Mote honors volunteers, including 35-year record-breaker
Mote Marine Laboratory honored its volunteers — including the longest-serving volunteer in the Lab’s history — during its annual volunteer awards ceremony on April 14.
“Over the past year, 1,642 Mote volunteers worked a total of 240,000 hours — this is such a gift,” said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President & CEO of Mote. “You are the backbone of Mote. This place wouldn’t exist without you.”
During the ceremony, which filled Mote’s WAVE Center auditorium near capacity, Crosby praised volunteers for their vital role in the Lab’s first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign: Oceans of Opportunity. Since the campaign’s public debut in January 2015, volunteers ranging from Mote Trustees to docents on the Aquarium floor have raised critical awareness and interest in Mote’s mission of today’s research for tomorrow’s oceans. With their help, Mote has received $48.5 million in donor commitments toward the $50-million fundraising goal for Oceans of Opportunity. This success is bringing Mote ever closer to the goals in its 2020 Vision & Strategic Plan — expanding the Lab’s global impact in marine science and education to benefit conservation and sustainable use of the oceans.
“We are incredibly close to finishing this campaign, especially thanks to you all,” Crosby said. “You are the face, and the brains, that most members of the public interact with. You actively translate and transfer our science and you share the same passion that our scientists and educators have demonstrated throughout Mote’s 61-year history.”
Claire Grove, a Volunteer Coordinator at Mote, presented awards to volunteers who had served for 35 years, 25, 15, 10, five, three and one. Volunteers who had served more than 4,000 hours total during their lives also received the national President’s Volunteer Service Award for lifetime achievement.
Dave Bowman, Mote’s longest-serving volunteer, was honored for contributing 16,289 hours of service over 35 years. As an Aquarium docent, Bowman has shared his passion for the ocean and educated visitors from around the world about Mote’s research and conservation efforts.
Bowman began volunteering at Mote in October 1980, when the Aquarium first opened its doors and began sharing Mote science with the community. Since then, Bowman has seen Mote’s volunteer corps grow from a handful of people to more than 1,600. With their help, Mote Aquarium has earned national recognition; TripAdvisor declared Mote the fifth best Aquarium in the U.S. last year, making it the top Aquarium in Florida.
Bowman, age 80, moved 60 miles east to Wachula, Florida, in late 2015. He drove back to Mote for the April 14 awards ceremony and he plans to keep in touch and continue sharing Mote’s story.
“Mote is an extraordinary place, and although I won’t be able to volunteer regularly anymore, being Volunteer Emeritus is a way for me to stay connected to this organization that holds a very special place in my heart,” Bowman said.
During the awards ceremony, many other volunteers were inducted into Mote’s Volunteer Emeritus Program, which allows volunteers with a minimum of 10 years or 1,000 hours of service to be nominated by Mote’s Volunteer Board and approved by Mote’s President & CEO to receive special honors upon their retirement. Emeritus volunteers retain many benefits of their service at Mote — including visiting Mote Aquarium for free and attending certain special events.
The ceremony also honored nine Mote Trustees reaching milestones for volunteer service: Alan Rose (25 years); Ron Ciaravella (15 years); Penelope Kingman (10 years); Jean Martin (five years, Honorary Trustee); Paul Carreiro and Jeanie Stevenson (three years); and Scott Collins, John Dart and Mo Cunniffe (one year).
To learn more about volunteering at Mote, visit: www.mote.org/support/volunteer
