Just a Wednesday: Jack Johnson, Nine Nonprofits, and Matching Grants for the Gulf
Eco Clean Marine before the Jack Johnson concert at The Wharf Amphitheater
The email that started this week’s blog landed a little after noon today. Subject line: “We Met Jack Johnson (and hit our $2,500 goal).” It was from Courtney Dombroski at Eco Clean Marine, and it was the best account I’ve read of what happened at The Wharf last night — better than anything I’d have written cold. So credit where it’s due: this Log exists because Courtney wrote hers first.
Here’s the short version. I went with some of my family to the Wharf AmphitheaterWednesday night for the SURFILMUSIC Tour — Jack Johnson playing live with giant surf images on screen, which is about as on-brand for this coast as a show gets. It was his first time back in our area since he headlined Hangout Fest in 2014. The music fits where we live, but is a little more west coast surf vibe.
While here he stopped in with Pensacola surfer/filmmaker Sterling Spencer and recorded a new Pinch My Salt Podcast episode.
Another thing Jack Johnson does at every stop on the tour: his Johnson Ohana Foundation invites local environmental nonprofits to set up a village square inside the gates of his concerts. Each one gets a $500 base donation just for showing up. Each one gets a matching offer — up to $2,500, dollar for dollar, on whatever they raise. And his team runs a bingo board that sends concertgoers table to table, so every group spends the night talking to people who actually walked over to ask what they do. Nine local nonprofits had tables last night. Several of them are Dockside Guide favorites:
Eco Clean Marine — Courtney’s crew. Four years old, 501(c)(3), a small army of volunteer trash pickuppers scheduled several times a month from Alabama to Florida, by land and by boat.
Mobile Baykeeper — the Bay’s watchdog since 1997.
Alabama Coastal Foundation — oyster shell recycling, sea turtle nests, the long game.
Gulf Coast Center for Ecotourism & Sustainability — awareness through adventure, out in Gulf State Park. You need to check this out if you don’t know about it!
Eco Clean Marine and Courtney, straight from her email: $2,500 raised, goal reached. Johnson Ohana match, another $2,500. Base donation, $500. Total for the Gulf from one table on one night: $5,500. She called it the best tabling event they’ve ever had. For a four-year-old nonprofit, that’s gas money, supplies, and event costs for a good while — pressure off, more energy for the work itself. Her line that stuck with me: “As a businesswoman, it gave me something to aim for.” We love seeing the social media posts of her volunteers and the trash they collect. Give her a follow on Instagram.
Now the dinner. We were running in hot from volleyball practice and grabbed burgers at Villaggio Grille, which had a grill master posted up outside the front door cooking for the concert crowd. Easy to grab on the walk in, easy to skip the line, and the burgers were good. Every restaurant on the Main Street was busy. Every lot was full. Everybody seemed happy. It was just a Wednesday night in Orange Beach at the end of August.
Where to pick up the line
Eco Clean Marine’s next cleanup is this Saturday, August 29, in Gulf Shores at Papa Rocco’s. Details and sign-up at mycleaneco.com.
Coming up: Eco Clean Marine is partnering with MarineMax on a boat pickup — cruise out, pick up trash at Crab Island, dolphin cruise, meal on the way back. Follow them for the announcement. That one’s for us.
If your boat lives on the Bay, Mobile Baykeeper and the Alabama Coastal Foundation both take volunteers and both work for our water quality and marine life.
One night, nine tables, $500 apiece and matching grants on top. Jack Johnson does it at every concert. Ours just got its turn.
Find a group that you like and jump in to help!