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EXHIBIT A INDIAN RIVER COUNTY TOURIST TAX FUNDING REQUEST A. Program Cover Page Agency: Coastal Connections, Inc Telephone: Contact Person: Kendra (Cope) Bergman Fax: Title: Executive Director E -Mail: 772-226-0133 Kendra .coastal-connections.org Address: 130 10th ct. Vero Beach, FL 32962 Website Address: www.coastal-connections.org Virtual Turtle Walks and Turtle Digs in Indian River: Promoting Eco -Minded Program Title: Travel, Sea Turtle Conservation, and Elevating Sea Turtle Friendly Certified Hotels I Agree - By checking the "I Agree" box and entering your name below, you certify that information contained in this application accurately reflects the activities of this agency and that the expenditures or portions thereof for which County funds are being requested are not reimbursed by any other source. Name: Kendra (Cope) Bergman Title: Executive Director tsneT aescripuon or ine rrogram Tor wnicn runaing is requesiea: Sea turtles are one of Indian River County's most attractive and charismatic natural resources. The fact that Indian River is home to one of the highest densities of nesting loggerhead sea turtles, makes it not only incredibly special but a destination for nature lovers. There are very few places around the world where people can travel to see sea turtles in the wild, and the central east coast of Florida is one of the only places people can reliably see a loggerhead sea turtle up close with a permitted and authorized guide. CCinc serves as the primary permitted agency for education, community outreach, and eco -tourism opportunities for sea turtle conservation in Indian River County leading both nighttime Turtle Walks and Daytime Turtle Digs from June -August every year. Since 2020, CCinc has been growing its online viewership of daytime Turtle Digs where every summer over 10,000 people watch LIVE social media feeds of these programs. Based on self -reports from online viewers, most online supporters are watching from faraway locations including North Carolina, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and more. For the 23/24 TDC funding cycle, Coastal Connections (CCinc) is respectfully requesting funds to digitally promote popular Turtle Walk and Turtle Dig programs to attract online viewers and supporters to visit Indian River County. Funds will be used to generate a variety of videos and ads targeted at current and previous 10,000+ online supporters. The videos will serve as an educational online resource available 365 days a year and will encourage virtual supporters to travel to Vero Beach, stay at a Sea Turtle Friendly Certified hotel, and experience the programs they have watched online for the past three years, in person. These videos will also be made available for other tourism partners in Indian River County to use for promotional purposes. In addition to the promotional and educational videos, funds would also be used to purchase program -specific equipment and supplies necessary for the organization to continue offering these programs. No requested funds will be used to support staffing requirements for Turtle Walks and Turtle Digs. All funds will be used for marketing/ads, education, and program supplies and equipment. This request complies with Florida Statute 125.0104 Section (5)(a)2. The total amount requested is $15,000. JununL+ry rtCPVfi Amount requested from Indian River County for 2023/2024: $15,000.00 Total Proposed Program budget for 2023/2024: $211,050.00 Percent of total Program budget: 7.11 % Current Funding (2022/2023) $0.00 Dollar increase / (decrease) in request: $15,000.00 Percent increase / decrease in request: Infinity % If request increased 5% or more, briefly explain why: CCinc has not been previously funded by the TDC. The Organization's Board of Directors has approved this application on (date): 04/25/2023 Name of President/Chair of the Board: Name of Exec. Director/CEO: EXHIBIT A Megan Lynch Kendra (Cope) Bergman