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FLEET SEAFOOD FESTIVAL DONATES MORE THAN $50,000 TO LOCAL CHARITIES
Atlantic City, NJ, December 20, 2004
Nonprofit and educational organizations from throughout southern New Jersey are celebrating a more joyful holiday season as the Fleet New Jersey Fresh Seafood Festival has allocated more than $50,000 in 2004 donations to assist local charities.
A total of $50,675 has been donated to 33 organizations, providing funding supporting marine science programs, fishing industry research and development, preservation of historic sites, children's recreational activities, scholarships in marine education and the culinary arts, and increasing the coffers of area food banks, among others.
The seafood festival, itself a 501-c-3 nonprofit organization, was created in 1990 to promote public awareness of the ocean, its sea life, seafood and related ecological and environmental concerns while donating 100% of its income to charity. To date, the festival has contributed a total of $483,375 to benefit charitable organizations throughout the region.
"The two greatest resources we have in southern New Jersey are the ocean, which is the basis of our hospitality industry, and our children. The seafood festival is dedicated to bolstering both," said Robert Ruffolo, festival president. "It is gratifying that we have been able to donate nearly a half million dollars to charity over the last 15 years, and that we have successfully generated public awareness of the need to preserve the ocean and the sea life in it."
Marine related organizations and programs received $18,750 in 2004 seafood festival donations, including the Absecon Lighthouse; the Artificial Reef Association of New Jersey; the Around the Island Swim; the Atlantic City Rotary Gardner's Basin Project; the Historic Gardner's Basin Marine Education program; the Marine Mammal Stranding Center; the Nacote Creek Marine Research program; and the Terrapin Rescue Project.
Seafood festival 2004 educational program funding and scholarships totaled $18,125, including allocations for an Atlantic Cape Community College Academy of Culinary Arts scholarship; an Atlantic City High School marine science scholarship; an Atlantic City Jaycees scholarship; the Atlantic City Youth Field Trip Fund; a Joseph Dougherty Culinary Scholarship; Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School science lab; marine science scholarships at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey; and Seaquest.
Community organizations were awarded $13,800 by the seafood festival this year, including the Atlantic City Explorers; the Atlantic Riding Center for the Handicapped; the Boy's and Girl's Club of Atlantic City; Chelsea Baseball; Harborfields; Kiwanis of Atlantic City; the South Jersey Aids Alliance; the South Jersey Cancer Fund; the South Jersey Science Fair; and the Special Services School District. In addition, the Community Food Bank of Southern New Jersey received a donation plus funding for food allocations to the Salvation Army, Sister Jean Webster, Joseph House, Catholic Charities, Jewish Older Adult Services and Our Lady Star of the Sea.
Held annually the second weekend in June, the 16th Annual Fleet New Jersey Fresh Seafood Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday, June 11 & 12, 2005, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Historic Gardner’s Basin, New Hampshire Avenue and the Bay in Atlantic City. Fleet Bank -- now the Bank of America -- is the festival's primary sponsor. Today the festival is a two-day extravaganza filled with fabulous food and family fun that attracts more than 20,000 people annually. The festival features dozens of varieties of succulent seafood, celebrity chef demonstrations, boat rides, interactive educational exhibits, a midway, a nonstop concert and an arts and crafts show, and more. Admission is $5 for adults with one child admitted free per paying adult. Additional children, ages 5-12 are $2.
For information in participating in the festival, contact (609) FISH FUN (347-4386.)
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