Kids of the Gulf – 2 Kids – One BIG Disaster

It has been almost two years now that one of the worst environmental disasters of our time has happened. But how many people, especially those who were not directly influenced by it, still remember what happend on April 20th, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, just outside of Louisiana? Sure, those people living at the coast of Louisiana, those who lost their entire existence will be able to tell you what had happened that day. But if you ask your neighbour, your friend or your family? They probably will not reply with: „Oh, isn't that the day the Deepwater Horizon exploaded? The day were oil started spilling into the ocean?“

Only a few days ago, BP (British Petroleum) – who is responsible for the oil spill - reached a settlement with resident firms and private persons. 7.8 billion dollars will be paid to those affected by the oil spill. 39 offshore drilling platforms are operating again. Between February 28th, 2011 and February 27th, 2012, 61 new drillings were allowed by the responsible authority. Business is back to usual, or at least so it seems. But don't be mistaken!

To show you that nothing is back to normal and to stop those memories from fading, Brandon Sutton, who lives in Atlanta and works in Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategy but who was also deeply moved by what happened down at the Gulf of Mexico, decided to do a documentary about the effects of the BP oil spill.

„I can't believe how many email I got from kids that were, you know, 9, 10, 11, 12 years old when the oil spill was happening. That was one of the things that really shocked me. These kids care. And they're paying attention. They wanna do something. And I think that's fantastic. And it gives me hope for the future.“ says Dr. Samantha Joye (Professor, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia) in an interview with Brandon Sutton, when he went there for the first time.

And then Brandon heard about 7-year-old Devon Haas (who just turned 8) and 13-year-old Devin Beach, two young environmentalists. The Ian Somerhalder Foundation made it possible for Brandon to meet up with those two passionate and motivated young people. In the end – which at the same time marks the beginning - the project „Kids of the Gulf“ finally came to life. Brandon Sutton took on the role of the creator and executive producer and could win Leigh Halsema, the CEO of Shimmer & Shine Productions, as executive producer as well as Adam Dukes, president of Peg Leg Films, as director. Together with Devon and Devin, they make up „Kids of the Gulf“-team.

Ever since they launched their project for the first time, they could raise over $ 10,000 to cover parts of their production costs. More money is donated each and every day. Thanks to those generous donators the KOTG-team could already start with the documentary. The outline is the following:

Atlanta

• IS Foundation Youth & Kids Event, Future Leaders 4 Change
• Interview with Kim Klingler and Ian Somerhalder
• Devon & Devin talk to kids at the event, “What do you know about the BP Oil Spill? What would you like to know?”

Grand Isle, Louisiana

• Tour the community
• Interview kids and families
• Charter an offshore boat, see oil rigs, interview boat captain & crew
• Explore the beaches and areas where oil is still present

New Orleans

• Unleashed event
• Tour Bio Diesel plant
• Gulf South Youth Biodiesel Project
• Explore Other Energy Alternatives & Biofuels – Opportunity to feature celebrity initiatives

Coastal Alabama

• Tour the community
• Interview kids and families
• Charter an offshore boat, see oil & gas rigs, interview boat captain & crew
• Explore the beaches and areas where oil is still present

Celebrity interviews
Wrap up

• Brandon, Devon & Devin thoughts

The aim of „Kids of the Gulf“ is to gather stories of young kids and families who were directly affected by the oil spill of 2010. How did their lives change? What did they loose? What are they doing to adapt and recover? After those stories are collected, they are going to share their findings with the world. Brandon already put together a promo reel that will give you goose bumps:

For them to finish the documentary, Brandon Sutton and his team need lots of help. The KOTG-team is still looking for donations. Every $ counts! Do you know any sponsors that might be able to help them? Contact Brandon Sutton! Visit the „Kids of the Gulf“ homepage for more information and to learn about way how you can help: http://kidsofthegulf.com