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#07-196 July 16, 2007

Hampton Marine Conservation Banquet celebrates legacy Aug. 18

The Hampton Marine Conservation Banquet is Saturday, Aug 18 at the Omar Shrine Temple in Mt. Pleasant, and will celebrate the legacy left by Harry Hampton, a founding father in the state’s conservation movement.

Harry Hampton, born in 1897, was known for his recognition of South Carolina’s abundance of wildlifeHarry Hampton and flora, untainted rivers and pristine beaches. As a reporter for The State newspaper, Hampton’s conservation interests culminated with a massive publicity campaign to organize a game and fish association, instigate natural resources legislation and form a state game commission. The association later came to be known as the South Carolina Wildlife Federation.

The annual Hampton Marine Conservation Banquet raises funds for many conservation programs. This year’s banquet, Saturday, Aug. 18 from 6-11 p.m. at the Omar Shrine Temple in Mt. Pleasant, will feature live and silent auctions, drinks and hors d’oeuvres for all ticket holders. Ticket prices are $25 per person or $40 per couple. To purchase tickets, contact the DNR Marine Resources Division in Charleston at (843) 953-9103.

Hampton’s former words still ring true in today’s movement to protect South Carolina’s natural resources. He once said, “The preservation of our wildlife is of importance to every man, woman and child in this state, and this movement deserves the wholehearted support of every right-thinking individual within our borders, whether hunter, fisherman or not.”

The Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund Inc. was established in 1981 as a private, non-profit corporation to continue Hampton’s legacy of support for the conservation of wildlife, marine and other natural resources in South Carolina. The corporation partners with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to support programs including the Hampton Fund Scholarship Program, Youth Fishing Rodeos, Operation Game Thief, Project Wild, Camp Wildwood, education programs such as Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, displays and exhibits at the Marine Resources Division and the Marine Outdoor Education Center.
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