March along the Grand Strand brings spring fever and a sharp uptick in angler action along the coast. And each March there's one large party - make that celebration.
Coastal Conservation Association South Carolina's local Waccamaw Chapter stages its Celebrating Conservation banquet each March with this year's party, ah, event, set for March 26 at SBB-4 Corners in Murrells Inlet.
The banquet is the major fundraiser for the chapter and has all the earmarks of a good coastal party - great food, open bar, raffles and a raucous live auction.
Most of all, the banquet is a virtual reunion of those deeply rooted in the local fishing and boating community. If you want to talk fishing and boating with those in the know, this is a can't-miss event.
It's all in the name of helping preserve the coastal marine environment we all love and CCA can be counted on to do what's right for the fish, fishermen and marine environment.
While CCA has state chapters along the East and Gulf coasts from Maine to Texas and along the West Coast in Washington and Oregon, the grass-roots organization has a definite impact on the local marine environment.
"It's important for everybody in our community to know that conservation of our inlets and fisheries starts at the local level," said Murrells Inlet resident Chris Hawley, Waccamaw Chapter Chairman and a CCA board member on the state and national levels. "The money raised at each chapter banquet helps to conserve the state's resources in our local marine habitats. Some money will even go to a higher, national level that helps support bigger and broader efforts in legislature, but it all starts here."
Hawley and a group of Waccamaw Chapter members along with other volunteers had a blast in July 2009 when they strategically placed hundreds of bags of used oyster shell in Murrells Inlet to create new oyster beds. Returning used shell to the inlet is critical because oyster shell is the preferred and natural surface for spat, or oyster larvae, to attach to, creating new oysters and in turn the new oyster beds.
The excursion, a coordinated effort with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' Oyster Recycling and Restoration Program, is a part of CCA South Carolina's Topwater Action Campaign.
"Some of the money raised from our last two events has gone directly towards our Topwater Action Campaign, which provided us the opportunity to create new reef and marine habitat for not only oyster growth, but to benefit our fisheries and other marine wildlife as well," Hawley said. "We are very excited to continue these efforts to benefit our inlets and creeks."
This year's banquet begins at 6 p.m. at SBB-4 Corners on U.S. Hwy. 17 Bypass in Murrells Inlet with a social hour and dinner, which coincides with the silent auction and raffle sales. From there, the live auction kicks in.
The dinner is catered by Charleston Bay Gourmet Catered and features the famous Seared Tuna Boat, frog legs, BBQ and a seafood station.
Tickets are $50 per person or $75 per couple with sponsorships also available. Tickets include an annual CCA membership and CCA's magazine Tide, a full-color, award-winning bi-monthly magazine.
For more information on tickets or sponsorships, call Hawley at 843-455-0371 or e-mail him at chawley24@gmail.com.
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