DNR Holds True Blue Contest for Mermaid's Kiss Oysterfest Passes

Annapolis, Md. (August 29, 2012) ─  The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be awarding two pairs of tickets to the Mermaid’s Kiss Oyster Fest party, an after-hours celebration of Maryland seafood set for October 3 at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Patrons who frequent True Blue restaurants in September could win the contest.

“The True Blue program highlights restaurants and retailers that use Maryland crabmeat,” said DNR Fisheries Marketing Director Steve Vilnit. “By purchasing from the eateries and retailers that use local crab, we are not only enjoying a premium product, we are supporting our State’s watermen and area establishments.”

To enter the contest, participants must upload a clear photograph of their itemized receipt from a True Blue certified restaurant or seafood retailer to the Maryland Seafood Facebook wall at facebook.com/marylandseafood, between September 1 and 30. The receipt must show the name of the establishment, the date, and the crabmeat purchased.

DNR will award a pair of tickets to the person who submits the most entries throughout the month, as well as the individual who patronizes the greatest variety of True Blue partners. The winners will be announced on October 1 on the Maryland Seafood Facebook page.

Maryland’s True Blue certification program recognizes restaurants and retailers who sell and serve DNR-verified Maryland blue crab product. DNR provides these establishments with the True Blue logo and gives them promotional exposure on its social media and web outlets. Current True Blue seafood partners are listed at dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/trueblue/.

The Mermaid’s Kiss Oyster Fest kicks off the second annual From the Bay, For the Bay seafood Dine Out, a week-long celebration of Maryland seafood benefitting the Oyster Recovery Partnership. From October 6 through 13, participating restaurants from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia will feature fresh signature Maryland seafood dishes and donate $1 of each dish to the Oyster Recovery Partnership, a non-profit organization working to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay’s native oyster population.

True Blue partner establishment employees are not eligible to win. The photos must be clear enough to read on the Facebook page to count.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages nearly one-half million acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov