Catalina Chamber Day
Roger Hess, then owner of Charisma Charters, came up with the idea that all the boats should band together for a day of diving and donate all the proceeds to our Chamber. The first event attracted about 200 divers and netted around $15,000 for our Chamber. We are justifiably considered the largest single-day scuba charity event in the United States and perhaps even the world.
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AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND – Twenty-Five years ago, the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber faced the very real prospect of losing L.A. County funding, vital to its operation. Roger Hess, then owner of Charisma Charters, came up with the idea that all the boats should band together for a day of diving and donate all the proceeds to our Chamber. And thus, Chamber Day was born.
The first event attracted about 200 divers and netted around $15,000 for our Chamber. Over the past quarter-century, the event has grown to have over 1,000 participants; added Chamber Eve, the Flying Dutchman, and the Chamber Challenge; and last year raised just over $136,000 for our Chamber. We are justifiably considered the largest single-day scuba charity event in the United States and perhaps even the world.
2013 marks our Silver Anniversary—Chamber Day 25. We hope it will be the most successful yet. But we can’t do it without you.
So once again, we as a diving community must band together for the benefit of our Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber. The date this year is Wednesday, May 1.Our Catalina Chamber is the ONLY hyperbaric chamber in SoCal dedicated solely to the treatment of diving accidents, on a 24/7/365 basis. Although we all hope we’ll never need it, having our Chamber available provides divers with a vital safety net when something goes wrong. And while the Chamber has some other sources of income, Chamber Day provides a significant portion—over 50%—of the Chamber’s annual budget.
It’s important to know that all monies raised go to the Chamber. No administrative fees are deducted from the proceeds, the local SoCal boats donate their time and services, the manufacturers donate gear for raffle prizes, the Aquarium of the Pacific donates their facility for the evening event, hundreds of volunteers donate their time, and you (hopefully) donate your money.Here’s what’s happening:
Via ecatalina.com
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