FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2014

CONTACT: Dave Sigworth (203) 852-0700, ext. 2232 [email protected]

BOARD MEMBERS FROM NORWALK & GREENWICH TO BE HONORED WITH RED APPLE AWARDS APRIL 24 BY THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK NORWALK, CT – For their commitment to environmental education, Charles A. Hinnant of Norwalk and Basil G. Mavroleon of Greenwich will be honored with the 15th annual Red Apple Awards on April 24 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. The awards will be presented during “Cirque de la Mer,” the annual fund-raising event that honors companies, organizations and individuals who share The Maritime Aquarium’s concern for the natural world and environmental education. Both men are active members of the Aquarium’s board of trustees. “We are happy and honored to recognize Basil and Charlie for their critical support of The Maritime Aquarium’s educational efforts,” said Jennifer Herring, president of The Maritime Aquarium. “Thanks to their leadership, The Maritime Aquarium is fulfilling its vital mission of creating new generations of stewards for Long Island Sound and the ocean environment.” Hinnant initiated The Maritime Aquarium’s “Maritime Golf Classic” and has chaired the event in each of its three years, raising nearly $300,000 for the Aquarium’s educational programs. He also has been an important contributor to the Aquarium, enabling every 4th- and 6th-grader in Norwalk to benefit from the Aquarium’s marine-science and environmental-education programs. Hinnant is president and founder of Charkit Chemical Corp. in Norwalk. He also is chairman and owner of Optima Chemical Group, a custom manufacturing concern in Georgia, and is owner of Arran Chemical Company, Ltd., in Ireland. He is ex-officio chairman of the Board of Governors for the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) and serves on the board of the Chemical Education Foundation (CFE) and the board of visitors of the Savannah College of Art & Design.

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Mavroleon co-chaired the “Cirque de la Mer” galas in 2010 and 2012, which raised almost $1.4 million for the Aquarium’s Red Apple Fund for Student Enrichment. This fund helps to make the Aquarium’s unique marine-science and environmental-education programs available to students and teachers in the tri-state area who otherwise may not be able to participate. Mavroleon also helped the Aquarium achieve a new research vessel, as a key voice on the new vessel committee and as a contributor to the $2.7 million project. (The R/V Spirit of the Sound,™ the only research vessel in the world with a hybrid-electric propulsion system, will be launched this summer.) Mavroleon is managing director of WeberSeas (Hellas) S.A., a comprehensive ship finance brokerage based in Greece. He previously served for 25 years as managing director at Charles R. Weber Co. Inc., one of the oldest and largest tanker brokerages and marine consultants in the United States. Among his many affiliations, Mavroleon is a director emeritus of NAMEPA (North American Marine Environmental Protection Association) and is honorary director of the Connecticut Maritime Association Education Foundation (CAMEF). This year’s “Cirque de la Mer” is themed “Mystical Magical Maritime Masquerade.” The event will be held primarily under “the big top” outside the Aquarium’s main entrance. Guests will enjoy a sit-down dinner, silent and live auctions, a one-of-a-kind cocktail party throughout the Aquarium galleries, and the event’s awards ceremony. Proceeds from “Cirque de la Mer” will support The Maritime Aquarium’s Red Apple Fund for Student Enrichment. Co-chairs of the 2014 “Cirque de la Mer” are Clay and Margaret Fowler of Pound Ridge, N.Y. Moffly Media is contributing sponsor. For more information about “Cirque de la Mer” or the Red Apple Fund for Student Enrichment, call The Maritime Aquarium at (203) 852-0700, ext. 2277. ###

Press materials are available on the Aquarium web site: www.MaritimeAquarium.org/news-room Download a variety of Aquarium photos, whenever they're needed, on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/maritimeaquarium. You can also receive specific photos via e-mail or a photo CD. Contact Dave Sigworth. The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution whose mission is to inspire people of all ages to appreciate Long Island Sound and protect it for future generations. A vibrant and entertaining learning environment, it achieves this goal through living exhibits, marine science, and environmental education. The Maritime Aquarium receives support from the State of Connecticut DECD’s Offices of Culture and Tourism.

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