Special ribbon cutting to be held for Sanibel Fishing Pier reopening
The community is invited to celebrate the restoration and reopening of the island’s most treasured landmarks – the Sanibel Fishing Pier – on Wednesday.
The special ribbon cutting ceremony will be held Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 9 a.m. at the Sanibel Fishing Pier, located at Lighthouse Beach Park.
Stokes Marine did the repairs for the pier that was damaged by Hurricane Ian, as sections of the landmark sank due to the pier being located at the line of the impact.
The repairs included replacing the ramp to go onto the pier. There was a 46-foot section that was replaced with new joists and stringers, as the pier had to reach a level position. There were also handrails being replaced, and a shade structure.
The ribbon cutting program includes welcome remarks from City of Sanibel Mayor Mike Miller, followed by special remarks from Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane, Sanibel Captiva Chamber of Commerce CEO and President John Lai, and Charitable Foundation of the Islands Executive Director Dolly Farrell.
The fundraising journey will also be shared by Richard Birney with the Sanibel Fishing Pier Restoration Committee. There will also be a special presentation recognizing the donor’s generosity and continued support.
A poetic reading will be shared by local artist Arlene Stigum and closing remarks will be given by Simon Tutt of the Sanibel Fishing Pier Restoration Committee.
The Sanibel Fishing Pier, for generations, has been the gathering place to cast a line for families, residents and visitors.
In late 2024, early 2025, a number of citizens began working together to seek options available to repair the pier.
Once council gave approval for the direction of the pier, a citizen’s committee was formed.
The reach touched the bait stores, fishing club, boat club, as well as other venues to share a committee meeting would be held. The community began showing up at the Community House for meetings, which was how the committee was borne.
A public, private partnership model was created to advance the cause of restoring the Sanibel Fishing Pier. That partnership was between the City of Sanibel, the Charitable Foundation of the Islands (CFI) and a citizen’s committee.
The fundraising target was $300,000. The sponsors filled the platinum slots, silver, and bronze.
Through that CFI partnership, the Sanibel Pier Fund was established, which served as the charitable partners responsible for receiving and acknowledging donations, managing contributions, and disbursing funds to the City of Sanibel as progress was made with the project. The Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce also got on board to build and finance their website.
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY , please email mbradbury@breezenewspapers.com