coral Restoration Foundation.

Raffle tickets are being sold on the CRF Adopt A Coral website ( click HERE to purchase raffle tickets ), through a link on the Boats Direct USA website (www.boatsdirectusa.com), and by many business throughout the Upper Keys.  Each chance at the Mustang is just $20, and a maximum of 5,000 raffle tickets will be sold, so the odds of winning are pretty good.  You do not have to be present to win, but if you live outside South Florida, you will have to pick up the car here.  

The Fun Run event will be held at Gilberts Resort at MM 107.9, with free food, live music, and prizes from 10:00 am ‘til 4:00 pm.  The drawing for the car will be held at 4:00pm and will be broadcast live on SUN 103.1 and Country 100.3.

Ken Nedimyer traveled up to the car dealership earlier this month, sat in the car, and drove it around the block a few times.  His grin revealed as much as his comment – “Nice wheels!”  Buying some raffle tickets would be a great way to support Ken and our coral restoration work here in the Keys . . .and you just might win a great car!

Last year the Coral Restoration Foundation was invited to assist the local coral reef restoration group on Bonaire in the southern Caribbean.  In early February, the Bonaire Island Council granted a permit to the local group to allow work to begin on developing a nursery and restoration program on the main island of Bonaire and adjacent island of Klein Bonaire.  Ken Nedimyer, CRF Board member Denise Nedimyer, and the Coral Restoration Foundation staff will travel to these islands in the Netherland Antilles during April to begin work on the Bonaire Reef Pilot Project.

In addition to working with local Bonaire authorities to identify specific sites for coral nurseries and reef outplantings, CRF will collect different genetic strains of staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) and elkhorn (Acropora palmata) coral, that will be used to populate coral growing trees in two coral nurseries.  These corals will be monitored and maintained by the local support group trained by CRF and  will form the base nursery stock that will be fragmented every six months to develop second and third generation corals in each genetic subgroup.  In late 2013, these second and third generation corals will be taken from the nursery and outplanted onto nearby degraded reefs.

Earth Day Restoration Dives April 20-22

Certified scuba divers can take part in an active coral reef restoration program with the marine scientists from Key Largo’s Coral Restoration Foundation in conjunction with Sustainatopia, one of the world’s largest events that celebrates the fusion of social, financial and environmental sustainability, this year held in Miami April 19-25. Three full-day excursions in Key Largo are available Friday through Sunday, April 20-22. Participants meet for a morning training session discussing causes of coral reef decline, CRF’s role in coral restoration and how recreational divers help by volunteering. A two-tank guided afternoon dive excursion to the offshore coral nursery and an active reef restoration site includes a tour of one of the reefs where CRF has been restoring corals, followed by hands-on coral propagation and nursery maintenance activities. If weather conditions allow, participants will be able to help plant nursery-grown corals on the reef. This is primarily a dive excursion, and active participants must be certified open-water scuba divers. Cost is $100 per person and minimum age is 14. Tickets are available at http://sustainatopia.com/april20/coral-restoration-foundation.

See complete Earth Day Events from Travel New Video