FRIENDS OF GUMBO LIMBO A 501c3 Organization

2013 Annual Report

Mission Statement To support coastal and marine education, conservation and

research endeavors of the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center

In 2013 the final touches were put on the underwater habitats of the new Sea Water aquariums and the Fill the Tanks project was completed. The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Facility operated at capacity and many turtles were rehabilitated and released back to the ocean. There were 144,000 visitors in 2013, exceeding the previous record in 2010 by 24,000! We had record gift store patronage and at-the-door donations. 2013 was a great year all around; a tribute to the hard work and dedication of all and of Friends under the leadership of the outgoing President, Michele Kurucz Peel.

Foundations and corporations such as Whole Foods of Boca Raton continue to be important partners. The golf tournament, organized by Patrick Shea, again supported our scholarship program. The 10K race headed by Sue Comoglio and Running Wild supported the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Facility. We had a record turnout for 2013’s Sea Coast Toast with over 200 guests in attendance!

Friends, with the City Staff, completed a new strategic plan for the Center this past year. A new master site plan is being prepared for Red Reef Park including Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. As the incoming President, with the rest of the Board of Trustees, we look forward to working with the Beach and Park District and the City’s Nature Center staff, and with you to make the visions of these plans a reality.

Thank you, all of you. You can take pride in the continuing dramatic progress in achieving our Mission at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.

Sincerely,

James D. Miller President Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Inc. - 2014

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

2014 Board of Trustees

Left to Right: Ross Appel, Susan Walker, Jim Miller, Nancy Leeds, Judy Gire, Carol Borrow, Ken Imhoff, Connie Thoms-Mazur, and Robyn Morigerato.

Others: Gordon Gilbert, Larry Weissman, Karin Marques, Michele Kurucz Peel, Steve Alley

10%12%

18%

9%8%

45%

Revenue % of Total Grants $64,371 7% Fundraising/Membership $97,119 11% Programs $40,157 4% Sea Turtle Conservation $28,191 3% Donations $296,736 33% Gift Store $379,694 42%

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TOTAL $906,268 100%

Expenses % of Total Administration $60,666 10% Fundraising/Membership $72,450 12% Programs $110,779 18% Sea Turtle Conservation $56,218 9% Exhibits $46,917 8% Gift Store* $278,852 45%

1

TOTAL $625,882 100%

2013 was another record setting year for Friends. As the number of visitors (140,000) increased so did donations at the door and the contribution from the gift store. Gift store sales were up 24% from 2012 and net revenue from the gift store increased by more than 50%.

Work was completed during the year on the habitats for the four new seawater aquariums. New camp programs for children were added. New equipment and exhibits were added to the sea turtle rehabilitation area. Scholarships totaling $9,000 were awarded to high school graduates and university researchers. Friends continued support of the annual Sea Turtle Day, the EcoWatch lecture series and the Center’s volunteer award luncheon.

Administration and fund raising expenses were kept at 4% above 2012. The positive balance in 2013 of more than $250,000 is available for implementation of the plans and visions of the new strategic plan.

Friends has no debt and a $200,000 restricted reserve for emergencies.

FRIENDS’ FINANCIAL RESULTS

7%11%

4%3%

33%

42%

* includes $171,100 in Cost of Goods Sold

REVENUES

EXPENSES

In less than 15 months start to finish, Friends completed our largest project ever - to design, fabricate, and install true to life, replica habitats in all four of our tanks under the pavilions. Friends of Gumbo Limbo and Center Staff worked side by side with our contractors, Cost of Wisconsin and Living Color, to painstakingly devise safe, natural-looking and easily maintained homes for our resident sea creatures.

The crowning moment was the creation of a signature coral reef pillar, designed by Living Color, for the Tropical Reef Tank, which became the central story for the episode “A Big Bowl of Gumbo Limbo” of the Fish Tank Kings (FTK) on NatGeoWild.

