My Home A Way of Life™ – press release
Defending – My Home A Way of Life
June 22, 2010, New Orleans
Anne Dale, Blue Runner Foods and musician Amanda Shaw have teamed up to protect the Gulf Coast.
New Orleans jewelry designer Anne Dale’s latest creation, a shield, features pelican wings, the coastline, a redfish and the words “My Home – A Way of Life”; also inscribed along the bottom is the badge #042010(the date of the oil rig explosion).
Packaged in a small burlap pouch (a mini oyster sack) each shield comes with a Pledge to America’s Gulf Coast.
Pledge to America’s Gulf Coast ©
by Anne Dale
I will defend my home… a way of life.
I will fervently protect the wetlands, marshes and beaches of America’s Gulf Coast..
I demand investing in the infrastructure of America’s Energy Coast while protecting the fragile ecosystem in which it co-habitates.
I will support the seafood and tourist industries of the Gulf Coast and frequent businesses that do the same; ensuring that this – a way of life… my way of life will survive and flourish to be enjoyed by generations to come.
This is my Pledge
This is America’s Coast
This is My Home… A Way of Life
___
“It is absolutely a call to action,” said Dale “we are a proud, resilient people from a southern culture that is polite and humble. Unfortunately, some mistake our demeanor, values, our way of life as a weakness; these are the same people that would destroy our wetlands, pollute our coastline and threaten our economy if we allow them.”
Blue Runner Foods marketing representative Eric Newman, a chef and avid fisherman, also manages the company’s fishing boats. “Some people have claimed the Gulf Coast is fragile, weak, even dead– that is just not the case, and not representative of Gulf Coast fisherman I know,” he remarked. “They are some of the most hard-working, fun-loving, passionate people on the planet…. I knew jeweler Anne Dale since her work after Katrina and I hoped we could do something together to make a difference.”
The Rhythm
Joining Dale and Newman is ambassador for the wetlands and advocate for coastal restoration Amanda Shaw– bringing a rhythm to the project. After her sterling performance in Hurricane on the Bayou, Amanda and her music became synonymous with the issues of coastal erosion and the importance of barrier island protection.
“The trio has a unique opportunity to raise awareness, money, and the spirits of people most affected by the oil spill. A jeweler, a food company and a musician might seem like an unlikely trio,” said Dale, “but it allows us to create single banner for everyone”.
The design will be available in a variety of formats such as the Blue Defender Tags™, tee shirts, caps and jewelry pendantspins.
All items will be available at retailer jewelers, grocery stores, pharmacies and festivals across the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida. The goal is to unite everyone behind the shield, prices start at $9.95 (for the Blue Defender Tag) with $2.00 of each purchase going to the recovery effort. Also, a portion of the net proceeds of all items will be donated to Gulf Coast 501-C3 non-profits helping the fisherman and wildlife affected by the oil disaster.
Anne Dale
“My Home A Way of Life™” is the newest design in the Anne Dale Collection for Causes that raises awareness, money, and the spirits of people in need. Other original designs include the Self-esteem pendant™, the military Star of Hope Collection™, I Love New Orleans Collection™, Facing Autism Collection™, Finish Strong Collection™ and continues to grow with inspired works.
Available through a network of charity partners and retail jewelers while being proudly Made in the U.S.A.
Eric Newman
Eric Newman of Blue Runner Foods and, more specifically, the absolute best Blue Runner Beans on the planet earth. A sales rep for the Louisiana based Blue Runner Foods group and an avid offshore fisherman, Eric understands the bad press the Gulf Coast waters has been getting and wants to do his part to make a positive difference.
Amanda Shaw
Amanda is a powerful performer, composer, and arranger who has been touring nationally and internationally since she was eight years old. The New Orleans native is a pioneer of the new breed of young, roots-based musicians who have embraced both the traditional sounds of Louisiana and the pop sounds of the mainstream. In 2009, Ms. Shaw was recognized as the Emerging Cultural Leader by the State of Louisiana. She takes her role as ambassador for her home state very seriously.