For Immediate Release
Contact: Theresa Brown Cortez (210) 347-9383
Barbara Thompson (832) 212-1967

January 9, 2008

Pirates Receive Generous Donations, Prepare For Ball

Preparing for its fourth annual Dive Pirates Ball, the organization’s largest fundraiser for equipment, gear and scuba training for injured veterans of the Iraq war, the Dive Pirates Foundation of Houston announced receiving a generous grant from ABB Foundation Inc. for $10,000; as well as $3,000 from a new chapter’s efforts in San Antonio, Texas.

“The ABB Foundation is committed to helping improve the quality of life in the communities in which ABB employees live and work by funding local programs that promote education, culture, arts, health and welfare,” said Julietta Guarino, president of the foundation. “The foundation receives donations from employees that are matched by the company.”

“This is so much more than just a recreational sport, it is an opportunity to share another world with men and women who may have thought this was out of their reach physically and financially after suffering a life-altering injury of war,” said Barbara Thompson, co-founder of the Dive Pirates Foundation. “This is a life-enriching opportunity that they can share with their families for years to come, and it is only possible through the generosity of our donors. We can’t thank ABB enough for helping us help our injured vets.”

In addition, Tom Bartley, owner of Dive Masters of San Antonio and an adaptive trainer for many years, kicked off the San Antonio chapter with a fundraiser at Sam’s Burger Joint with guest musical talent and a silent auction drawing in more than $3,000.

“We are now actively looking for a student in the San Antonio area to outfit and train for the upcoming trip to Cayman Brac,” Bartley said after the event.

This year’s dive travel event is scheduled for Cayman Brac, June 7-14, 2008, in hopes of including at least 15 adaptive divers, some of them new students, others returning after completing the program to continue the adventure. The Brac Reef Beach Resort is holding its entire 80-room facility for adaptives, their dive buddies, and other supporters who come to enjoy the camaraderie. Brac Reef has also committed to converting 3 rooms to US Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

“Three adaptive divers from last year have already committed to returning and are paying their expenses this year, which is a testament to the success of scuba diving as a life-long activity for the disabled,” Thompson added.

To accomplish this ambitious goal, the 4th Annual Dive Pirates Ball and silent auction is planned for Friday, Feb. 22, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at The Aquarium downtown Houston. This year’s major event sponsors include Acergy, ABB, Brac Reef Beach Resort, SSI, PPI Technologies, IBM, Leigh Custom Homes and others. Table sponsors and individual tickets are still welcome. Houston’s Fox News affiliate anchor Jose Griñan will serve as the master of ceremonies for a third year.

The keynote speaker for this year’s Pirates Ball is Sean Barr, USMC (ret), who is currently a project engineer with Acergy, Inc. A quadriplegic for 10 years, Barr is a 2007 recipient of the Dive Pirates program and received his open water certification in Cayman Brac.

The Dive Pirates Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing scuba diving to persons with disabilities and joining them with the mainstream of divers. Its vision is to create a community of adaptive divers that will dive and travel in the mainstream world of scuba diving through education and overcoming obstacles. For more information or to make a donation go to www.divepirates.org.

-- DIVE PIRATES--