For the dad who has everything . . . or not!

June is the month where the focus is on fathers. Whether it’s your own, your children’s dad, your grandpa, or a special father figure, people are on the lookout for that wonderful, unique gift for Father’s Day. This time around, don’t just add to his unused stash of stuff. Adopt a manatee for all those dads out there who have a real love of nature. For $25, you can adopt an endangered manatee from Save the Manatee Club, a nonprofit organization that was started in 1981 to raise awareness about these fascinating marine mammals. The adoption package includes a certificate, a photo of a real manatee, biography, a one-year membership in Save the Manatee Club, a 28-page membership handbook, and a subscription to the Club’s newsletter, The Manatee Zone.  Or for $35, each new member who joins the Adopt-A-Manatee program online will also receive a commemorative 25th Anniversary Save the Manatee Club T-shirt.

Frances Cone from Pawleys Island, South Carolina, has been a member and volunteer of Save the Manatee Club for the last 15 years. She recently adopted a manatee for her cousin Billy and his wife in Fort Worth, Texas. She says, “Here’s someone who had everything, so I figured this way he and his wife could learn about and enjoy a wonderful animal, and I’d be helping the manatees at the same time.”

It can be quite a fun challenge choosing a manatee to adopt from the 30 available in the Club’s three programs at Blue Spring Sate Park, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, and Tampa Bay. Some people like to ponder over their choice—should they pick “Doc” because their grandfather’s a physician, or “Crazy Nick” because, like Nick, their husband’s quite the comedian? The decision-making process is delightfully different for everyone.

Frances, who has adopted a number of manatees over the years, sometimes by names, sometimes by their history, first chose Margarito many years ago, and recently she adopted Phyllis, both from the Blue Spring program, She also adopted Merlin and Rosie for her granddaughter’s classrooms. Besides being active for Save the Manatees Club, Frances, now retired, volunteers for a variety of environmental organizations in her community. A big manatee and turtle fan, she also enjoys the company of her three cats.

There are only about 3,000 manatees left in the United States today. Found in Florida waters year-round, they are injured or killed by boats, which are the leading known cause of their mortality. Manatees are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Funds from the Club's three adoption programs go toward education and conservation efforts.

 “I care about manatees, and fear they are going to become extinct if we're all not more conscious of their problems,” says Frances. “Save the Manatee Club is doing a good job in getting the word out about the plight of the manatee.”

For more information on manatees or adopting one for Father’s Day, contact Save the Manatee Club at 500 N. Maitland Ave., Maitland, FL 32751, ca11 1-800-432-JOIN (5646), or visit their Web site at www.savethemanatee.org. Sign up for the Club's new free monthly E-Newsletter, too.

Dateline: February 20, 2006