UPDATE:
December 5, 2001
FISH4AMERICA will reach a milestone on December 11, 2001. Just 90 days after the attack in NY City we will ship our 15,000th pound of recreationally caught and donated fish to the relief effort.
The Hard Rock Cafe was our initial beneficiary but was soon overwhelmed with the task of feeding the rescue workers in ‘The Pit’. We immediately began sending the fish to the Bouley Bakery in Manhattan. They were serving 30,000 to 40,000 meals per day to the workers and displaced victims of the attack on the World Trade Center Towers.
On Nov. 19th the Bouley Bakery announced that they had done all they could for the effort and closed their doors. The city of New York contracted with a private firm to supply meals to Ground Zero after this.
We have now discovered that Nino’s Restaurant has been serving uniformed personnel since the attack ocurred. They are comitted to this for at least 1 year. On December 3rd Fish4America sent it’s first 1000 pounds of donated fish to Nino’s. We also sent approx. 300 pounds of moose meat from Idaho. We will continue to send food to Nino’s as long as we get donations.
UPDATE:
November 5, 2001
To date, FISH4AMERICA has has shipped four tons of sport caught fish and game. This week we will be shipping another 2000 to 3000 pounds to the Bouley Bakery in NY City.
The shipping has been paid for with money collected at the Hard Rock Cafe Benefit last last month.
If you have any fish to donate, please call Kent at New Fishall Bait Co. (310) 532-7340
FOR MORE INFORMATION
PLEASE CONTACT:
Chuck Robinson
or Earl Durham
or call 1-866-FISHUSA
September 11
2001
WHAT IS FISH4AMERICA?
FISH4AMERICA is a volunteer organization of recreational anglers, who have joined together to donate the fish they have caught to feed the rescue workers and displaced victims of the horrible attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th.
IT STARTED WITH A THOUGHT
On September 13th Chuck Robinson, an avid Southern California recreational angler, was suffering from the same despondent helplessness that overcame most Americans after the attack. While listening to his car radio, he heard a report that the Hard Rock Café in Manhattan was feeding the rescue workers and surviving victims of the attack, but had run out of food. The thought occurred to him that many hundreds of pounds of prime sport caught fish were sitting in the collective freezers of his fishing buddies. What if there was some way to rally his fellow anglers, and get this valuable food to New York? His first call was to good friend, and fellow angler, Earl Durham. Earl's enthusiasm helped fortify Chuck's resolve to take his campaign to the next level.
TAKING IT TO THE 'NET
Chuck and Earl posted their pleas for help on the message board at InternetFishing.com. This message board is frequented by many hundreds of recreational anglers and businesses serving the angling community, many of whom have used their online community to form lasting friendships and arrange to get together for fishing trips. The response was overwhelming. Within hours, anglers and businesses all over Southern California volunteered to aid the cause, by donating fish and services for storage, packaging and transport. Even out of state members of the message board offered assistance and cash donations.
OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
Within only 48 hours, 2500 lbs. of recreationally caught albacore, yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, wahoo, shark and mahi-mahi were sitting in freezer storage at New Fishall Bait company in Gardena, CA and 1000 lbs. were packaged for shipment. Golden State Container Co. donated the packaging supplies and members of the InternetFishing.com message board supplied the fish and labor to make this happen. On September 17th, the first 1000 lbs. were shipped, courtesy of the employees of the Irvine, CA FedEx station. The next day, another InternetFishing.com member, Triet Le, met the fish, hailed a NY cab and hand delivered the fish to The Hard Rock Café. They started feeding the rescue workers with it the same day. Just one week after the tragedy, our fish was being used to feed the people working in "The Pit". FISH4AMERICA was born.
4000 POUNDS MORE
It wasn't long before FISH4AMERICA had two more tons of fish and was in need of funds to pay for the shipping. In answer to that need, a fundraising benefit dinner was held on Sunday October 14 th, at the Hard Rock Cafe, Newport Beach, CA. It was a complete success! Thanks to the generous donations of many sportfishing industry folks, there were numerous and valuable items available for bid on silent auction. America's favorite fishing band, THE DORADOS, performed live. FISH TALK RADIO broadcasted live from the event. More than 150 attendees opened their hearts and their wallets, shared a fine meal, and danced until closing. When it was all over, more than $13,000 had been raised!! Proceeds from the Benefit Dinner will go to pay future shipping costs to move fish back to NY. Any money left over when this is done will be donated directly to the NY City Firefighter's Assoc. Widow and Orphans Fund.
FISH4AMERICA thanks all the folks who helped make this event possible, as well as all the generous sponsors who donated items for the silent auction.
FOR AOL USERS, AND OTHERS FOR WHOM MAILTO: LINKS WILL NOT WORK,
HERE ARE THE CONTACT EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR THIS WEBSITE:
CHUCK ROBINSON: crobinson@idea4you.com
EARL DURHAM: edurham@marinamortgage.com
JOEL GREENBERG: joel@joelgreenberg.com
Website design © 2001-2004 Joel Greenberg ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
IN THE NEWS
FISH4AMERICA thanks the companies who have so generously given their support and participation.
