A fundraiser I started over a month ago lasted only 7 days when 40 people came from all over the world to help make one young man's dream come true!
In 7 days we raised $1027USD to help create a way for Hunter Shaffer, 14 years old and in a wheelchair all of his life, make it to the ocean. Hunter fights for the ocean & animals daily online and through his personal life working at a local conservation area. Hunter has had over 400 bones break in his 14 years of life and knows first hand what pain is all about so he now lives a vegan lifestyle and has taken on a voice for the voiceless.
Hunter inspired me to create this fundraiser and I am so happy to say "It was a SUCCESS!" Hunter and his family took this opportunity as a family road trip to Jupiter, Florida. Jimi B. Long set up the event at the Florida destination and has only spoke to Hunter over the internet for months. So they too were able to meet for the first time and Jimi is in a wheelchair as well and knew first hand how he could help make this day something to be remembered for the rest of Hunter's life! Now we have photos to share!
Hunter Shaffer with Michael Worden, Jimi B. Long, Erik Brush, Danny.
Photo by Susan Mabe
This is the status that Hunter put out only 11 hours ago from his resort in Florida:
"Snorkeling at coral cove was great, and my first time in the open ocean! Was also the first time I had seen a fish in the wild while I was in the water. My biggest thanks to Danny, Michael Worden, Jimi B. Long, Erik Brush, Susan Mabe, Jim Shaffer, and most of all Bob Timmons for helping me to get to Florida in the first place! A big thanks as well to Amber Foster for watching the pets back at home so I could come here!
I am now VERY comfortable with the ocean, and snorkeled again today at a different location. Snorkeled 300FT out right over a coral reef and saw Sea Urchins, Crabs, Puffer fish, Appears to be Bermuda Chub, a large Yellow Fish that I was unable to identify *Thought it was a Trumpetfish, but looks nothing alike!*
Erik, Jimi and I also went to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, we saw a variety of rescued turtles and sat for a 30 minute educational interactive course about sea turtles. *This was also the spot where I beat Jimi in 2 wheelchair races, no need to brag about that, videos will come soon! ;)*
All in all, I could not have asked for a better time in Florida and saw a variety of life! A huge thank you to ALL who donated to the Hunter To The ocean campaign! Without your help, I would not have been NEAR the ocean, let alone 100 meters out over a reef! Considering going out early in the morning tomorrow to swim with the Bull Sharks when they migrate into the shallows to feed as the sun rises. Thank you, everyone!" ~ Hunter Shaffer
Susan Mabe Was up at Blowing Rock today with Hunter Shaffer on his snorkling trip ! Kudos to Bob Timmons for his fund raising and all who donated. A big fins up to Erik Brush, Jimi B. Long, Mike & Danny for getting Hunter into the water. Went to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center as well. It was a great day. Pics will be posted later. WTG Hunter ! ♥
Michael Worden It was a pleasure! So proud of Hunter, he did a great job in the water this morning!
Jimi B. LongMeeting Hunter and his wonderful family was without a doubt, one of the highlights of my life!! What a great bunch of people, to spend an awesome day with! Thank you to everyone who showed up to help!! I had a BLAST!!! Next time, I'll know better than to challenge Hunter to a wheelchair drag race.. The little bugger blew my doors off and left me in the dust...TWICE!!!!!
To see what I "FELT" only weeks ago, go from a thought, to a reaction, to networking, to a JOURNEY for a young man and his family! People globally were affected by his compassion to join in and create an Incredible Story for him and all of us! Hunter keeping on Rocking the Free-World for the Animals! I think you know now that we ALL LOVE YOU Bud!
By Erik Brush
Here are some photos of the Card I made to send the names of all the donators and the money orders:
When I see the animal protest back in the 70's its filled with hundreds of passionate people to force an end to animal suffering. People back then did not have a television in every room, a computer, more than one car if at all, cell phones, video games, DvD's, etc. These people were more intune to what was happening because there was no distraction of entertainment like there is today!
