Eric Keibler, Managing Director of Oceanic Ventures presented a check for $3,630 to Jennifer Leach-Tippetts, Facility Manager for the Bonaventure Boys Home in Grand Cayman. This donation was made possible by the generous donations from our friends, sponsors and staff at a weekend of rebreather diving in Houston. During the presentation, Eric explained that Oceanic Ventures and the Oceanic Ventures Foundation wanted to give back to the communities that they travel to for diving. Ann Keibler started encouraging clients and staff to bring school supplies with them in their luggage to donate to local schools. She said, “It was a fun way to meet people and give back to the community! It also helps you to leave a little room to buy some things to help support the local economy where you are visiting.” Over the years this simple idea morphed into a program to help support schools and communities in diving locations like the Philippines or Grand Cayman.
To help the Bonaventure Boys’ Home, Oceanic Ventures and Innerspace Systems hosted a weekend of rebreather diving events March 29 – April 3, 2012 in Houston, Texas. The program included lectures, pool demos of a new recreational rebreather the Pathfinder plus a benefit dinner with keynote speaker Leon Scamerhorn, CEO and founder of Innerspace Systems. While the organizations wanted to introduce the new Pathfinder Rebreather System to the diving community in Houston, they also wanted to use the event to raise funds for the Bonaventure Boys’ home. Grand Cayman has been the leading destination for rebreather divers with the first Inner Space Rebreather event hosted by Divetech in 2004 and now its ninth year in 2012.
Eric says, “Rebreathers are the latest trend in diving enabling divers to discover the underwater world in relative silence without disturbing the fish. This allows you to get closer to the fish and other creatures. Photographers find them to be a wonderful tool and a enjoyable way to go diving.” According to Ann Keibler, “this was a fun event that will allow divers to experience what it is like to dive silently underwater with no bubbles while helping out children. We chose the Bonaventure Boys Home as our charity due to the fantastic work they do and our continued visits to Grand Cayman and Divetech.”
The Bonaventure Boys’ Home is a not for profit government funded Foundation that is a part of The CAYS Foundation (Children and Youth Services) in Grand Cayman. The Boy’s Home serves at risks boys and families that need help to achieve their full potential. Jennifer Leach-Tippetts, Bonaventure Boys’ Home Facility Manager commented “We appreciate donation to help fund extra programmes and supplies for our residents and we greatly appreciate the donation Oceanic Venture Foundation is able to give to The Bonaventure Boys’ Home. The monies raised will be used to purchase recreational equipment, resident outings, summer camp fees, clothing and shoes, rewards for incentive programmes and/or bedroom furniture for parents’ homes in preparation for transition.”
We especially want to thak all of the people who made this possible. Were it not for their generous support, nothing would have happened. Those people we would like to specifically thank are:
- Our Special Guests: The participants in the demonstrations and the dinner with Leon Scamahorn
- Our Guest of Hounour: Leon Scamahorn of Innerspace Systems Corporation.
- Our Sponsors: City of West University Place, Monica & Juan Alonso, Luchia Bettler of Luchia’s Garden, Sheila Bezdek of Sweetwater Pool & Patio, Kim Do of Nails by Kim, Steve & Barbara Jurbala, Dr. Stephen & Ann Brennan, Nancy & Jay Easterbrook of Dive Tech in Grand Cayman, Eric & Ann Keibler, Marguerite McNamara, David & Marisa Morris, Norma Reyna at Executive Massage Center, Leon & Shelly Scamahorn, Innerspace Systems Corporation, Alex Witschey, Oceanic Ventures, Inc.
- Our Staff: “Scuba Steve” Brennan, Joel Hershey, Ann Keibler, Eric Keibler, Madison Lee, David Morris, Zaide Scheib, David Snyder, Wade Sparks, Richard Walker, Stephanie Watowich, Alex Witschey
- Some Friends: The Black Labrador, John Mittendorf, Coad Worden
We are also in the news at:
- Dive Newswire – June
- Cayman Island Department of Tourism
- Cayman Islands Government
- The Cayman Compass
- DiveTech Grand Cayman
- Dive Training Magazine
- Dive Newswire
- Southwest Dive News
Here is a look at the weekend’s event:
