Alexa Hawkins, JIA Director of Marketing & Communications
Run a race, save a turtle! Turtle Crawl, the fan-favorite annual race event, returns to the road on Saturday, April 30, 2022! After its 2020 cancelation and virtual format in 2021, sea-turtle lovers can once again race on Jekyll Island in celebration of the start of sea turtle nesting season on the Georgia coast. This important fundraising event supports the lifesaving work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, on behalf of the Jekyll Island Foundation. Your support helps continue the Center’s mission of sea turtle rehabilitation, research, and education.
Join other race participants at Great Dunes Beach Park to compete in one of three on-island race options —a 10K, a 5K, or a one-kilometer family Fun Run—and receive a commemorative t-shirt for participating. Those who place at the top of their category will also receive a 2022 race metal. Participants can also pose for a photo with the Center’s official mascot, Scute C. Turtle, and friends. For those who want to support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center from afar, or simply sleep in and still get a t-shirt, registrants can join the race through a virtual Ghost Crawler option.
After the races, participants can join the Georgia Sea Turtle Center for their annual event, Shell-e-Brate, for free family activities and hands on learning, in addition to seeing the real-time rehabilitation of current patients, happening all day at the Center.
Turtle Crawl was created in 2003 as a fundraiser for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center which, with more than a decade in operation, has provided care for more than 3,000 patients, including a variety of sea turtle species and other coastal wildlife. Turtle Crawl participants have raised more than $100,000 to help save sea turtles, with more than $24,000 raised in 2021!
Become a sea turtle ambassador and race for a cause at this one-of-a-kind event supporting sea turtle conservation. Be sure to register soon as race registrations increase March 10!
