Whitney Plaza on Longboat Key hosts Claws for a Cause

There were few flaws at the Claws for a Cause event at Whitney Plaza on May 20. Businesses in the shopping center, including Driftwood Beach Home and Garden, Design 2000, Longbeach Cafe and Ultra-Yacht, organized to donate 10% of profits to the Longboat Key Turtle Watch. Irina LaRose at Design 2000 and Heather Rippy at Driftwood Beach Home and Garden also worked to bring The Maine Line food truck to the plaza. 

Despite the threat of rain, the weather stayed sunny and breezy for most of the event. Volunteers from LBKTW set up educational displays about turtle nesting season, including the shells of a green and loggerhead turtle and a display about the importance of keeping beaches dark so turtles don't get discouraged. Inside Driftwood Beach and Ultra-Yacht, several items were marked down to help drive sales for the fundraiser. 

Merchants said there was more foot traffic in the plaza than there normally would be on a Friday in May. Plenty of people were drawn in by The Maine Line food truck, which has been a hit at other Longboat Key events, such as the Market on Longboat Key and the Longboat Island Chapel Earth Day event. 

"It's definitely stirring up traffic, so that's good," Rippy said. "We have to be creative in the summer. Obviously, there are still people here, but we have to bring them out." 

The event brought a hustle and bustle to the plaza, from hungry people seeking out lobster rolls at The Maine Line food truck to curious browsers looking at Ultra-Yacht's electric boats and attendees getting schooled on the ins and outs of turtle nesting. Artist Stephanie Troxler, whose work is in Driftwood Beach, worked on a mural of Longboat Key on a piece of plywood outside of Design 2000. 

Depending on the turnout, LaRose and Rippy plan to have two more events in the summer with The Maine Line to raise money for other organizations, like Save Our Seabirds.