Today almost every living human in the wealthy countries has a cell phone or two. Their children have cell phones at the age of 7 years old in some households. Technology has taken over our minds and we forget about what is around us outside. When I was younger we were kicked outside from the morning until the evening. Children today sit in their homes and play video games, hang out on the internet keeping in touch with their movie stars, and all the while there is suffering going on by big corporations on millions of living beings that make up this world "Planet Earth". Our planet has become a factory itself by millions of corporations that feed on it only to grow stronger a few very large corporations. It seems that the top few that control are banks, pharmaceuticals, monsantos (food control), and oil all play the world with strings and as long as we do not come together in a mass and fight they get stronger and this planet gets weaker. Its time to mass together, stand up and be heard!
Our protesting has been weak from the 70's to now - 40 years later. I thought it should have gotten stronger to keep what they won back then which is now being taken away by governments. Last year the IWC was looking at allowing 10,000 whales to be killed. George Bush was deregulating environmental protection on his last month of power. All of these took years of pressure from passionate people who new the importance of what a living being from an animal, human to a tree or body of water. It probably took 20 years to gain most of these protecting laws for people, animals, and the environment but when we relax thinking its done allows them to come back! Just like the Canadian Seal Hunt that once was finished and then came back even stronger when people weren`t looking. It happens and it has to end!
The population today has increased massively while the trees, wild animals, and rivers have decreased substantially. This offset of balance of life has brought us to so many more issues like the ocean having a dated death sentence of 2048, ice caps melting, polluted fresh and salt water, billions of starving people while we farm millions of animals abnormal to a way of their natural lives. All the while other countries are obese and the household waste is accumulating eroneously! People would take all of this as separate issues but I don`t! I learn about every angle I can from conspiracy to facts regarding past, present and future plans of action with this world. From this information I can make a more intelligent thought and plan of action.
I believe the time is Now! Everyday we pass by is another day lost to a strong force coming together! I'm speaking about our 2011 International Grassroots Action Plan! No names, no organizations, no labeling! Just passionate people coming together to demand a change to stop this Environmental destruction, pollution of water-land-air, to stop development into the wilderness - land and sea, and to take back control! Its like we have been asleep on the wheel for the last 40 years as a mass movement. If we do not start now then when!
We have become experiments on this planet with the drugs they pump into animals, drinking water, soil, etc. The banks loan out money for technology to take or make more from the open ocean to the farms of millions`s of animals. Then the pharmaceutical companies come in with their drugs to make the animal abnormally grow large which then needs drugs to stop any sickness or abnormal infections that incurrs. This is the puppet master forcing us to play the game and it has to end with all of us coming together. From one issue to the next we must stand in a mass gathering! We must be present in numbers with our demands for the world to see! We must be noticed from here on out!
So I want everyone to join me in Miami regarding Captivity! This is a worldwide issue and needs to end now! I have chosen Miami since Shelby Proie has brought the lonely female orca named Lolita to international attention. Shelbys efforts have been amazing the last couple of years and I believe Lolita is an Icon of what Captivity can do to an animal. We need people to come from anywhere and everywhere! Bring their flags of the state they live in; and the country their from to show we are much larger than Miami - we are the world!
I am looking for a Mass Gathering in Miami however this world is huge and International attention is needed! So please share this Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160505420671014 and lets start the foundation of passionate strength to tackle the horrors together as an International Grassroots Action! Lets use that Internet that takes people to another world of games to actually use it to make us 100 times stronger and more powerful than the people in the 70s.! We have the technology to be powerful! Are you with me to take back this planet starting with Lolita and Captivity!
If you email me your event that you decide to host anywhere in the world on this day I will also send you another idea I will be releasing closer to the date.
This video is from this past season of Taiji Bay - Japan where the violence and slaughter is the source to captivity for most marine animals around the world! We need to stop this Now!
