July 31, 2013

RC Executive Director and Honorary RC Chair Dr. Sylvia Earle Join Auction to Save Sharks

\"\"Reef Check’s Executive Director Dr. Gregor Hodgson and Honorary Reef Check Board Chair Dr. Sylvia Earle join an auction hosted by the Shark Research Institute to raise money to save sharks.

YOU SEE THEM ON SHARK WEEK – GET TO KNOW THEM IN PERSON

Some of the world’s top shark celebrities, scientists, TV hosts, underwater photographers, filmmakers and conservationists are on the auction block at Bidding for Good during Discovery Channel’s Shark Week.

The aim of the auction is twofold: To spotlight individuals and organizations working effectively to protect sharks, and raise funds for field research and shark conservation programs.

Up for auction is lunch or dinner with a shark celebrity. Bid on Dr. Gregor Hodgson, Founder and Executive Director of Reef Check; or Dr. Sylvia Earle, the most eloquent spokesperson for ocean conservation and Explorer in Residence of the National Geographic Society; or Dr. Leonard Compagno, author of the first-ever field guide to sharks: Sharks of the World’. How about dinner with Chris Fallows of ‘Air Jaws’ fame, dive legend Gary Gentile, or Armand “Zig” Zigahn, founder of Beneath the Sea, the largest consumer dive and travel show in the USA? Thousands of divers have learned about sharks and the need for their conservation through Beneath the Sea!

Also being auctioned are artists David Dunleavy, Richard Ellis and Pascal Lecocq; paleontologist Dr. Gordon Hubbell and molecular biologist Dr. Jennifer Schmidt; underwater photographers Amos Nachoum and Paul Spielvogel; sculptor Victor Douieb; Jim Toomey, creator of the syndicated comic strip Sherman’s Lagoon; television hosts Jonathan and Christine Bird, Richard Weise host of ABC’s Born to Explore, and Donald Schultz; filmmakers Nancy McGee, Joe Romeiro, and Jeff Kurr; authors Paul Mila, Juliet Eilperin and Jessica Speart; and conservationists from the American Littoral Society, Mission Blue-Google Ocean, Ocean Geographic Society, Sea Save, Shark Whisperer, Sharks International, SharkProtect, Shark Research Institute and other fine organizations. These are just a few of the dozens of “shark celebs” to be auctioned. Each one of them has a wealth of expertise and stories to share with their highest bidder.

Although most of the ‘celebs’ are in the USA, some are in Australia, Germany, Honduras, South Africa and Hong Kong.

How it works: Bid on a shark expert or celebrity that lives or works nearby, unless you are willing to drive or fly to their location. The winning bidder pays for the celebrity’s meal, and may bring guests. Shark Research Institute will introduce each winning bidder to his or her shark celebrity. The two then set a mutually convenient date, time and place to get together within 365 days of the close of the auction.
 
The auction starts August 9, 2013 at 9 pm EST and runs for 10 days. The auction catalog is on the Shark Research Institute’s home page at www.sharks.org, and will have a link to directly enter the auction when the auction goes live.

Shark Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Winning bids are deductible as charitable contributions from US Federal 2013 income taxes.