Sanibel Community Housing and Resources (CHR) - 2401 Library Way, Sanibel, FL, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, depends on fundraising, donations, and support for a large portion of their operating costs on a yearly basis. Now is your chance to help support your local community with Manatee Madness!

Manatee Madness is a unique fundraising event for CHR, where you can take home your own one-of-a-kind sculpture of a manatee while helping a small nonprofit.

According to CHR Executive Director Melissa Rice, “We wanted to create a buzz while staying safe, so we thought what better way to showcase our local talent and at the same time raise much-needed funds for Sanibel’s Affordable Housing program. We thought everyone would have fun with this event. Keep your eye out for the Manatee Madness booklet which we’ll be distributing all around the island. It includes a map to help you locate all the manatees at various local businesses. Take a photo and send it to CHR for our Manatee Madness alerts!”

CHR was able to find talented artists willing to put their creative minds to work to craft these amazing sculptures that so many have enjoyed viewing over the last several months. Their website gives a special shout-out to the participating local artists, including “Jim and Patty Sprankle, Rena Martinson, Ginny Dickinson, Marianne Ravenna, Peter Zell, Lacy McClary, Joan Tangren-Reynolds, Anita Force Marshall and Bob Marshall, Kym Mason, Taryn Manning, Brian Weaver, Danielle Branchaud, Cath Branwood, Kristina Jackson, and Cheryl Logan.” 

Missed seeing these incredible sculptures? Check out their map to locate them!

Bidding is open from March 25th through April 15th at 5:00 pm. With 16 sculptures to choose from and a variety of donation amounts, everyone can get in on this “manatee fun”.

Don’t forget - “[CHR] strongly encourage[s] all winning bidders to contact us directly to arrange payment via the form of a check or money transfer. This will help CHR keep its costs down and not have to worry about the added transaction and credit card fees. Thank you for your understanding.”

CHR’s mission is to provide affordable housing for those who work and serve in the community of Sanibel. They invest responsibly in the future of Sanibel by providing secure and stable housing for their community.

To donate to CHR and continue supporting your local community, click here.