On Saturday, 27 November, a dozen beautifully decorated Christmas trees will go under the auctioneer’s hammer at an annual gala dinner to raise funds for the Central Caribbean Marine Institute.
The dinner and auction will be held at 89 Nexus Way in Camana Bay. The event is the main annual fundraiser for the research and conservation organisation.
Speaking at a reception on Monday to launch the display of trees, donated and decorated by local companies, Premier McKeeva Bush said: “This festival of trees is a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. This evening’s ceremony demonstrates the support that exists within the community for our fragile environment.”
He added: “It is absolutely essential that all persons in our islands realise the relationship between protecting our environment and protecting our quality of life, as well as that of our families today and for generations to come… our crystalline seas are an integral part of the attraction that we hold for the tourist industry. For these reasons, we should all support the work of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute as best we can.”
Underwater photography Cathy Church gave an impassioned speech about the vital need to protect Cayman’s reefs and marine environment. She said that most people do not have time to research and study reefs and the environmental challenges they face, but “what we can do, fortunately, is we can have an organisation like CCMI do that for us”, and she urged attendees at the opening ceremony to support the institute financially.
Also up for auction at Saturday’s dinner will be a photograph of Little Cayman’s Bloody Bay Wall taken by Jim Hellemn, whose photos of the famed diving spot have appeared in National Geographic magazine and who took the image of Bloody Bay Wall that adorns the Observation Tower’s mural in Camana Bay.
To purchase tickets for Saturday’s event, contact [email protected]
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