NEW ORLEANS — From the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana:
There will be a lot to celebrate March 25 during the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana’s annual Shell-A-Bration. The event, which will be held at Crescent Park in New Orleans, is part party and part fundraiser for the nonprofit’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program, which returns oyster shell to our state’s coast to build living shorelines that help protect communities from hurricane damage and minimize erosion.
The Grammy Award-winning Lost Bayou Ramblers will provide the music, and there will be oysters and other food, as well as drinks, a live raffle and a silent auction. There will also be a kids activity area to ensure fun for the whole family.
Proceeds from the event will fund the work of CRCL, the first statewide nonprofit dedicated to confronting coastal land loss in Louisiana, where more than 2,000 square miles of wetlands have disappeared in less than a century. The organization, which was founded in 1988, is known for its habitat restoration volunteer events, its leadership development programs and the State of the Coast conference, which returns to New Orleans in 2023.
Supporters of Shell-A-Bration include Tap Truck New Orleans, River Parish Disposal, Crescent Crown Distributing LLC, Lost Bayou Ramblers, The Green Project and Glass Half Full. Current sponsors include Colonial Pipeline, l’Auberge Casino Resort and Jacobs. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Tickets are $45 in advance or at the door, and they cover admission, food and drinks. Admission is free for children 12 years old and younger. All oyster shell from the event will be recycled and reused to build the next living shoreline.
“We’re thrilled to return to an in-person Shell-A-Bration this year,” said Marissa Wendte, Development Director at CRCL. “This is a fun way to take part in coastal restoration – by listening to great music, eating great food and raising a glass with your friends.”
The Oyster Shell Recycling Program has become one of the largest shell recycling programs in the nation. Since 2014, CRCL has collected more than 10 million pounds of shell from 31 local restaurants, using the shell to build four oyster reefs. A fifth reef will be deployed this summer.
To learn more about the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, visit the organization’s website.
