Louisiana Guide Relief

 

HURRICANE IDA GUIDE RELIEF DAY - SEPTEMBER 7th 2021

This Tuesday, September 7th, 2021 is our Guide Relief Day. 


What is Guide Relief Day?

On September 7th, 2021, 100% of profits from all purchases made on marshwearclothing.com will be donated to the WARF Fund to help guides get back on their feet on the heels of natural disasters like Hurricane Ida. 

 

THE NEED

Hurricane Ida and its category 4 force winds ravaged coastal Louisiana and continued on to the Northeast United States devastating fishing communities. In the wake of this disaster, we’re taking a stand for the marsh and more importantly, our extended Marsh Wear family who calls Louisiana home. While the needs are far reaching, the recovery for local businesses and communities can take months or even years. We understand the challenges this poses to charter captains and guides, whose livelihood depends on the water and the infrastructure that supports it. No doubt, there will be urgent needs that surface and our team is dedicated to jump in with boots on the ground when and where we can. But, we are also committed to the long-term rebuilding of these fisheries and believe that raising capital to support the families and livelihoods that depend on the water is essential. That’s why we’ve chosen to donate 100% of profits on marshwearclothing.com on September 7th, 2021 to the IGFA’s Worldwide Anglers Relief Fund (WARF).

 

 

WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING

The Worldwide Anglers Relief Fund (WARF)  was created by the IGFA and Costa Sunglasses in 2017 to address the catastrophic impact that natural disasters have on captains, guides, crews and outfitters who depend on recreational fishing for their livelihood. To date $140,000 has been distributed to recreational angling associations in the Florida Keys, Texas, Puerto Rico, the Florida Panhandle and the Bahamas.

The WARF Fund is a pass through fund, meaning 100 % of funds collected will ultimately be distributed. This fund is administered by the IGFA, 501(c)(3). On the heels of Hurricane Irma’s impact on the Florida Keys, the program was created to help local charters and businesses get back on their feet as the economy recovered. It is not meant as an immediate response vehicle, and careful consideration of the ultimate grant distribution means it will take a few months for the funds to be fully deployed. If you are a guide looking for support, please contact Jack Vitek at (954) 924-4246 or jvitek@igfa.org.

Marsh Wear and our partners at AFTCO will account for the profits from this period and update customers on the total funds collected as a part of this effort. 

 

 

 THE IMPACT

 The IGFA WARF Fund has impacted hundreds of individuals, here are some of the ways it has helped in the past: 


“We were honored to receive a $10,000 donation from Costa’s #OneCoast initiative to incorporate into our Hurricane Harvey Sportfishing & Marine Industry Fund. The distribution of funds was managed by a committee comprised of HBGFC Board Members, and 100% of the funds raised were distributed to those directly involved in the Texas offshore fishing and marine industry.

#OneCoast’s contribution to our fund allowed us to provide assistance to a total of 60 individuals, families and small businesses from Corpus Christi to Beaumont. These people are the lifeblood of HBGFC’s fishing community. They are part of the family, and they share and support the passion and commitment to a lifestyle that no storm can take away.

One recipient shared, “Recovery is a work in progress, and we have all come a long way thanks to the support from all the good people at HBGFC, IGFA, and industry supporters like Costa.- Laurie Bass, Texas Big Game Fishing Club



We evacuated Port St. Joe on October 9, 2018, ahead of Michael. As the storm really ramped up in the waning hours of October 8, our prep time was cut very short. We gathered clothes, important documents, computers, etc., all the while not really believing that we were going to get hit very hard. I left all of my fishing supplies at the house, as we only had so much room. As we watched the storm from afar we began to realize that we might not have anything to come back to. 

We finally were able to return home 5 days after the day of the storm. While our house mostly survived the wind, we came home to a huge pine tree on the roof. But it was the storm surge that really did us in. We quickly realized that we had lost everything in the house – furniture, food, clothes, pictures…everything. My business lost over 30 rods and reels, both inshore rigs and offshore rigs. I also lost boxes of fishing tackle, boat supplies, cast nets, 4 dozen decoys, etc.

Life since the storm has been challenging; the past year has been filled with a lot more downs than ups. Rebuilding our house has taken nearly 11 months, which caused me to miss most of our fishing season. I usually have a reserve for the winter, but there’s none this year due to missed work, weakened tourism and the loss of vacation rentals for people to stay.

But we survived and we are now back in our house. I want to thank Costa’s #OneCoast program and the IGFA’s WARF Fund. The funding we received was incredibly helpful in our time of need.” - Captain Mark Howze, Port St. Joe FL

 

HOW TO HELP IN SHORT TERM

This campaign is not aimed at addressing the incredibly serious short term needs for all in the Louisiana community.  Our recommendation for addressing immediate needs is the American Red Cross www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/