FAIRHOPE, Ala. — It’s widely known as the “Party for Preservation,” and the third annual Bald Eagle Bash, set for Saturday, June 2, from 4 until 7 p.m., has lived up to its name. The successful fundraiser for the Weeks Bay Foundation will again feature a variety of tasty dishes prepared using fresh Gulf Shrimp, along with a variety of refreshments.

Money raised through the event enables the foundation to continue its mission of habitat conservation and support of the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

The event will be held at the Tonsmeire Weeks Bay Resource Center, just west of the Fish River Bridge on U.S. Highway 98. Walter Ernest, executive director of the foundation, said it is “the perfect way to kick off your summer. Our guests will have a great time while supporting an important cause.”

Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the gate, and they can be purchased online at www.BaldEagleBash.com and at BBVA Compass locations in Baldwin or Mobile counties, the foundation office and the reserve.

Participating restaurants include Beckwith Camp and Conference Center, Big Daddy’s Grill, Blue Marlin Restaurant, Bluegill Restaurant, Cobalt the Restaurant, Fish River Grills 1 and 2, Fly Creek Café, Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club and Spa, Jesse’s Restaurant, LuLu’s at Homeport Marina, Magnolia Court and The Alley Bar, Old 27 Grill and The Tin Top Restaurant and Oyster Bar.

The Locust Fork Band is back again this year, and 95 KSJ’s Shelby Mitchell and LOCAL 15’s Darwin Singleton will co-emcee the festivities.

“We protect the resources of coastal Alabama, Mobile and Baldwin counties,” Ernest said. “The fish don’t know the difference, whether they are in Mobile or Baldwin county, and the birds don’t either. We also provide support for the goals and programs of the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.”

He noted that as organizers were planning the first Bald Eagle Bash, they thought having restaurants showcasing the bounty of local waterways would help raise awareness of the need for preservation. Each restaurant will put their own spin on the preparation of shrimp, and those attending the event will get to enjoy their efforts.

“Weeks Bay is a nursery for shrimp and finfish,” Ernest said. “And we want to promote the importance of wetlands (for filtration). Groundwater is our water supply.”

More than 800 attended the Bash last year.

Ernest said, “We’re very grateful to our supporters and sponsors. The community has really been great to support us. And they have a great time.”

The Weeks Bay Foundation is the only nationally accredited land trust in coastal Alabama. With an ever-dwindling base of federal funding, the foundation’s support of the reserve is becoming increasingly important.

Before the bald eagle was placed on the endangered species list in 1967, it was feared this iconic national symbol would become extinct. In 2007 the bird had rebounded enough to be removed from the list. Nesting bald eagles have been spotted around Weeks Bay.

A limited amount of free parking will be available at the site of the Bash. Additional free parking will be provided at the Weeks Bay Reserve Safe Harbor site, with BRATS shuttles providing free transportation to and from the event.

You are also welcome to come by boat, but Ernest encourages you to come early because docking space fills up fast.

Lead sponsors for the event are BBVA Compass, Coastal Land Trust Inc. and Cunningham Bounds LLC.

Other sponsors include BP America, Buddy and Ann Klumb, Tonsmeire Properties, Budweiser, Greg and Pam Breedlove, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management/Stephen Baker and Ken Cole, Michael and Debbie Quinn, Russell Thompson Butler and Houston CPAs, South Baldwin Family Practice, Weeks Bay Watershed -Yours to Protect, Alabama Power, Allen, Allen and Foster LLP, Baldwin EMC, Barry Lee Booth D.M.D., P.C., Bay Radiology, Chris Myers Automall, Dr. Michael Houston, Klumb Lumber Company, Krob Landscape, Michael and Cindy McBrearty, Terry Thompson Chevrolet, The Conservation Fund, Riviera Utilities, Volkert Inc., BancorpSouth, Bay Animal Clinic LLC, Blue Water Ships Stores, Dauphin Island Real Estate Inc., Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, Faulkner State Community College, First Baldwin Insurance, Force 5 Walls Inc., Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood Inc., Hand Arendall LLC, HRG Design-Build Solutions, Hutchinson, Moore and Rauch LLC, Walter Kirkland and Judy Culbreth, Leavell Investment Management Inc., David and Jeanie Lindsey, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center, Southern Capital Services Inc., Southern Chevrolet Inc., Stone, Granade and Crosby PC, Dianne and John Stump-Alternative Concepts, Taylor Engineering LLC, Thomas Hospital, Thompson Engineering Inc., Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects, and Whitehaven Insurance Group Inc.

For more information, visit www.baldeaglebash.com or contact the foundation office at 251-990-5004.