LONGWOOD -- Jimmy Buffett, who died Friday night at age 76, is being remembered for his many hit songs and for making Margaritaville not just a tune but a brand, making him one of the wealthiest singer-songwriters of all time. But he's also being honored for his efforts to keep Florida's manatee population from going extinct.
Patrick Rose is executive director of the Save the Manatee Club, and has known Buffett since he was tapped in the early 1980s as the scientific advisor for a state committee on manatees. Former Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham created the committee and named Buffett as its chair. Graham took his two daughters to a Buffett concert in 1981 and Buffett had asked him what could be done to help manatees. Rose says Buffett, a sailing enthusiast, had encountered a manatee with gashes from boat propellers and realized they needed help from humans.
Buffett and Graham were co-founders of the club. Rose says Buffett held many fundraisers to put the club on a sound financial footing. He says Buffett gave the club anything it asked for, but shied away from a front-and-center role to allow the organization to build its own strengths. Rose believes many people were drawn to the cause of saving the manatees because of Buffett's involvement.
Rose issued this statement:
“It's with a sad but grateful heart that I share the loss of a great old friend to manatees and the watery world that sustains us despite such storms of life. I will miss you old friend. You were there from the very beginning of our efforts to ‘Save the Manatee’ and each and every time we needed you without hesitation. Although it will be hard, we will honor your legacy by staying strong and carrying on.”
Listen to an interview with Pat Rose below:
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