I’m honored to award the Pay if Forward Grant to Casting Nets - a group of twelve independent commercial shrimpers’ families from North and South Carolina have joined forces to help 36 independent commercial shrimpers’ families from Louisiana and Mississippi.

As D.James, the group’s spokesperson explains, “Shrimpers are an odd bunch.  We shrimp because we love the work. We love the work because it’s in our blood.  After talking with some of our friends on the Gulf, we knew we couldn‘t fix the whole mess, but we had to do something to help.”

He adds, “We all knew someone whose life had been directly affected by the spill.  So we each picked three Gulf shrimping families to ‘adopt’.   We’ve each invited our ‘adpopted’ Gulf region shrimpers to come run our boats for a week(keeping the full catch to sell or share as they want).

... More important though, our kids are getting to know each other by E-mailing and texting each other. They will all meet for a week in Louisiana this August to work with trained National Wildlife Federation volunteers helping wounded birds.

...Five of our wives, who are teachers, are organizing the week.  We’re all very excited about the positive ripples it will help our children create.

...There is a lot of money being thrown at this oil spill problem.  We’re not asking for your grant to pay bills.   The Pay it Forward Grant will be used to subsidize this educational, spiritual and life changing experience for 67 shrimpers’ children from NC, SC, LA and MS.”