provided to The Santiva Chronicle
Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on Sanibel donated $7,500 to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, funding an immersive and transformative environmental camp for high school students. The money was raised during the restaurant’s inaugural National Yucatán Shrimp Day 7K race and was earmarked to the Sanibel Sea School’s popular “A Week in the Field” program.
“We are happy to support the foundation and the Sea School in inspiring our next generation of environmental scientists and advocates,” said Joe Harrity, a partner with HM Restaurant Group, which owns and operates Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille. “Students gain valuable research experience as well as insight into our unique coastal ecosystems and the conservation foundation’s important work.”
The Sanibel restaurant sponsored the race in celebration of National Yucatán Shrimp Day, expanding the traditional 5K format by two kilometers in honor of the seven ingredients in Doc Ford’s proprietary Yucatán sauce. Founded in 2020, the May 24 event attracted over 350 participants.
A free application-based camp that fills fast, “A Week in the Field” is designed to kindle a passion for environmental research for 13- to 15-year-old participants. The program, held July 21 to 25, immerses students in conservation and research along the shores of Sanibel Island. Teens work with the foundation’s scientists to analyze and gather data and gain hands-on experience in field techniques and research methods. Activities include digging in the mud of a mangrove forest, surveying shorebirds, sampling water quality, measuring oysters and searching for turtle nests on the beach.
Philanthropy and community outreach are engrained in HM Restaurant Group’s company philosophy. Proceeds from specialty cocktails at Doc Ford’s have raised over $133,000 to support children’s hospitals in Southwest Florida and St. Petersburg. HM Restaurant Group also supports local nonprofits dedicated to conservation, community, education and the environment. The “Ding” Darling Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament has donated over $1.57 million for conservation and water-quality research at Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge since its inception in 2012. The 14th annual tournament will be held May 15, 2026.
With locations on Sanibel Island, Fort Myers Beach, Jungle Terrace in St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Pier, Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Revered for its legendary guest experience, the award-winning restaurant offers food with a unique balance of flavors inspired by the Caribbean Rim and is known for its sauces, spices and passion. Doc Ford’s is beloved by locals and visitors alike as a spectacular seafood restaurant and is a perennial Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice winner. The pier was named the No. 1 Best of the Best Restaurants for Everyday Eats in 2023.
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