Cook joins athletes tour of Gulf Coast oil disaster

As the devastating impacts of the British Petroleum oil disaster continue to unfold, a group of athletes from different sports ranging from the NFL to NHL to Olympic skiers joined together Tuesday (July 13) to tour the damage, voice their support for Gulf Coast communities, and share with their fans what they have seen. They highlighted the connection between sports, health, and a clean environment, and discussed why we need to fully clean up the coast and move towards clean energy to ensure that a disaster like this never happens again.

“Coming from the California mountains, I felt separated from this disaster geographically and had no idea what to expect. I didn’t realize the impact it has had on the community, from the oil rig in the Gulf all the way to the families that live here,” said the U.S. Ski Team’s Stacey Cook. “We heard from community members that this spill is causing depression and problems with family relationships due to stress. It’s hard to comprehend how vast the spill is beyond seeing oil in the water.  We can and need to make changes that will make a difference now and in the future.”

Athletes took a boat tour of the affected region, where they left from Myrtle Grove Marina and went to Barataria Bay, Cat Island, and Bay Jimmy.

Image: Stacey Cook tours a Gulf Coast bird nesting ground being protected by boom lines. (Courtesy Stacey Cook)