The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium held its annual benefit gala on Saturday, February 8, 2025, and celebrated 30 years as the one and only accredited museum in the U.S. of shells, mollusks, and their ecosystems.

 

The Still the One gala was presented by The Sanibel Captiva Trust Company, which has been the presenting sponsor for the Museum’s annual benefit events for 21 consecutive years. Still the One was a tremendous success, raising funds for a wide range of educational offerings by the Museum including K-12 school programs, clean water education, and lifelong learning. The gala was also among the most fun in the Museum’s history, with live music by The Rockefellers filling the dance floor into the night.

 

The Museum’s next 30 years will build upon the success of its first 30, with education for all at its heart. This includes:

  • Exhibits and gallery experiences that connect people’s love of shells with the broader ecology and conservation issues they are a part of
  • Direct instruction to over 20,000 Southwest Florida school children annually, with plans to grow this impact further still
  • Education about water quality, changing coastal habitats, and other regional environmental issues for which mollusks (and their shells) are key indicators
  • Expanded offerings of lectures, classes, citizen science opportunities, and field education
  • Pursuit of research to yield new discoveries about the biology and ecological importance of mollusks, and how we can protect their ecosystems
  • Through an incredible museum experience, robust programs, and creative and dedicated staff, we will better serve the community

 

“We are deeply grateful to our community and all of the event’s sponsors, donors, and attendees for celebrating 30 years with us,’’ said Executive Director Sam Ankerson. “Their overwhelming generosity will support the future of the Museum and will help us educate millions in the years to come.”

 

Visit ShellMuseum.org/2025-gala-recap-still-the-one for event photos and sponsor recognition.

 

About the Museum: The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium is a natural history museum and aquarium, and the only museum in the United States devoted primarily to shells and mollusks. Its mission is to use exceptional collections, aquariums, programs, experiences, and science to be the nation’s leading museum in the conservation, preservation, interpretation, and celebration of shells, the mollusks that create them, and their ecosystems. For more information, please visit ShellMuseum.org or call (239) 395-2233.