Beef N' Bones at the Bayou!

Photo credit: Deborah Theisen Pictured: Sandy Council, RCDF president, talks about Florida's fishing heritage at the cabin sneak peek during the Beef n' Bones at the Bayou fundraising event. Camp Bayou Fundraiser a Great Success! On Saturday, October 16, an evening fundraiser was held at Camp Bayou from 5 to 9pm. Entertainment included the Famundo All-Stars singing a range of songs throughout the evening. Delicious barbecued food was provided by the pit-master from Jay's Best Barbecue in Ruskin. A selection of silent auction items were up for bid which included an applique quilt, custom jewelry, home decor items and assorted accessories. Eighteen paintings were also available for bid, coordinated by Bruce Fallender of Sun City Center. A 'Sneak Peek' of the progress of the renovation of the fishing cabins, that were moved from the old Giant's Camp, provided a preview of the future fishing history exhibit to be created on the oxbow. Over $2500 was raised between ticket sales, silent auction purchases and outright donations collected for the evening event. This event was made possible by Camp Bayou and Paleo Preserve volunteers with the help of these sponsors: Hillsborough County Conservation Services, Gulfstream Gas Corp, All Steel Buildings and Components, Sundance/All Home Repairs, SunnyDay Painters, Southeast Glass & Mirror, Sherwin Williams Paint, Lowe's- Riverview, Apollo Meats, SweetBay Supermarket, Winn-Dixie Supermarket, Buddy's Home Furniture, HCC SouthShore Campus and Memorial Pharmacy. Camp Bayou is nether a campground nor a summer camp. It was an RV park before the County's ELAP program purchased the land but it is now open for day use only, open to the general public. Through volunteers, donations, membership and grants, the RCDF offers pre-scheduled programs to schools, youth groups, adult groups and families plus it's open from Thursday- Saturday from 9am-2pm for passive recreational pursuits such as wildlife watching, nature photography and trail walks. General admission is still FREE. The Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center is a public- private partnership between the non-profit Ruskin Community Development Foundation, Inc. (RCDF) and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation. Camp Bayou is located 3 miles south of SR674 at the end of 24th St SE in Ruskin. More information is on the web at http://www.campbayou.org or call 813-641-8545. ###