Caymanian architect John Doak’s architectural design skills were offered for auction during the Central Caribbean Marine Institute gala fund raising event at Pappagallo, raising $20,000 for the organisation.
Lucky winners of the bid were Charles and Joanna Grover who will have their new house designed by Mr. Doak.
‘I am delighted to offer my services to CCMI, which is doing excellent work to support and improve the long term sustainability of our marine eco systems both here in the Cayman Islands and worldwide,’ said Mr. Doak. ‘These systems protect our beaches, keep our water clear and provide job opportunities in Little Cayman so I’m pleased to raise funds for marine research programmes offered at CCMI’s Little Cayman Research Centre in Bloody Bay.’
The contribution will enable CCMI researchers to broaden efforts to combat the economic and environmental instability affecting reefs worldwide.
In all more than $100,000 was raised.
‘The $20,000 raised through John’s unique donation and Charles’ winning bid will help make it possible to offer more scholarships to our annual Sea Camp so our youngsters can learn to appreciate the wealth of possibilities for drug discovery and predictive modelling that exist in their own back yards,’ said Jim O’Neill, treasurer for CCMI. ‘Most importantly the funds raised will let us deliver outreach programmes that increase the awareness and importance of maintaining healthy reefs today and for future generations.’
Nicoela McCoy, executive council member of CCMI believes that donations from businesses like Mr. Doak and his firm Cayman Style Architecture and Imagineering and the support of generous individuals like Charles and Joanna Grover are vital to their being able to offer environmental education to local students.
‘Sea Camp participants have been coming to the Little Cayman Research Centre for more than seven years now and generous donations allow us to provide scholarships to promising students so they can pursue scientific studies that may one day lead to a groundbreaking discovery,’ she said.
Founded in 1998, CCMI is dedicated to sustaining and preserving biodiversity through education, research and conservation. The Little Cayman Research Centre is a project of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute, an international non-profit organization established to sustain the biodiversity of coral reefs through research, education, and community outreach.
The research centre, opened in May 2006, is equipped for scientific research and education programmes. The tropical field station is minutes from the world-renowned coral reefs of Bloody Bay Marine Park and has a mega-fauna unsurpassed in the Caribbean. CCMI aim for the facility to be an important reference site for research that will help understand the current stresses on coral reefs. Through CCMI and participating universities, LCRC offer coral reef ecology, marine biology and conservation courses for credit. Advanced students can book research and participate in internships at the Little Cayman Research Centre. Contact: [email protected] or visit www.reefresearch.org
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