ACC Tampa Bay Community Service Event

On September 23, 2023 ACC Tampa Bay members and their families partnered with chapter sponsor Quarles & Brady LLP to enjoy a sea turtle and sunset community service event at the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort on St. Pete Beach. Attendees were treated to an engaging presentation about sea turtles and their nesting habits in our area by Sea Turtle Trackers, a local nonprofit whose mission is to assure a suitable habitat for sea turtles, people, and the ecosystem of the islands and surrounding waters of St. Pete Beach and Shell Key Preserve.

Children also engaged with sea turtle themed arts and crafts. Participants learned that sea turtles and hatchlings not only need the beach to be dark to avoid disorientation from lights, but also clean and flat. To this end, we then embarked on a beach cleanup and hole patrol, walking along the beaches to minimize obstacles for sea turtles coming ashore and hatchlings trying to reach the water. We ended our day with a beautiful sunset. ACC Tampa Bay and Quarles & Brady also collected donations to support End 68 Hours of Hunger and Kid Place, and held a raffle to raise funds for Sea Turtle Trackers. All involved had a wonderful time interacting, learning about sea turtles, and giving back to our community during ACC’s Global Community Service Month.