California Ships to Reefs announced Friday that it will be supporting the 2009 Chamber Day and Evening events in cooperation with the Pacific Wilderness dive shop. Chamber Day/Evening is an annual event held to raise funds to support the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber facility. Pacific Wilderness is a long time sponsor of California Ships to Reefs and we are pleased to be able to collaborate with them on this important dive industry event. This year’s Chamber Day/Evening is being held on Wednesday, May 6, 2009.

2009 marks the 35th anniversary of the opening of the chamber in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island in Southern California. Chamber Day/Evening is recognized as the largest single day SCUBA charity event in the United States (http://wrigley.usc.edu/hyperbaric/cd2009/cd2009.htm). The USC Catalina Hyperbaric chamber is dedicated strictly to the treatment of diving accidents on a 24/7/365 basis.

The main event is Chamber Day, in which many Southern California dive charter operators donate a full day of diving (two dives) at Catalina plus a walking tour of the Chamber at the Isthmus. Divers make a $90 donation (plus $30 for food & airfills).

The day culminates with Chamber Evening, a dinner co-sponsored by and held at the Aquarium of the Pacific. It features full access to the Aquarium, a sit-down dinner in the Great Hall, an awards ceremony, a raffle (separate from the day raffle), and the presentation of the final check to Karl Huggins, Director of the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber. Like the Chamber Day dive activities, attendance at the Chamber Evening is $90.

Persons wishing to participate in the Chamber Day/Evening event in cooperation with California Ships to Reefs and Pacific Wilderness may contact the San Pedro dive shop at 310-833-2422 or the Orange County dive shop at 714-997-5506. Pacific Wilderness has chartered the Bottom Scratcher dive boat for the Chamber Day diving activities, and has reserved tables at the Chamber Evening event.

California Ships to Reefs is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Public Benefit Corporation seeking to reef surplus ships as artificial reefs, bringing diving and fishing tourism to local ports in California and enhancing the Ocean Environment. For further information, please visit the organization’s website at www.californiashipstoreefs.org, or contact state Public Relations committee chairman Kevin Sullivan at (805) 551-8940.