Reef Ball Foundation Photos and Project Description Database

Reef memorializes ?Little Joe' Shuford OUTDOORS BY TOMMY BRASWELL The Post and Courier Early this month, on a beautiful bluebird day, 100 concrete reef balls were positioned at the Charleston 60 artificial reef, the first of several deployments that constitute the 'Little Joe Shuford Reef.' Organizers hope to eventually deploy some 500 reef balls on the site as a way of memorializing the Mount Pleasant outdoors enthusiast who died March 1 at the age of 20 from a rare form of cancer. Mike Able of Haddrell's Point Tackle in Mount Pleasant said the next batch of 100 reef balls has already been ordered and they are halfway to raising the funds necessary for the second deployment. During the course of his illness, thousands of us came to know 'Little Joe' vicariously through cars sporting bumper stickers with the words 'Joe's Buddy ? Joe, Fight, Win' alongside a drawing of a tailing redfish. Many people kept abreast of Joe's battle through a website ? www.joesbuddy.com. The bumper stickers inspired 'Little Joe' as he tried to spot them around town. They were the idea of his girlfriend, Biz Ford, and her, father Ted Ford. Thousands were distributed and requests are still being received. During Joe's funeral, the pastor delivering the eulogy mentioned the bumper stickers as a testimony to the young man's faith and fight. Lisa Hughes, a neighbor of the Shufords, mentioned to 'Big Joe' Shuford that she had read about other states having reefs memorializing individuals. 'Big Joe' was taken with the idea and mentioned it to Able during the visitation. 'I called Bob Martore (reef coordinator for the S.C. Department of Natural Resources) and it was a lot simpler than I expected. They.......