Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
January 21, 2016 12:41
During Public Comment at the January 19, 2016 Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting, two young women from New York rose to express their thanks to the city and residents of Fernandina Beach for extending extraordinary hospitality to them over the past few days.
Paddleboarders Jules Gismondi and Louanne Harris arrived in Fernandina Beach three months after they left Manhattan on a fundraising drive for two organizations, Mission Blue and First Descents. They are working their way to Key West—on paddleboards—hoping to raise $30,000. When they washed up at Fort Clinch Monday night, the temperature was about 50 degrees.
Harris told the FBCC and the audience, “You guys are amazing. We were fed at the Salty Pelican and Lulu’s. We were housed at Fort Clinch and the Downtown Hampton Inn. All this was spearheaded by Mr. Mayor Johnny Miller. It has been an amazing experience and we have been so blessed along this trip to meet so many enthusiastic and supportive people along the way, and you guys have just added so much to that. We always say we have a lot to pay forward when we get done—and we’re just racking up a lot of points along the way! We just wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone for everything you have offered us during our stay. Thank you.”
In agreeing with Harris, Jules Gismondi added, “We were supposed to leave this morning, but here we are.”
Mayor Miller thanked the women for what they are doing and told the audience that they had paddled through the jetties and onto the beach at Fort Clinch in the dark. He and others found them on the beach by headlamps.
The women received a round of applause from the commissioners and the audience.
Some background on the two organizations benefitting by the paddleboarders’ sponsors:
Mission Blue (mission-blue.org)
Mission Blue is an initiative of the Sylvia Earle Alliance (S.E.A.) to ignite public support for the protection of Hope Spots—special places that are vital to the health of the ocean, the blue heart of our planet. We draw inspiration from the vision of our founder, Dr. Sylvia Earle, and are uniting a global coalition of partners to inspire an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas. From the seamounts of the high seas to the shallow sunlit reefs, Mission Blue seeks to bring about a significant increase in ocean protection from less than four percent today to 20% by the year 2020. Under Dr. Earle’s leadership, the Mission Blue team has embarked on a series of expeditions to further this vision and shed light on these ocean Hope Spots. We also bring the discoveries and stories of a network of ocean experts to the public through documentaries, social and traditional media, and innovative tools like Google’s “Explore the Ocean” layer. Additionally, we support the work of many conservation NGOs with whom we share the basic mission of ocean protection and public awareness. Currently, the Mission Blue coalition includes over 100 respected ocean conservation groups and like-minded organizations — from large multinational companies down to individual scientific teams doing important research. Decades of overfishing, pollution, climate change, acidification and other human pressures threaten the fundamental nature of the ocean—and therefore threaten the future of humankind. We encourage all global citizens who care about our ocean to reach out and support Mission Blue in any way they can. Presently, less than four percent of the ocean is fully protected; just years ago, that number was around 1 percent. With concerted effort and passionate people, we can continue this positive trend and help create a global network of Hope Spots, the seeds of tomorrow’s healthy ocean.
First Descents (firstdescents.org)
First Descents offers young adult cancer fighters and survivors a free outdoor adventure experience designed to empower them to climb, paddle and surf beyond their diagnosis, defy their cancer, reclaim their lives and connect with others doing the same.
During the First Descents experience, young adult survivors and fighters are empowered through conquering legitimate outdoor challenges to push their limits and face their fears, and by doing so, they are able to regain the confidence and self-efficacy lost to cancer. First Descents places an emphasis on each individual’s experience and provides the right support for every participant to achieve their goals for the week. The experience is designed to allow healing to happen naturally and organically – no forced conversations and no structured group sessions or therapy.
Each program is limited to 15 participants, ensuring individualized care, medical attention and an intimate experience with fellow survivors. First Descents programs are available to young adults with cancer regardless of their financial means. All meals, accommodations and program activities are provided free of charge, including travel scholarships, when needed. In 2014 First Descents will host 30+ programs in the US and worldwide.
Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.