<div><strong>Help Restore Our Beaches on Anna Maria Island</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Dear Friends and Good Guardians,
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I’m Cindy Stimart and my heart is deeply connected to Anna Maria Island. My children are the fourth generation of our family to grow up enjoying the beautiful beaches of Anna Maria Island. Many of our cherished memories, including their toddling first steps and visits with my late grandfather (who was a resident of Long Boat Key) are enjoying family time near the dunes on Bean Point. We will continue loving Anna Maria Island for many more generations to come and this is why supporting our community and healing the coastline is so important to our family.  
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Our community has faced immense challenges after Hurricanes Helene and Milton wreaked havoc on our homes and our beautiful beaches. The storm surge devastated our small, but protective dunes and wiped out vital local plants like sea oats, panic grass, sunflower dune vines, and railroad vines. These dunes not only shield our coastline but also provide habitats for local wildlife and nesting grounds for our birds and sea turtles and bring tourism that our local businesses rely upon.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Sadly, the beaches on the North End of Anna Maria Island—specifically from Sycamore Avenue to Bean Point — are categorized as private property (though used, loved and blogged about by locals, guests and tourists) and they will not be restored to their former glory by Manatee County. We remain grateful for their assistance with raking and cleaning the public spaces below the mid-point of the high tide mark, but planting is an important next step that needs to be done so sand can have a place to begin to naturally build back our dunes.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Why do we want to do this?</strong>
</div>
<div>While nature can heal over time, without some kind of renourishment efforts, this process could take many years. The area of the beach from Sycamore Avenue to Bean Point is over 100,000 sqft of coastline and what you see in the images above is what we had compared to what we lost.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>The goal of the project is to start to heal/restore the coastline by renourishing it with the sea grasses and flowering sea vines that are currently gone from the devastating surge caused by Hurricane Helene.  For clarification:  this project is not a dredging project; it is a donation planting project only.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Here’s the good news</strong>: We’ve already sourced seedlings that originated right here from our very own beaches.  These seedlings were grown from seeds harvested from the beach prior to the storms.  The plants are currently located in green houses with Aquatic Plants of FL., Inc and a deposit has already been made to secure them for this project.  Buying the plants in bulk greatly reduces the costs for this project, but it will still take a village to meet our goal since the planting area is over 100,000 sq ft.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>That’s why we’re launching a community effort to help restore this cherished part of our coastline.  Our family's collective aims to match fundraising to complete this community impact project and to team up with the local community and our island visitors and guests to raise additional funds for our native seedlings. We believe that everyone that uses and loves the beach as much as we do will feel equally compelled to give or to volunteer to help our neighbors and our beach.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Healing our coastline will not only help protect the northern shoreline from future hurricane flooding, it rebuilds tourism to support our local economy and it will revitalize the critical nesting areas for birds and sea turtles that were lost during the hurricanes.  Our beautiful beaches are loved by residents, but also by our guests and tourists who help support our local businesses and keep our economy strong.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Impact Project Partners </strong>
</div>
<div>The Stimart Family, Good Guardians Collective
</div>
<div>The Center of Anna Maria, Chris Culhane, Executive Director
</div>
<div>Oyster River Ecology, Damon Moore, Founder
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Impact Project Supporters</strong>
</div>
<div>City of Anna Maria (This project was unanimously approved and supported by our City Council Members)
</div>
<div>Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch, Inc, Kristen Mazzarella, Executive Director
</div>
<div>Anna Maria Island Historical Society, Barbara Murphy
</div>
<div>Sato Real Estate, Danielle Sato 
</div>
<div>North Shore Cafe, Scott and Colleen Geller
</div>
<div>Anna Maria Island Garden Club, Kathy Johnson
</div>
<div>Local Residents/Owners
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Approvals</strong>
</div>
<div>We’ve done our research and secured approvals from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protections, and the City of Anna Maria.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Our project has three main goals:</strong>
</div>
<div>1) Raise funds to purchase native plants—sea oats, panic grass, railroad vine, beach morning glory and west coast gulf sunflower dune vines.  The cost of the plants needed to restore the coastline from Pine Avenue to Bean Point is $26,203.10; water and t-shirt donations for our volunteers.  50% of the project will be donated as a match to fundraising by Good Guardians Collective.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>2) Provide education about the importance of healthy coastlines and the critical role it has in protection, habitats and our local economy.  Turtle Watch has offered to provide educational lectures and create articles in support of this goal.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>3) Recruit volunteers for planting in January.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Our Expert Ecologist - Leading the decisions on native plants and planting</strong>
</div>
<div>Damon Moore, Executive Director, Oyster River Ecology, has offered to be available to do the prep on Friday, January 24th and be available for the planting through the weekend.  He has offered to create the planting zones, provide the stakes and string to prep these areas and be the lead in charge of the planting through the weekend - free of charge. I am eternally grateful to him for lending his expertise, leadership and generosity to this project.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Planting Dates - Build Back the Beach - Volunteer Sign-Up</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Hosted by: Good Guardians Collective, Center of Anna Maria Island, and Oyster River Ecology
