EARLY HATCHER PREVIEW PARTY

4-4-05

An Early Hatcher Preview, exclusively for the Host Committee and Sponsors of TurtleTrax, was held on April 4 at Rock City Gardens, by Hosts Roberts and Eleonora McCabe. TurtleTrax is presented by John’s Island Real Estate Company to benefit the Mental Health Association (MHA) in Indian River County (a United Way Agency). One hundred supporters of TurtleTrax turned out to enjoy the festivities and to view the enormous creativity each artist attached to their six foot fiberglass turtle beautifully displayed within the colorful, flower-filled gardens of Rock City.

TurtleTrax is serving to raise funds for programs and services that MHA helps to provide guidance for at getting over life's hurdles. This exciting public art event will also benefit other charities, plus the business, artistic, municipal, and educational sectors of our community, as they will be integrally involved throughout the event. Sponsored by local businesses, nearly thirty-five to fifty six foot fiberglass sea turtles will ultimately be decorated by local artists and be on display at businesses and in prominent locations throughout Indian River County from December 2005 through March 31, 2006.

The first four “Early Hatcher” turtles were unveiled at the Preview Party for sponsors Norris & Company Real Estate (Debbie Sanders & Patti Vaughn, Artists), Northern Trust (Merana Cadorette, Artist), Proctor Construction Co. (Julia Carter, Artist), and Rock City Garden (Sharon Sexton & Glenda Taylor, Artist). All four turtles are now on display outside of the sponsor locations, with the Proctor Construction turtle located in Humiston Park on Ocean Drive. The other early turtle, “The Roving Raffler”, is sponsored by The Outlets at Vero Beach, and popular children’s book author and artist, Leslie McGuirk, is illustrating and painting their sea turtle which will be unveiled in May.

For more TurtleTrax information, please contact Co-Chairs Barbara Hammond at 772-473-0167/ Tammy Adams 772-234-0408, or visit www.turtletrax.org.


	Ellie McCabe, Tammy Adams, Lenora Ritchie, and Barbara Hammond, ham it up at the TurtleTrax Preview Party		Sponsors Linda and Don Proctor of Proctor Construction Co with their turtle artist Julia Carter

	Sponsors Tom and Rhonda Lowe of Rock City Gardens with artists Glenda Taylor standing and Sharon Sexton sitting		Turtle Sponsors Jim and Sylvia Linus (left) with Kathy and Jim Linus (right) of Vero Beach Cadillac flanking host Bob McCabe.

	Sponsor Bob Bauchman of Northern Trust with his turtle Artist Merana Cadorette		Artists Debbie Sanders and Patty Vaughn far left with Sponsors from Norris, Michelle Downey and Jeanine Harris