We Need Spearos To Do Good In The Neighborhood!

[Dive4Blood]

I have arranged for Suncoast Harvest (www.suncoastharvest.org) which is a local food bank servicing underprivileged and poverty stricken families in the Tampa Bay area to be present at the 2006 SBO Sunday weigh in. They are fully onboard, and are probably going to have a refrigerated truck on site. What I need from you is this: When you weigh in your fish, peel a couple off your stringer and donate it to this worthy organization. Better yet, take a few fish that you are not weighing in out of your cooler which will ultimately give someone who would never be able to afford it otherwise a seafood dinner. Suncoast Harvest will be happy to take whatever edible species you donate, but let's not just offer "trash", a few grouper, snapper and hogs would be nice.

Beyond the fact that it is the right thing to do, we cannot be blind that this presents a great public relations opportunity for the spearfishing community. We can definitely raise our stock as a fishing user group, and defy the ill informed stereotypes that some have against spearfishing.

AJ Suarez

[bgbill]

AJ,

That is a great deed you have arranged, I will be more than happy to donate some of my fish to this worthy cause.

Are they taking whole fish, or do we need to have a filet party?

[Dive4Blood]

Good question Bret. My contact at Second Harvest is having one of their largest food drives the weekend prior, and will be actively soliciting their regular volunteers to fillet fish off site after the event. If for whatever reason they still need help, then yes I would be looking for Spearboard members to help fillet the following day. Regardless, they will be taking whole gutted fish.

[Big Pig]

Good idea.

Did you verify if this is legal? I know no money will be changing hands, but you will have a couple of people who will be way over their limit once the fish is on the truck. You might want to have them check with the FWC, and get permission slip from "the MAN".

[Dive4Blood]

Good point. I will look into that. Please chime in if you have any insight on the issue brought up by Big Pig.....

[OceanEd]

I am happy to donate to the cause. Now I just have to come to the line with some fish.

[Divin' fool]

Great Idea....we'll participate and don't mind cleaning fish if needed...I'll bring my knives and sharpener :up:

[dagodiver]

Great stuff AJ.
I dont know anything about the organization but everything I bring to the weigh in line I will donate. I will try and make it a good stringer full.
AJ make sure you remind us at the weigh in as I hope to have a beer in my hand by then.

thanks
Dago.

[OceanEd]

Dago:

As always, you are looking ahead and playing the proper angles.

[Spear One]

Great idea, however, you had better check with Scott about fileting fish at the Rotary Pavillion.

[Dive4Blood]

Good question Bret. My contact at Second Harvest is having one of their largest food drives the weekend prior, and will be actively soliciting their regular volunteers to fillet fish off site after the event. If for whatever reason they still need help, then yes I would be looking for Spearboard members to help fillet the following day. Regardless, they will be taking whole gutted fish.

Kevin, filleting fish at the Rotary Pavillion was never considered. We MIGHT need some volunteers to help fillet, but that wouldn't be until the following day, and at a yet to be determined location.

[SpearMax]

Good Job AJ! :stupid:

I visited their website at http://www.suncoastharvest.org/index.html

They appear to have good leadership as follows:

Board of Directors
SUNCOAST HARVEST FOOD BANK, INC.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2005

Tim Hayes, President
Hayes and Associates
Attorney At Law

Valerie K. Miller, Vice-President
SunTrust Bank, Nature Coast

Rebecca Schleman, Treasurer
Hernando Kidney Center

Clara H. Lawhead, Founding Director
Pasco County Health Department

Bruce M. Szabo, Past President/Director
Bruce M. Szabo, P.A.
Certified Public Accountant

Steve Brewer, Director
Brewer Enterprises

Norma Bruce, Director
Health Resource Alliance

Betsy Crisp, Director
Pasco County Extension Office

James D. Johnston, Director
Pasco County Sheriff's Office

Diane V. Kuenzel, Past President/Director
Kuenzel & Lutes,
Attorneys at Law

Kathy Mullen, Director
Busch Gardens Administration

Honorary Board members:

Ms. Pat Muliari, Pasco County Commissioner
Ms. Ann Hildebrand, Pasco County Commissioner

Let's give back to the community in the true spirit of Spearo Generosity! :thumps:

[cerobit]

What a great idea, AJ. I know for certain my wife will dig doing this. Might encourage her to really try to shoot something :)

One minor concern I'd have is liability due to mishandled fish or something like ciguatera. I'm assuming that releases to SBO and those who donate would be standard issue?

[SpearMax]

One minor concern I'd have is liability due to mishandled fish or something like ciguatera. I'm assuming that releases to SBO and those who donate would be standard issue?


Hi Cerobit, I am discussing that with the management of the food bank. All our fish is far fresher than what they would get from commercial sources. It was shot the day before after all. I am exploring the cig question, even though that is a rare affliction. Maybe we must stress the importance of iceing the fish properly over night. Maybe someone can post photos of how to properly ice down fish. When I store fish fish overnight, I bury them in ice, not just ice underneath them.

[SpearMax]

I spoke with the contact person at the Food Bank. She has been there almost ten years and says they and we are protected from liability by the following provision of Florida's Good Samaritan Law shown below.

