Hurricanes Helene and Milton took a toll on Anna Maria Island businesses, which are showing their resilience in working together to rebuild and reopen to serve their clientele.
AMI Outfitters and Anna Maria Island Dolphin Tours are prime examples. In the words of Jennifer and Dave Hagey of AMI Outfitters, “As business owners on the Island, we plan for hurricane season, but no one could anticipate months of closure – or a complete rebuild for some. Our store took on up to 23 inches of water with Hurricane Helene and lost valuable inventory, yet we feel fortunate compared to other small business owners who faced even greater devastation.
“Now, we focus on recovery,” Dave Hagey continued. “It’s inspiring to see The Center of Anna Maria Island coordinating volunteers and donations, with Ben Sato at Grub and other local restaurants providing free meals to first responders, residents and volunteers. The support from our loyal customers and businesses like Issa Homes has been incredible. Issa Homes matched our (along with nine other Island businesses) online gift card sales for nearly two weeks. This generosity was completely unexpected and made a huge impact. Our online presence has been critical during this time, helping us stay connected with customers and allowing them to show their support in place of a GoFundMe account. We’re also joining several local pop-up events and plan to donate a portion of our sales to The Center. Now is the time to give back, shop local, and support small businesses.”
“Dave and I see this as an opportunity, not an obstacle, to expand our offerings,” Jennifer Hagey said. “We’ll be adding more women’s and children’s apparel to our traditionally menswear-focused shop. When you visit us next, you can expect a complimentary beer and an enhanced shopping experience.
“To our family and customers who feel like family, your encouragement and belief in our little shop on Pine Avenue mean so much. Your generosity is making a real difference, not only for AMI Outfitters but for the entire community,” she said.
Ben Webb, owner of Anna Maria Island Dolphin Tours and a big supporter of The Center, was on the scene right after the storms passed to assess the damage and prepare to help fellow Islanders rebuild. According to Webb, “Our first priority was to help friends and neighbors with cleanup and to work closely with Chris Culhane at The Center of Anna Maria Island. I have been assisting with providing the dump trailers and roll-off dumpsters residents and businesses need to start the cleanup and recovery process.”
“I’ve also been doing interviews on our Facebook page of different business owners and people giving their take on the storm and their struggles. It’s a chance to share everyone’s personal story,” he said.
The Center of Anna Maria Island has been at the forefront of hurricane relief efforts and their website has valuable information for residents and business owners. “In the aftermath of the storm, we understand many in our community may need assistance with clean-up and recovery. We are offering volunteer support for packing and light clean-up tasks,” The Center’s website states.
Please be aware of the following limitations for volunteer assistance:
• Volunteers cannot remove drywall, cut down trees, or handle heavy demolition tasks;
• For safety reasons, if your home has mold or hazardous conditions, volunteers will not be able to enter or assist inside the house.;
• Volunteers can help with organizing and packing personal items, cleaning up debris from yards (such as leaves, and branches), and minor outdoor clean-up tasks;
• Please ensure all areas where volunteers will work are safe and accessible.
If you are interested in volunteer assistance, please call The Center at 941-778-1908.
Another way to help the community is to attend the Bradenton Gulf Islands Hurricane Relief Concert Rock ‘N’ Support featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd and special guest Marcus King. All proceeds from the Friday, Nov. 15 concert at the Bradenton Area Convention Center go to benefit local hospitality workers affected by the hurricanes.
Supplies also are still available for pick-up at The Center, and anglers who need to order tackle and supplies (fishing reports have been very positive) can shop AMI Outfitters online store.
Now is a great time to make an effort to support all Island businesses as they work to reopen and serve the residents of Anna Maria Island.
