November 10, 2014
By Florida Sportsman Newswire
Open your hearts and wallets to support Florida's youth and wildlife.
Dust off those cowboy boots and shine up those big silver belt buckles! It's time for Florida's 3rd Annual BlueGreen Event at “Alligator Ron” Bergeron's Green Glades Cowboy Ranch in Weston.
This once-a-year, fun-filled, boot-stompin', heel-kickin', fund-raisin' gala on November 15 is fast becoming the place for the movers and shakers of the fish and wildlife conservation world to meet, greet and raise money for the future of Florida's kids and wildlife!
This is the night to open your wallets and put your money where your heart is: In the future and well-being of our youth, wildlife and all they share in the great outdoors. BlueGreen will feature live entertainment, a live auction, raffles, an authentic Florida Cracker cowboy cook out, and an unrivaled opportunity to mingle with major fish and wildlife conservationists, supporters and experts from around the state.
“BlueGreen promises to be a rip-roaring event, but its purpose is to raise awareness and money to ‘Create the Next Generation that Cares',” said Rodney Barreto the newly-appointed chairman of the Wildlife Foundation of Florida (WFF). “Believe me, if you give a hoot about our kids and our wildlife, this is where you want to be to open your hearts and wallets.”
Research has shown that today's kids spend less time in the outdoors than any previous generation.
Images from the 2013 Blue Green Event.
“The reasons are many, but the point is that these kids are losing touch with nature and we've got to get them outside and into the natural world again,” Barreto said. “We need programs to reconnect kids to their outdoor heritage, and we need funding to do it. That's why we started the BlueGreen event three years ago.”
With support from BlueGreen participants and sponsors, the WFF and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) created the Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network (FYCCN), a web of conservation-related facilities and programs located throughout the state geared towards getting kids outside.
“The success of these programs is vital to the health and well-being of our children, to Florida's wildlife, and to the traditions handed down from generation to generation. Without them, we face a future where Florida has no place to hunt, no place to fish, no place to hike, and no one who cares,” Barreto said.
During the gala, the WFF will also be honoring Florida's Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, as the 2014 winner of the BlueGreen Award for Conservation Leadership in Florida.
Everyone – individuals, governmental entities, businesses, – is encouraged to attend and participate. All money raised at the BlueGreen will go directly to the WFF to fund youth and wildlife-related programs and projects, in particular the renovation of the famous Everglades Youth Conservation Camp, an integral part of the FYCCN.
For more information about BlueGreen or to purchase tickets, visit www.FloridaBlueGreen.com. To become a sponsor, email toneil@wildlifeflorida.org or call (850) 212-5454.
This year's event also features:
- Amazing auction items
- Live country music
- Open bar and cowboy cookout
- Prizes for best dressed cowboy and cowgirl
- Auctions, raffles and more!
Also, visit
Blue Green on Facebook, give it a like to receive updates about the event.