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div> We Need You to Help Restore Our Beaches! 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Join us for the Build Back the Beach Planting event and be part of something extraordinary! Together, we’ll begin to restore the beauty and resilience of Anna Maria Island’s coastline after the devastating impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This is a hands-on opportunity to make a real difference for our community and our environment. Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work?
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Event Details:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div> Saturday, January 25, 2025
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>• Shift 1: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Rain Date: February 1)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>• Shift 2: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Rain Date: February 1)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div> Sunday, January 26, 2025
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>• Shift 3: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (Rain Date: February 2)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div> Where: Report to The Center of Anna Maria Island for your assignment.  
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Planting will take place on the North End of Anna Maria Island (Sycamore Avenue to Bean Point)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>What We’re Looking For:</strong>
</div>
<div>We need 75 hardworking and enthusiastic volunteers per shift to help us plant native dune grasses and wildflowers in designated areas along the beach.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>• Volunteers must be 13 years or older.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>• This work requires focus, care, and time efficiency to ensure the health of our seedlings.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>• Strong, happy, and ready-to-work individuals will thrive in this rewarding task.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>What to Bring:</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Hat
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Sunglasses
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Water
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Sunscreen
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Planting gloves (if you have them!)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Bring your favorite hand trowel or shovel.  We'll have some extras if you don't have one. Your positive energy and a willingness to work hard!
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you for stepping up to help us start to rebuild and heal our coastline! Together, we’ll ensure Anna Maria Island continues to thrive for generations to come.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Volunteer Recruitment</strong>
</div>
<div>Damon Moore bring over 20 years of experience in coastal restoration to this project and has reached out to the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and the Tampa Bay Estuary Programs to recruit volunteers.  You can learn more about Damon Moore via Oyster River Ecology and 2024 NOAA NATIONAL AWARD recipient.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Chris Culhane, Executive Director, The Center of Anna Maria has a good database of volunteers for past projects and has partnered with us to take the lead in coordinating volunteers for this project.  You can learn more about all of the amazing ways that the Center of Anna Maria helps the local community and its exceptional efforts since the impact of Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton by visiting The Center of Anna Maria.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>If you love the North End - here’s how you can help:</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Donate to support the restoration efforts—consider making a donation in your name or as a tribute to a loved one.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Volunteer your time when we begin planting.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Every contribution, big or small, will help the community restore the North End of Anna Maria Island to a healthy and thriving coastline.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>All funds donated will go directly to purchasing 2 X 2 inch seedlings of native plants 12-18 inches and gel planting material required to keep them hydrated as they root.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you for your support! Together, we can make a difference.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>The Stimart Family, Partners &amp; Friends
</div>
<div>Impact Project — Build Back The Beach
</div>
<div>Good Guardians Collective
</div>
<div>www.goodguardianscollective.com
</div>

Janet Aubry

maureen cozzi

Kate gille

janet kingan

Nikola Gall

Jeanine Belz

Carol Golder

Stephen Allen

Robert Kranz

Scott Isherwood

Anonymous

Bette mathews

Roy Beck

Raymond Hyer

Brian Marsh

Patricia Short

Bonnie Spence

Kandice Ridley

Siyamak Pakbaz

Help Heal & Renourish The North End Coastline of Anna Maria

Support urgent earthquake relief and past recovery in Venezuela.

Apoya la ayuda urgente tras el terremoto y los esfuerzos de recuperación en Venezuela.

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

currencyCode

Money Box Donation List Prompt Experiment Audience

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

Eligible for Profile Share Badge

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

Support Comments Allowlist

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

NPO upsell education category

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

NPO recommendations prod

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

checkout headers audience

ai_title_page

anyword

openai

control

manual_entry

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

isEligibleForProfileBadge

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

categoryGroup

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.3.0 and above

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

NPO upsell animals category

NPO upsell disaster relief category

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

NPO upsell essential needs category

NPO upsell medical category

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

NPO upsell cancer category

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Help Heal & Renourish The North End Coastline of Anna Maria

Still $2,205 to go. Help us build momentum.