The quarter of a million dollar project finished under budget, and local fans of FTK were delighted to find their very own Gumbo Limbo garner worldwide attention.

WE FINISHED ‘FILLING’ THE TANKS (ON INTERNATIONAL TV!)

OUR SEA COAST TOAST

Nearly 200 guests attended Friends of Gumbo Limbo’s 5th Annual Sea Coast Toast, a fundraiser for Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.

With the backdrop of steel drum music, guests enjoyed delicious appetizers and wines provided by Whole Foods and a selection of craft beers from Lagerhead Brewing Co. A Goodyear Blimp ride for 2 and a private wine party for 20 from Total Wine were two of the many auctioned items. Among the guests were members of the Boca Raton City Council and the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District, as well as our longtime supporters from the National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation and many “friends” of Gumbo Limbo.

A special thanks to all who donated items for auction and our friends who purchased them, making a very successful event.

THE CRESTT™ AWARD

(Conservation, Research, Education, and Stewardship for Today and Tomorrow) This award is given annually to a person whose outstanding efforts help protect our coastal and marine ecosystems.

This year’s recipient was Jim Abernethy for his work as an educator, conservationist, and passionate advocate for shark protection. Jim is a world-renowned, award-winning marine photographer, filmmaker, and author.

SEA TURTLE REHAB IN REVIEW 2013 was a busy year! With 11 beds, we were at near capacity all year admitting 47 sick and injured sea turtles. Of these rescued turtles, 21 were released back to the wild after rehabilitation and 9 were still being rehabilitated in 2014.

Fibropapilloma (FP) tumors were a common ailment in our rehab facility, as well as boat strikes, fish hook/plastics ingestion, and line/monofilament entanglement. Gumbo Limbo specializes in the treatment of FP tumors and patients are brought in from all along the east coast of Florida from Miami to St Augustine.

Gumbo Limbo had two public invited releases at Spanish River Park with hundreds of well-wishers cheering on the rehabilitated turtles Turf and Harp, as they returned home to the ocean. We look forward to more of these popular events.

We would like to thank the many volunteers who make it possible to keep the sea turtle rehab facility open to the public, as well as our community partners: Palm Beach Zoo, Magnolia Animal Hospital and TLC Animal Hospital.

At the urging of the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District (GBRBPD), Friends’ President Michele Kurucz Peel and Treasurer/Past President Judy Gire joined forces with the Center Manager Stefanie Ouellette and the Deputy Director of the City’s Recreation Services Buddy Parks to guide the formation of a 5-year Strategic Plan for Gumbo Limbo. Numerous survey responses from all categories of stakeholder, dozens of meetings, several workshops, and 3 iterations of the plan over 18 months resulted in a well-crafted Strategic Plan centered upon twenty-four goals encompassing four areas of service delivery, and two support functions. This Strategic Plan is anticipated to become part of the Master Plan Update process being undertaken by GBRBPD in 2014. The Strategic Plan can be found on our website at: http://www.gumbolimbo.org/glnc-2013-strategic-plan

A PLAN FOR GUMBO LIMBO’S FUTURE

John W Bieger, Jr. Mildred Katz Ann Rogan Marcella (Marky) Ellet Harold Jaffe Jane Rayner

Landsberger, Kurt Salah Foundation Jane G Rayner Trust Warren Family Foundation Newman's Own Foundation Peel Family, The The Norma Terris and Alfred D. Firestone Foundation Abernethy, Jim Mahon, Arthur J. Marvin, John and Jacqueline Sheftel, Susie Thoms-Mazur, Constance Tuktawa Foundation Abrams, Joshua and Larissa Ajram, Gaby and Genevieve Alley, Stephen Comoglio Family, The LaFogg, Deb Lugers Family Foundation Mintz, Frances Robbins, Tony Sinclair, George Walker, Susan Wenger, Paul and Jana Williams, Michele & Kyle Al Pellingrinelli Atlantic Tech High School Class Of 2013 Bigelow, Sharon Borrow, Carol and Joseph Dr. Steve Kajuira Durnen, Kenneth Feldman, Susan Garber, Lynn Garber, Norman Gire, Dana and Sharon Gire, Michael Miano, Andrea and Kevin Hodges Rory, Don and Lemise Shea, Patrick Sprengers, The Zumkehr, Charles and Cathy Benjamin, Richard and Carol Block, Linda Borg, Kiri Brauer, Richard Burgos-Borthwick, Dilcia Canning, Patricia and Vince Capazzuti, Jennifer

