Sunshine Matters

For the first time, Tourism Cares – a national non-profit organization based in Massachusetts – selected Florida for its annual Tourism Cares for America Project.  On March 29-30, nearly 250 volunteers from 20 states and Canada representing 80 different companies traveled to Pensacola to help with two equally worthy projects.  Over the two days, volunteers donated an estimated $25,000 in labor costs.

Part of the group worked to revitalize the 150-year old Pensacola Lighthouse.  Extensive painting projects to both the exterior and interior of the Lighthouse and museum were completed, as well as landscaping and parking lot upgrades to accommodate an increasing flow of visitors.  In addition to the labor, Tourism Cares awarded a $5,000 grant to the Pensacola Lighthouse to continue their restoration efforts.

The rest of the volunteers worked with the Ecosystem Restoration Section of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection at Bayou Texar installing native, wetland vegetation and near-shore oyster reefs along 1,500 feet of shoreline. This project will enhance and restore habitats, stabilize the shoreline, and serve as a natural filtration system for runoff and potential pollutants.

Tourism Cares volunteers consist of tour operators, destination management companies, hoteliers, travel writers, and organizations such as the National Tour Association.  Many of the Pensacola project volunteers traveled from the Northeast and Southwest to help make a difference for Florida tourism, including the CEO of the NYC CVB and a writer from the Boston Globe.

Sarah Leahy, VISIT FLORIDA’s Business Development Manager for North Florida was front and center helping welcome everyone on behalf of our state at the opening reception, and then rolled up her sleeves and worked shoulder to shoulder with fellow volunteers at the Lighthouse.

VISIT FLORIDA was proud to support the Pensacola Lighthouse and Bayou Texar projects and want to thank all the volunteers who helped preserve the travel experience in Pensacola for generations of visitors to come.  To learn more about Tourism Cares and how to get involved, visit TourismCares.org.