The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) is beaming with pride after being selected for a major donation as part of the Discovery Channel’s exciting show “Shark Tank Meets Shark Week” which aired last night on the Discovery Channel.
The Sharks – tough, self-made, multi-millionaire and billionaire tycoons, search to invest in the best businesses and products that America has to offer. The Sharks give people from all walks of life the chance to chase the American dream and potentially secure business deals that could make them millionaires. The sharks also have a goal, too – to get a return on their investment and own a piece of the next big business idea. When the Sharks hear an idea worth sinking their teeth into, they’re more than ready to declare war and fight each other for a piece of it
On last night’s show, instead of fighting for a piece of a business idea, the Sharks were all pitching a $50,000 donation for their faourite conservation organization. Each Shark had to convince their fellow Sharks, why their shark-centric non-profit organization, whom they were paired with, deserved to win the $50,000 donation.
FUBU tycoon, Daymond John, was teamed with the Bahamas National Trust to pitch the BNT’s phenomenal shark conservation success story. Mr. John presented a most convincing argument, and brought home the $50,000 prize for the BNT. Inspired by his experience in the water, John announced he is donating $50,000 to Bahamas National Trust. The announcement was made July 25 on Shark After Dark, the after-show that immediately followed Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. In addition to John’s donation, Discovery Channel is matching these funds ($50,000), and Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) has provided an additional $150,000, bringing the total donation to $250,000.
“GWC is a leading organization that protects wildlife and wild lands, and I am honored to join them in their quest to be guardians for wildlife in the Caribbean and Atlantic region,” said John, CEO of The Shark Group. “My mother hails from Trinidad, and I have seen the importance of the Caribbean as a global hotspot for wildlife and wild places. As a global citizen and businessman, I want to take action to protect the region’s staggering diversity of unique and threatened species, many of which are found nowhere else. The Discovery Channel and Global Wildlife Conservation have stepped up to work with The Bahamas National Trust to protect, manage and restore the country’s incredible natural heritage.”
Shelley Cant-Woodside, Director of Science and Policy for the BNT is ecstatic about the result. She explained, “The Bahamas is a small country that is doing big things in terms of conservation. Through extensive education and outreach, working with PEW Charitable Trusts, the BNT was able to work with Bahamas Government to declare The Bahamas a Shark Sanctuary in 2011. We were excited to be selected and recognized for our work, but to be selected as the most deserving conservation organization is amazing.” She added that The Bahamas was the first to establish a Land and Sea Park in the Western Hemisphere; and lobbied for the banning of longline fishing which was important in maintaining healthy shark populations.
“The BNT was very excited to be selected as one of the conservation organizations featured on the Discovery Channels “Shark Tank meets Shark Week.” Our shark “Daymond John was so impressed with the BNT’s work in having the Bahamas declared a Shark Sanctuary that he matched the $50,000 conservation grant. We are beyond excited and very proud to have been declared the winner of the competition. Our sharks must have been very convincing when they met Daymond John” said, Janet Johnson, BNT President.
BNT also extends special thanks to our Key partner, The Ministry of Tourism, and Ms. Donna Mackey from the Florida Office. Donna was instrumental in putting the Production company in touch with the BNT.