Page 30 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2016

PEOPLE for a good cause
ABOVE: MICHAEL BURNS of Pass Christian and Rimmer with Michael’s rst tuna. BELOW: SHAGGY’S partnership with Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport gives kids a chance to attend the institute’s summer camp program.
The Shaggy’s Angler Camp aims to educate local youth on responsible fishing. Participants in the camp are taught vital information about the species of fish that live in the coastal environment, as well as how to cast a net and tag and release fish.
“The Marine Education Center’s emphasis on promoting conservation and sustainability of the Gulf Coast’s most valuable natural resources is especially appealing to us,”
said Covington, Shaggy’s co-owner. “Every member of our organization takes great pride in giving back to the communities we call home.”
“In addition to our sponsorship, Rimmer and I thought it would be cool to also provide the additional resources to take the kids offshore for a bigger experience,” said Ladner. Shaggy’s provided all resources for the trip outside of their original sponsorship contribution.
“After today, we will have given 35 kids the experience of catching an offshore fish. There’s nothing like it...watching a kid catch his first big fish,” said Covington, an accomplished offshore fishing captain.
Since its inception in 2007, the “Shaggy’s Kids Foundation” has hosted several events that have introduced deserving boys and girls to the sport of fishing and marine life conservation, including a $2,500 donation to the Elks Lodge fishing rodeo that provided fishing poles and tackle so that more children could participate in the event.
“We started the Shaggy’s Kids Foundation to help introduce kids to the sport of fishing, so this is important to us,”
said Ladner. “When you step into our restaurants, you can immediately tell fishing is a passion for us.” Ladner and Covington have not only co-owned the Shaggy’s restaurants since Covington’s investment in 2010, but they are also long time fishing partners. The dynamic duo shares their passion
for fishing with the community through their business and community service efforts as well as through their charter fishing operation. When Covington wanted to start an offshore charter fishing venture in Venice, La., Ladner partnered with him on the purchase of a custom sport fisherman in 2007. They decided to name the team after Shaggy’s number one selling item on the menu: the Cheeseburger. According to them, the name was a no-brainer. The team usually spends their summers in
the St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands fishing the North Drop. You can follow their adventures on their Cheeseburger Sportfishing Facebook page.
When the Shaggy’s team isn’t out on the water, they’re typically out doing their part to better the community. Recently, Shaggy’s has picked up yet another philanthropic project, the Buddy Bench. When Gulfport Elementary School fourth-grader, Marissa Wingerter, set out with the goal of creating a designated sitting spot for children in need of a playmate, the Shaggy’s
30 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • July 2016
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