She also said it is her staff's role to "glean" (see 3b below) the quality of the food. She is very excited about this SBO gesture of goodwill because they rarely get fresh fish as donations and the needy people will greatly appreciate this donation. :thumps:

I think we should take some steps to remind everyone who wants to donate to handle the fish carefully by proper gutting and complete storage on ice.



The 2005 Florida Statutes, Title XLV, TORTS Chapter 768, NEGLIGENCE

768.136 Liability for canned or perishable food distributed free of charge.--

(1) As used in this section:

(a) "Donor" means a person, business, organization, or institution which owns, rents, leases, or operates:

1. Any building, vehicle, place, or structure, or any room or division in a building, vehicle, place, or structure, that is maintained and operated as a place where food is regularly prepared, served, or sold for immediate consumption on or in the vicinity of the premises; or to be called for or taken out by customers; or to be delivered to factories, construction camps, airlines, locations where catered events are being held, and other similar locations for consumption at any place;

2. Any public location with vending machines dispensing prepared meals; or

3. Any retail grocery store.

(b) "Gleaner" means a person who harvests for free distribution an agricultural crop that has been donated by the owner.

(c) "Canned food" means any food which has been commercially processed and prepared for human consumption and which has been commercially packaged in such a manner as to remain nonperishable without refrigeration for a reasonable length of time.

(d) "Perishable food" means any food that may spoil or otherwise become unfit for human consumption because of its nature, type, or physical condition. "Perishable food" includes, but is not limited to, fresh or processed meats, poultry, seafood, dairy products, bakery products, eggs in the shell, fresh fruits or vegetables, and foods that have been noncommercially packaged or that have been frozen or otherwise require refrigeration to remain nonperishable for a reasonable length of time.

(2) A good faith donor or gleaner of any canned or perishable food, apparently fit for human consumption, to a bona fide charitable or nonprofit organization for free distribution shall not be subject to criminal penalty or civil damages arising from the condition of the food, unless an injury is caused by the gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct of the donor or gleaner.

(3) A bona fide charitable or nonprofit organization, or any representative or volunteer acting on behalf of such organization or an uncompensated person acting in a philanthropic manner providing services similar to those of such an organization, which accepts, collects, transports, or distributes any canned or perishable food, apparently fit for human consumption, from a good faith donor or gleaner for free distribution shall not be subject to criminal penalty or civil damages arising from the condition of the food, unless an injury is caused by the gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct of an agent of the charitable or nonprofit organization.

(4) The provisions of this section apply to the good faith donation of canned or perishable food regardless of whether such food is readily marketable due to appearance, freshness, grade, surplus, or other such considerations.

(5) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to restrict the authority of any lawful agency to otherwise regulate or ban the use of food for human consumption, and the immunity from liability granted herein shall not be construed to relieve any donor of its duty to comply with any law regulating such donor with respect to health or sanitation.

History.--s. 1, ch. 81-130; s. 1, ch. 85-132; s. 1, ch. 89-35.

[biggsy]

I am glad we are going to be doing this again this year.

I know last year there was a large can or receptacle of some sort that collected fish that we were donating. I donated all of the fish I weighed to the cause. I don't know what organization the fish went to, but was under the impression it was a good cause.

Thanks for setting this up AJ! :up: I could not think of a better thing to do with some of the fish! :up:

[Dive4Blood]

Biggsy, this is actually the first time that we are doing this. This fish donations for years prior have gone to the volunteers that assisted Financial Advis with data entry of the tournament results which who still need to take care of this year as well.

[biggsy]

Ahhh...Well that clears it up. I knew it went to a good cause.

Good job setting this up AJ. They better bring a big truck, I am sure they are going to receive a lot of donations. :up: :up:

[Slay Ride]

So now are we not donating to any of the volunteers? I'll definitely throw quite a few fish everyone's way.

Good job AJ.

[bgbill]

I think the volunteers that are helping Chris with the weigh in, are still going to be getting some fish, but also there will be some going to the charity.

[fishkilla]

very nice! i will be more than happy to donate my grouper and snapper to some folks who never get a chance to have fresh fish.

well done AJ!

[inletsurf]

I will be happy to donate and to help out in any way, AJ.

[mdiver]

I think this is a great idea. I won't be able to make the open this year, but will someone please post a follow up after the event. Good luck everyone.

[Seahuntress]

I have arranged for Suncoast Harvest (www.suncoastharvest.org) which is a local food bank servicing underprivileged and poverty stricken families in the Tampa Bay area to be present at the 2006 SBO Sunday weigh in. They are fully onboard, and are probably going to have a refrigerated truck on site. What I need from you is this: When you weigh in your fish, peel a couple off your stringer and donate it to this worthy organization. Better yet, take a few fish that you are not weighing in out of your cooler which will ultimately give someone who would never be able to afford it otherwise a seafood dinner. Suncoast Harvest will be happy to take whatever edible species you donate, but let's not just offer "trash", a few grouper, snapper and hogs would be nice.

Beyond the fact that it is the right thing to do, we cannot be blind that this presents a great public relations opportunity for the spearfishing community. We can definitely raise our stock as a fishing user group, and defy the ill informed stereotypes that some have against spearfishing.

AJ Suarez

GOOD DEAL...WISH I COULD HELP