Born on the water and committed to protecting the watery world it calls home, Costa Sunglasses continues supporting Hurricane Ian relief efforts with a $50,000 donation to its longtime conservation partner, Captains for Clean Water. The full donation will go towards the organization’s Emergency Disaster Relief Fund to help those impacted by Hurricane Ian get back on their feet.
Hurricane Ian made landfall on Sept. 28 as a category four hurricane, causing catastrophic damage to Southwest, Fla., home to many Costa partners and pros. Costa, Captains for Clean Water, and the fishing community in Florida were some of the first responders to jump into action after the hurricane. They worked around the clock on rescue missions, setting up drop sites for critical supplies, clearing debris, and delivering food and clean water to families in need. The initial response has been outstanding, but the work has just begun. The road to recovery will be a long one, but Costa and Captains for Clean Water are in it for the long haul.
“Being in Florida for the past 40 years, Costa is no stranger to hurricanes and the effects they have on our communities,” said Justin Cupps, Senior Vice President at Costa. “As soon as we learned the magnitude of this storm, we were in close communication with our friends at Captains For Clean Water, based in Fort Myers. It’s been incredible to see their response and how they immediately jumped into action to do whatever was necessary, despite many of them losing their own homes. As a trusted partner, we’re honored to follow their lead and support our community and friends after the tremendous damage Hurricane Ian caused.”
“Fishing guides don’t wait for someone else to take the lead on how to fix a problem, we get to work and do what needs to be done,” said Captains for Clean Water Co-Founder, Chris Wittman. “Hurricane relief isn’t what our organization was created to do, but since this directly impacts the people that fight with us for clean water, it’s our turn to fight for them – and Costa gets that. Always a phone call away, Costa has been on the ground alongside us to help with emergency relief efforts since day one. We’re incredibly grateful for their ongoing support, and know that together, we will rebuild this devastated fishing community.”
Costa was born on the waters in Florida in 1983. Since then, the brand has been committed to protecting the watery world it calls home, including hurricane relief efforts. In 2017, after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria ravaged our coasts, Costa started #OneCoast, a program to bring relief efforts to coastal communities affected by natural disasters through the Worldwide Angler’s Relief Fund (WARF). Founded by Costa and IGFA, WARF provides financial aid to local charter captains, guides, and outfitters in the wake of major natural disasters.
The $50,000 donation was announced at the Captains for Clean Water annual Restore Gala on November 4th in Fort Myers, Fla. For additional information about how you can help through the Captains for Clean Water Emergency Relief Fund, visit www.Captainsforcleanwater.org.
And for more information about Costa’s #OneCoast program, visit www.CostaSunglasses.com.
