Information and News about Sanibel Island and Captiva Island

As part of Shellabration! 2012, The Community House is hosting the Shell Couture Fashion Show featuring garments embellished with shells. The fashion show and luncheon is on Monday, February 27 beginning at 11 a.m. at The Sanctuary Golf Club, Sanibel.
There is a silent auction of shell art from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. followed by lunch and the shell couture competition.The winner of the competition will go home with two round trip airline tickets on Jet Blue to their choice of U.S. and Caribbean destinations.
Shell-themed works of art are still being accepted for the silent auction. Contributing shell artists will receive media recognition, a free ticket to the fashion show, and 50 percent of the auction sale price. Each artist may submit up to three shell-themed works. Proceeds from the fashion show benefit operations at The Community House.
Tickets can be purchased at The Community House located at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel or by calling 472-2155. Tickets are $35 for the luncheon and show. The event is sponsored by the Island Sun

On Saturday, March 3, The Sanibel Music Festival will begin its 26th consecutive season of bringing outstanding repertoire and artists to the island.
This year's festival will feature two new offerings, Cavani String Quartet and Claremont Trio. In addition, five returning favorites are Jerusalem String Quartet, Weilerstein Trio, pianist Di Wu, American Chamber Players and Opera Theater of Connecticut. All concerts will be performed at 8 p.m. throughout the month of March on Tuesdays and Saturdays in the intimate setting of the Sanibel Congregational Church, 2050 Periwinkle Way on Sanibel.
For ticket information and a detailed brochure, contact the festival's hotline at 344- 7025 or visit www.sanibelmusicfestival.org. Tickets may be ordered online.

Saturday March 3
Opening the season will be the Cavani String Quartet. The allfemale quartet, winner of the prestigious Naumberg Chamber Music Award, has been described by the Washington Post as "completely engrossing, powerful and elegant." Appearances include Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York, the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Kennedy Center in Washington DC, major TV and public radio stations, and a series of children's concerts for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. ltzhak Perlman wrote, "I have seen them in action and was veryimpressed." They have been chosen to do the Festival's 2012 Educational Outreach Program at the Sanibel Elementary School,sponsored by Sanibel Captiva Community Bank.
Their program will include Haydn's Quartet in C major, Op.20, No.2; Bartok's Quartet No.5 and Quartet No.4; and Ravel's Quartet in F major. Sponsored by the L.A.T Foundation

Shell enthusiasts came from near and far to Bowman's Beach last Friday morning, when more than 800 people took part in a history-making Sanibel Stoop. According to event planners, the number of participants who registered to take part in the February 17 effort more than quadrupled the total required to shatter the existing Guinness Book of World Records mark in the Treasure Hunt category.
At 9 a.m., a long line of people crowded the beach entrance path, where event organizers signed up would-be stoopers, which officially kicked off Shellabration! 2012, and continues through Sunday, March 4. "We love shelling and we love Sanibel," said Susan Schoenherr, who was joined by her husband, Tyler. "It feels sort of special to be a part of this." Shortly before 10 a.m., planners estimated the crowd to have swelled beyond 700.
Those who wanted to take part in the mass stoop waited in line for almost an hour before being released onto Bowman's Beach for the recordsetting attempt. Chris Cameron and Tanya Lawrence, who drove down earlier in the day from their home in Ruskin, were the first participants in line, having arrived at the beach around 7 a.m. "I've been shelling since I was able to walk I'm a water baby," said Lawrence, smiling. "It's great to be a part of something that helps support this community. We both love Sanibel." Cameron also noted that during their visits to the island, they have found several sought-after shells, including true tulips, an alphabet cone and Florida fighting conch.
At 10:20 a.m., with the group finally gathered along the shoreline, a helicopter – which included the photographer hired to document the event on film for submission to Guinness – rose slowly above the horizon and made its way towards the beach. Amid cheers and applause, event organizer Eric Pfeifer told the participants that in order for the record to be official, they would need to "stoop" – bending over in a search for buried treasure – for 30 seconds.
As the helicopter passed overhead from east to west, Pfeifer called for the stoop to begin. Thirty seconds later, a new record had been established and Sanibel's "shellabrators" had achieved their goal.
Event planners will submit the photographic and video evidence, as well as sworn witness statements, to the Guinness organization in London, England for verification and inclusion among the recognized world records