From Our Founder and President, Gus Savaros, RIP (1934-2023)
If you have questions or comments please contact Capt. RJ Coté, Vice President and program director. email; fsbandmi@gmail.com
Dear Friends and Members,
Most of us in the fishing and recreational boating community respect and honor our oceans and seas. We realize they supply staggering amounts of both food and wealth, and for us, the ocean is also a great source of pleasure. We are aware of its potential and greatness.
Although we may not speak about it, we know instinctively that the sea renews the human spirit. As the well-known quotation suggests, we have a God-given right to “Go Down to The Sea In Ships.”
We know that the sea is constantly changing. It’s rising and fallings can sound like music a great symphony – to those of us who take the time to listen. Unfortunately, the discordant activities of people (those involved in illegal fish-catching and poaching and those who harvest contaminated fish and crustaceans for public consumption, those who pollute and contaminate and those motivated by greed )- who may or may not be aware of the harm that they do – subtracts from the safety, purity and beauty of the waterways now and ruins the richness of the seas for future generations.
This morning while listening to the news on the radio, I heard a report that the clergy of many faiths were meeting with high level executives and others who work on Wall Street. It seems these people (many of whom are heads of major corporations) had realized their need for a spiritual dimension in their lives. They had found that earning money, without the spiritual, was unfulfilling and empty.
“We become happier when we hear the laughter or look into the delighted Eyes of a child that has experienced the Teach and Take A Kid Program.”
Minutes before that broadcast, I had asked myself what I could say to you that would encourage you to get more involved in The Foundation. As an outdoor-sportsman-type, I don’t often talk or think about the immaterial or intangible, preferring to communicate more in concrete terms.
However, when I thought about the spiritual aspect, I realized that what most of us who volunteer achieve when we offer our help for either the Water Watch Program or the Teach and Take a Kid Program is that we become happier. We become happier and we feel immense satisfaction when we know our telephone call helped the Environment Protection and Conservation Police to apprehend poachers and others who cause harm to our marine environment and good health. The call takes so little of our time and yet, it does so much good.
“The discordant activities of those who harvest contaminated fish for public consumption, those motivated by greed ….subtracts from the safety and beauty of the waterways now ….and ruins the richness of the seas for future generations.”
We become happier when we hear the laughter or look into the delighted eyes of a child that has experienced the Teach and Take a Kid Program. We discover we become happier when we help. We have grown, however, we need many more members. If you have not yet joined, call me right now and please ask your friends to join, too.
I call your attention to the story on The History of the Foundation on which will tell you how we got started. Be sure to read the excerpts from the collage of press releases which cover just a few of the many accomplishments that have been achieved by our Water Watch Volunteers. See the article describing our programs and learn how easy and beneficial it is to make a tax-deductible donation on. Be sure to read the letter approving our IRS tax deductible donation-status on. We are approved on a national level!
I would like to bring your attention to a major effort of the Foundation crew; to provide you with a new, complete, up-to-date marine information resource to be immediately available at your fingertips, via our website.
Our site makes available: updated local and national editorials, weather forecasts, charts, government incident alerts, local and national notices to mariners, Atlantic and Gulf Coast waterways info, membership news and information, as well as free safety information and posters.
The main point of my message is to tell you who we are, what programs we offer, where we operate and how much we need your help. It’s easy, cost-free and fun to be a volunteer!!
Please call or write me today!
Gus Savaros
President and Founder