Gumbo Fest raises money to feed animals and provide learning experience

Gumbo isn’t normally a food that’s associated with Southwest Florida, but Sunday thousands of bowls were served up for a good cause at Gumbo Fest hosted by The Shell Factory & Nature Park in North Fort Myers.

Shell Factory served 84 gallons of gumbo this year.

“Well hopefully we will serve several thousand [people],” John Finstrom said. We’ve had as many as 8,000 people come to this event.”

That’s thousands filling up a bowl of traditional Louisiana food for the 17th year at the Shell Factory.

“Two people can drink and eat on one ticket,” Donny Schuck said. “So it’s not a bad deal.”

The proceeds gained from the event go to Proceeds will benefit The Nature Park & Environmental Education Foundation in order to feed animals sheltered at the park, said Pam Cronin, owner of Shell Factory.

“It’s an animal park,” Cronin said. “We also do field trips for school-age children, Lee County school children, and we pay for school buses and the drivers then also there’s the animal care and the habitats”

Lat year’s festival raised over 25,000 for the foundation. The total money raised this year will be announced Monday. Trust WINK News to update you when that number becomes available. 

“You got to try something different, spice of life,” Schuck said. “Got to broaden your horizons.”