Starfish Award Winner: Suncatchers’ Dream

Conservation commitment

Suncatchers’ Dream Owner Daniel Moore Thompson may have lost his home and livelihood to Hurricane Ian — but the Sanibel Island business owner and resident never lost sight of his hope and vision for rebuilding the store, which was able to reopen in March with a fresh new look.

From the time he started the gift shop, he’s been just as passionate about community involvement, from serving on the local chamber of commerce to supporting The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW).

“We’ve made a remarkable impact on the quality of wildlife on the island over the years, and we’ve rehabilitated about 5,000 injured wildlife including osprey and released them back into the environment,” says Thompson.

“People come here for the nature, so I’m very proud of my work with CROW (The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife).”
— Daniel Moore Thompson

Naturally involved. CROW provides state-of-the-art veterinary care, research, education and conversation medicine — and this requires funding, advocacy and hands-on volunteers. Thompson was on its board for several terms and has worked on behalf of the nonprofit in various capacities, including fundraising and rescue.

The island is also home to sea turtles that migrate to nest on its beaches. Thompson has volunteered with Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Sea Turtle Program, walking beaches in the early morning to look for and monitor sea turtle nesting sites, documenting their activity.

Island loyal. In many ways, Thompson’s reopening of Suncatchers’ Dream was a conservation effort in and of itself. “I wasn’t sure if the building was going to survive. I already knew my merchandise had not survived — and it was all very scary,” he shares. “This is the spot where I’m supposed to be, and I knew my only option was to come back and recreate this.”

Starfish Awards recognize retail stores in our industry that are making a difference through
charitable donations and efforts. Is your store worthy of an award? We’d love to hear from you! Complete an entry form at www.seasideretailer.com/starfish-award.