Cottage Shop program raises $1,250 for sea turtle care at North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island

Published 7:42 am Thursday, June 16, 2022

: Shown, from left, are Becca Tillett, Kellogg/The Cottage Shop; Larry Warner, aquarium director; Pat Czikra and Terrie Hart, NEST volunteers; and Amber Hitt, aquarium STAR Center manager. Amy Smith photo, courtesy NCARI

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The Cottage Shop, for the third year, has reduced single-use waste while raising funds for sea turtle care and rehabilitation at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island’s Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center.

“These funds have been critical to the hard work being done by the aquarium’s animal care team as well as by the volunteer work by the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (NEST),” stated a press release from NCARI.

Becca Tillett, marketing coordinator for Kellogg Supply/The Cottage Shop, presented a check for $1,250 from the shop’s “Skip-the-Bag” program, which sets aside 10 cents for each Cottage Shop customer who chooses to “skip-the-bag” on their purchases at their retail shops. Customers often pitch in additional funds when they hear about the program. Kayla Gaca also contributed by selling her handmade sea glass jewelry and potholders for sea turtle care.

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“The initiative taken by The Cottage Shop means so very much to our team and our sea turtle care program here at the aquarium – and to have consistently raised this much money three years in a row with such a simple, sustainable and clean-beach initiative – is heartwarming,” said aquarium director Larry Warner. “It would be wonderful to see more local businesses following The Cottage Shop’s initiative and donating those savings to the many non-profits in need here in this region.”

The Cottage Shop presented the check to Warner and STAR Center manager Amber Hitt.

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