Carney, Carolyn and Jeff Chipman, Ann Colestock, Kathryn Dagistino, William Daniel, Philippe Danzi, Barbara Delgado, Judith Anne Delmonaco, Arlene and Nick DeShay, David DeVoe, Andria DeVoursney, Tara Dick, Lynn Esposito, David Felder, Joy and Fred Felman, Leonard and Doni Ferrell, Edward Friedman, Jerome and Judy Gilbert, Mr. Gordon J. Gire, Tom and Judy Girl Scout Kennebec Council Goodman, Amy Greene, Gayle Gressinger, Paul Gupta, Jennifer Halpern, Jack Handler, Lynne Harrison, Mary Hart, Elizabeth Herman, Linda Holland, John Hopkins, Maura Horn, Vicki Shand Hughes, Ronald Imhoff, Ken and Sharon Jaffe, Frieda Jarvis, Jennifer Keenoy, Peter and Elizabeth Kewley, Sharon Kohnken, Beverlee and Donald Koski, Alma and Arthur Kostaroff, Tim and Sharon Kurucz, Joan Kusic, Sam and Dru Layden, Edward Males, Rene and Barbara Martin, Neil and Arlene Medrano, Sara Mersitz, Richard and Bontempo, Rebecca Miller, Chris Miller, James Mitchell, Michael and Courtney Olson, Karen Palacio, Natalia Pape, Jane Parker, Marie Parks, Buddy, Cathy and Emily Pendo, Norma Perrone, Carolyn and Starkman, Stan Perry, William R. Powers, Barbara

Whole Foods Market Carole Marko, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Goodyear Airship Operations Lily Pulitzer Store PRP Wine Int’l Pura Botanica Running Wild Classical South Florida Boca Raton Photograph and Design/Ben Hicks Disney F.P.& L. Geosyntec IBM Matching Grants Program Quantum Leap Network Race Event Productions LLC SeaWorld Total Wine & More Twilight Ulishney Brothers Via Mizner Golf and Country Club Bedner's Farm Store Brooklyn Water Bagels Conde Center Dixie Divers Lagerhead Brewing Company Shake Shack Auto Tronics Auto Service Bernie’s Cleaners Boca Museum of Art Dermatology of Boca Raton Ecoproducts Force E Dive Center Images from the Sea Komlossy Law P.A. La Tre Luna U.S.A. Mulvehill Nursery Presco Int Runner's Edge StitchCraft The Fresh Market Walgreens Co.#5433 World of Scuba

2013 SUPPORTERS

$25,000+

$15,000+

$5,000+

$1,000+

$500+

$250+

$100+

CORPORATE SUPPORTERS

Proia, Jeanne Reichert, Mark Ryan, James Sawyer Parks, Carol Schmitt, Brian and Terri Schoke, James A. Siegel, Art Silva, Geoffrey Sklapsky, Matt and Molly Sory, Kathy Spence, Nancy Starling, Lamar and Michele Strasz, Frank Strauss, Jane Sweeney, Leslie and Jacob Utigard, Caryl Wachtel, Dr. Herbert and Lenore Warnick, Allan Zewe, Patricia Zimmers, Tiche

MEMORIALS

Friends of Gumbo Limbo 1801 North Ocean Blvd. Boca Raton, Florida 33432

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Inc.A 501c3 Organization

d/b/a FRIENDS OF GUMBO LIMBO 2013 ANNUAL REPORT