On September 25, 1998 Hurricane Georges hit South Florida, primarily in the area of the Florida Keys. Of that area one of the worst areas of damage was on Big Pine Key, home of Newfound Harbor Marine Institute, known to thousands of students from South Florida and around the world as SEA CAMP. Since 1992 Sea Camp has been a tremendous supporter of the Rotary District 6990 Youth Exchange program. |
Each year Sea Camp hosts the INTERNATIONAL WEEKEND when students from all over the United States and various parts of the world gather at Big Pine Key to learn about the Keys' fragile enviornment and discuss methods to clean up, preserve and protect not only the South Florida area, but other parts of the world as well. Over the years students from more than 25 nations, including several countries which were once part of the former Soviet Union, have participated in International Weekend. |
On October 17th and 18th, 1998 members of the Rotary Clubs of Key West, Big Pine Key, Coral Gables, Miami and Coral Springs - Parkland joined 14 current Exchange Students (and one former Exchange Student) for a hard working weekend at Sea Camp cleaning up debris and other remnants of Hurricane Georges. None of the students had ever experienced a natural disaster of this type, and the weekend gave each one a new insight into the natural phenomenon of a hurricane and the powerful forces which caused such destruction. |
Aline (Brasil) and Moritz (Germany) clean up debris left behind Hurricane Georges |
While it is truly unfortunate that it took the magnitude of a hurricane to produce an opportunity for the Rotary members and students to lend a helping hand to the staff at SEA CAMP, all who helped were grateful for the chance to, in some small way, pay back the folks at Sea Camp for all of their help, support and efforts through the years. |
Bob White (Inbound Co-Chair) and Leonardo (Argentina) discuss work to be done. |
Eeva (Finland) and Claudia (Austria) clean up in the shadow of a sunken houseboat |
It wasn't ALL work as Johan (Sweden) and Ignacio (Chile) found out. |
The Happy Sea Camp Clean up Crew |
The Youth Exchange Committee and Students of Rotary District 6990 wish Irene Hooper, founder and Director of Sea Camp, all the best in the rebuilding and repairing of your wonderful institution, and we look forward to seeing all of the terrifie and dedicated staff in January, 1999 and for many years thereafter. The efforts of all of you will be realized by the thousands of students that will pass through your gates in the years to come. |
This page was last updated on
November 30, 1999
![[Createyourownwebsiteatwww.homestead.com!]](/defaultUser/images/footer.gif)