Nine Coastal Environmental Groups Will Split the Proceeds of Toast for the Coast on Nov. 21

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — Toast for the Coast, an evening celebrating the beauty of the region’s coastal communities while investing in their future, is planned for Saturday, Nov. 21, from 5:30 to 10 p.m. at Coastal Orange Beach, 25722 Perdido Beach Blvd.

The fundraising gala will bring together community leaders, conservation advocates, local businesses and supporters for a night of food, handcrafted cocktails, live entertainment and both live and silent auctions.

At a Glance

• What: Toast for the Coast, a gala benefiting nine Gulf Coast conservation and environmental organizations
• When: Saturday, Nov. 21, 5:30 to 10 p.m.
• Where: Coastal Orange Beach, 25722 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach
• Tickets: $250 per seat, including dinner, the program and access to the live and silent auctions
• Sponsorships: Packages available, starting at $5,000

Where the Money Goes

The event will benefit nine environmental organizations working across the central Gulf Coast:

• Mobile Baykeeper
• Sea, Sand and Stars
• The Perdido Key Association
• The Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation
• The Gulf Coast Eco Center
• The Auburn University Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station
• The Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program
• The Alabama Coastal Foundation
• Alabama Coastal Cleanup

Organizers say every ticket sold helps raise both awareness and critical funding for local environmental and conservation work, with the goal of keeping the region’s waterways, wildlife, beaches and natural resources healthy for generations to come.

A Deliberately Wide Net

The beneficiary list is unusual for a single gala, and its composition says something about how coastal environmental work is organized in this region.

The nine organizations do different things. Mobile Baykeeper is an advocacy and water-quality watchdog. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation supports marine science research and education. Sea, Sand and Stars is an environmental education center. The Auburn University Gulf Coast Engineering Research Station conducts applied coastal engineering research. The Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program is a watershed-scale planning body. Alabama Coastal Cleanup organizes the state’s largest annual volunteer litter removal.

Together they cover advocacy, research, education, restoration and volunteer mobilization — and they operate across a coastline that crosses the Alabama-Florida state line without regard for it. The event’s geographic reach, from Mobile Bay to Perdido Key and Pensacola, mirrors the watershed rather than the jurisdiction.

For smaller organizations in that group, a share of a single well-attended gala can represent a meaningful portion of an annual operating budget.

Tickets and Sponsorship

Individual tickets are $250 for one seat. The price includes dinner, the evening’s program and access to the live and silent auctions. Guests can attend individually or support the event through sponsorship packages, which start at $5,000 for those looking to make a larger contribution.

The pricing places this in the category of a major annual benefit rather than a general-admission community event. At that level, sponsorship revenue typically exceeds ticket revenue substantially, and the ticket price largely covers the cost of the evening itself — the food, venue, entertainment and staffing — so that sponsorships and auction proceeds flow through to the beneficiaries.

Update: Venue Set and Auction Items Announced

Organizers have confirmed that the gala will take place at Coastal Orange Beach on Perdido Beach Boulevard, putting the evening within sight of the Gulf shoreline the beneficiary groups work to protect.

They have also released a first look at the auction, which will feature exclusive experiences, luxury getaways, local treasures and gift packages. Among the featured items announced so far:

• An acoustic guitar signed by Willie Nelson, wrapped with his picture
• A framed Rock Music Legends piece featuring Led Zeppelin’s Starship
• A “Caddyshack” flag signed by Chevy Chase
• A picture-wrapped guitar signed by country singer Ella Langley, an Alabama native

Organizers say many more items will be available. Their pitch to bidders is straightforward: bid with purpose and leave with something unforgettable.

Beyond the food, music and fundraising, organizers describe the evening as a chance to recognize the people and organizations working every day to protect the places Gulf Coast residents and visitors call home — and to turn one night of celebration into a lasting investment in the coast’s waterways, beaches and wildlife.

The Evening

The program includes dinner, cocktails, live entertainment and the auctions, running from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on Nov. 21.

A November date places the event after hurricane season and well into the coast’s most comfortable weather, in a stretch of the calendar when regional nonprofits concentrate their major fundraising.

Ticket and sponsorship information is available through the participating organizations.

Related coverage from South AL News

• CoastAL Orange Beach Plans First Toast for the Coast Gala Nov. 21, With Every Dollar Going to Nine Gulf Conservation Groups
• Toast for the Coast gala in Orange Beach to raise money for conservation groups
• Orange Beach Gumbo Festival Returns to CoastAL Nov. 7 With $1,000 Top Prize and Hospitality Scholarships
• Baldwin County Child Advocacy Gala Set for Nov. 7 in Orange Beach