“Save Coral Bay” Campaign Draws More than $45,000 in One Week

 

 

 

 

The “Save Coral Bay” flip flop leaves a statement in the sand.

 

 

CORAL BAY — Within a week of being launched, the Fund to Save Coral Bay — an effort to raise $50,000 to finance a legal battle against the controversial recently approved Summers End Marina — reached more than $45,000 with contributions from almost 300 people by Sunday afternoon, October 19, including an anonymous $10,000 donation on Saturday, October 18.

“The amazing outpouring of support to Save Coral Bay validates what we all know — this is a resource to be cherished, to be nurtured, and to be protected from harm,” community activist Coral Bay resident  David Silverman wrote last week on the campaign’s website, www.GoFundMe.com/coralbay. “Our heartfelt thanks goes to every single one of our contributors – you are ALL the family of Coral Bay!”

The website drew donations ranging from $5 to $10,000 and illustrated the fact that many people agree with the protestors of the proposed Summers End Marina, explained Silverman.

“It’s been pretty phenomenal,” he said. “The campaign has way exceeded our expectations. It’s doing really, really well.”

“In just five days we had over 200 contributors which doesn’t count funds which have been sent directly to the Coral Bay Community Council,” Silverman said. “This has really united people.”

A group of Coral Bay residents, Silverman among them, visitors and former residents of the area, have been vocally against Summers End Group’s proposal  to construct a 145 slip marina stretching across 28 acres in Coral Bay harbor; a project which was granted permits by the St. John Coastal Zone Management Committee on October 1.

Loosely Knit Group of Activists
The group organized on social media platforms and created several groups on Facebook.com in addition to the GoFundMe.com site.
It was a love for Coral Bay’s natural beauty which drove this loosely knit group of activists to launch the Save Coral Bay campaign, according to Silverman.

“Honest to God, there wasn’t one person who stood up,” he said. “It was many people — both here physically and in the mainland — united for a cause. We are all personally and emotionally, if not financially, invested in Coral Bay.”

“It’s hard to put your finger on it, but what I think is the people who created this community love the physical beauty of the harbor,” Silverman said. “This is a tight knit family of people. No matter where they are; we are all connected.”

“Sharon Coldren came up with the term, ‘seagrass movement,’” Silverman said. “It’s a very beautiful thing.”

The Save Coral Bay campaign’s first step will be to file an appeal with the Virgin Islands Board of Land Use Appeal, according to Silverman.

“That is the law,” he said. “We expect that will be happening, but we don’t know all of the parties that might be appealing this. I won’t be surprised if there are more than one appeal.”

The group’s initial goal is to raise $50,000, through donations via CBCC, a stateside-based “Save Coral Bay” bumper sticker campaign and the GoFundMe.com/coralbay site, should be enough to get a legal fund up and running, Silverman added.

“It should be enough to get us started,” he said. “Putting together a top-notch legal fight costs money and you never know how long this is going to go on for.”

While several attorneys have contacted the group and several residents have been exploring legal strategies to fight Summers End Marina, Save Coral Bay officials have not yet retained a lawyer, Silverman explained.

For more information about Save Coral Bay, check out the group’s community page on Facebook, and the fundraising site at www.gofundme.com/coralbay.