Care for Your Coast Honors a Marine Scientist
FOR RELEASE: 10/2/20
Care for Your Coast 2020 fundraiser honors a marine scientist killed in a car accident and helps the Tybee Island Marine Science Center
(Tybee Island, GA) The Care for Your Coast 2020 fundraiser honors the late Carrie McCullough and her love of the Tybee. Island Marine Science Center and Coastal Georgia’s natural resources. Carrie had a Bachelor in Marine Science degree.
Sadly, she died in a car accident in 2015 and the first fundraiser honoring her memory was held in 2018. “One way Carrie modeled stewardship for her two daughters and her love of the coast was by persistently removing plastic bags from the environment, so we’ve decided to focus on an effort that will continue to remove those bags and many other things,” Maria Procopio, executive director of the Tybee Island Marine Science Center said.
Procopio noted that in 2018, the fundraiser’s first year, that Darlene Strickland, Carrie’s mother, got a reusable bag produced with bag sales going to the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. The actual fundraiser events in 2018 and 2019 included cocktail parties and beach clean ups. “People make donations in Carrie’s name and the funds go toward the new marine debris exhibit. This year, due to the pandemic, we’re having a virtual event,” Strickland explained.
“We are excited to invite folks to share a special moment where an action you take will benefit the environment and will also honor Carrie. This could be the simple act of picking up a piece of litter, planting a tree, or anything else that benefits the natural world. No need to travel to a special place for this!” Strickland said.
She added that “environmental stewardship can be practiced in your backyard with far reaching benefits all the way to the beach. We may be scattered across the southeast and beyond, but our spirit remains connected through our memories of Carrie. It was a tough decision to forgo an event at Tybee. Perhaps we can feel a portion of that love this year through these virtual efforts!”
The Tybee Island Marine Science Center is dedicating an exhibit in Carrie’s honor in their new building, which is currently under construction. The exhibit is called “Litter Makes Way to the Sea, Marine Debris.” “This exhibit will educate and help perpetuate clean oceans and healthy marine life, Carrie’s passion. We invite you to make a donation toward the completion of this exhibit,” Strickland added.
There are 3 ways to make a donation:
1. Facebook
2. Website: Here you will receive recognition and benefits for
your donation from the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. Please be sure to make your donation in
Carrie’s honor.
3. Check: Mail your donation in Carrie’s honor to Tybee Island Marine Science Center, PO Box 1879,
Tybee Island, GA 31328
People who want to support this special effort are encouraged to contribute a photo, video, or written tribute the week of October 7, 2020 [Carrie’s Birthday]. But there is no real deadline. We welcome your post whenever you are able to share it. There are two ways to do this:
Post directly on Facebook in all formats with the hashtag #careforyourcoast. We’ll share those posts to the Care For Your Coast Page periodically, so visit that page often. You can find it here.
According to Strickland, “if you are not a Facebook user, you can email a photo and caption directly to us at Smiles@CareForYourCoast.com We will post it on https://www.CareForYourCoast.com” For more information and to register, please go to TybeeMarineScience.org.
About the Tybee Island Marine Science Center: Our mission is to cultivate a responsible stewardship of coastal Georgia’s natural resources through education, conservation, and research. For more information, please go to tybeemarinescience.org.