Page 31 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2016

ABOVE: SHAGGY’S ANGLER CAMP participants show off their catch after an afternoon of offshore shing. BELOW: RIMMER AND RON prepare to take a group of local kids on their rst offshore shing adventure.
crew was immediately on board. “We were looking for
a service project in Gulfport and we found Marissa’s GoFundMe account. The bench is bringing the kids together and we want to be a part of that,” said Shaggy’s spokeswoman Marcella Richardson. “I think it’s such a great idea. When I was a child, we moved around a lot, and I can only imagine what this type of bench does for kids who are in that similar situation.”
Since the outset of the Buddy Bench, Shaggy’s staff has built and donated benches for the other six elementary schools in Gulfport, as well as for schools in Pass Christian, Biloxi, and Pensacola Beach. The crew constructs the benches and provides a base coat of paint, but leaves a blank canvas for the students to decorate with their own creations. “It’s a noble, unselfish act for the students to come together to make sure everyone has a friend and the
BELOW, LEFT: RON LADNER, Biloxi City Councilwoman Dixie Newman, and Shaggy’s Director of Operations Khara Whitman are on hand for a check presentation. Shaggy’s donation allowed for new playground equipment and Buddy Benches in Hiller Park. BELOW: LOCAL elementary students show off their new Shaggy’s Buddy Bench. BOTTOM: THE RED EXTERIORS of Shaggy’s have become iconic among locals.
support of all,” said Ladner of the project. Shaggy’s has also donated a Buddy Bench to Hiller Park in Biloxi, where their team raised money for a new playground.
“We are lucky to have such wonderful wives” says both Ron and Rimmer, “None of this would be possible without their creative input and support.”
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net July 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 31