Published: Whitsunday Times, Thursday 1 December
Puttinga smile on the faces of children who have never seen the Great Barrier Reef is what motivates Spirit and Soul Foundation member Dave Freeman. Thanks to the good will of twop generous companies,, this goal is one step closer to completion.
Mr Freeman presented Coral Sea Marina Resort general manager Luke McCaul and Mirage Whitsundays general manager Ann-Marie Oxley with certificates of appreciation for offering the foundation berths. This will help kick start a reef awareness program allowing disadvantaged kids to learn about the challengers facing the Great Barrier Reef. “We are hoping to get the new generation of kids, particularly kids from disadvantaged families to get them out on the reef so they can see how beautiful it is. We will educate youth on how important the reef is and impacts (on it) of every day life. I have known kids who haven’t ever been out to the reef and you take them out it’s such a surreal experience for them. It is very rewarding when you see peoples eyes light up to new experiences.”
Coral Sea Marina Resort general manager, Luke McCaul said he was thrilled to support the initiative “To have recognition from this organisation is excellent and shows we are being responsible every day. It’s critical to ensure the reef stays sustainable and our commitment is reflected through a support for a number of programs.” Mirage general manager Ann-Marie Oxley said supporting the foundation would be a win-win. We have some berths at Coral Sea Marina Resort but we haven’t been able to use them the way we wanted to” she said. “So this is a great opportunity to put them to good use and do something good for the community at the same time.”
The Spirit and Soul Foundation is involved in many charitable activities involving support for indigenous communities and assisting with the rebuilding effort following the Vanuatu cyclone.