The Original Oyster House awarded its 20th Annual Chelsea Garvin Spirit Scholarship to Jasmin Alvarado of Foley High School. Alvarado plans to attend the University of South Alabama this fall to study mechanical engineering.
In 2006, the scholarship was founded in loving memory of Chelsea Garvin, who was an exceptional employee, a volunteer Fish River Fire Department Rescue Diver and a talented artist. Tragically at age 19, Chelsea died in a boating accident while volunteering.
This year’s winner reflects Chelsea Garvin’s spirit and artistic talent. Alvarado masterfully captured a breathtaking Gulf sunset with a fiery sky reflecting over an Oyster House shrimp boat while pelicans catch fish in the foreground. Alvarado has a broad list of school and community art activities including Art in the Park, BBQ and Blues and the Auxiliary Veteran’s art contest. The winning artwork will be on display at the Original Oyster House in Gulf Shores for patrons and tourists to enjoy.
The Original Oyster House has become the “must-go-to” place for great fresh Gulf seafood, service and Southern hospitality and for its panoramic locations. A top-spot for hand-shucked and fire-grilled oysters, the Original Oyster House has also become legendary for its homemade gumbo, cheesy grits with blackened shrimp as well as handcrafted cocktails and desserts including its famous peanut butter chocolate chip pie. Having been the first restaurant in the state to pilot the Oyster Recycling Shell program, the Original Oyster House supports the sustainability of oysters and is one of the only restaurants to [oyster garden], grow stocker oysters to refurbish the reef. In April of this year, over 26 million oyster shells were saved from the landfill through the Alabama Coastal Foundation’s Oyster Shell Recycling program.
The Original Oyster House has two locations, Mobile: 3733 Battleship Parkway, on the Causeway and Gulf Shores: 701 Gulf Shores Parkway on the Original Oyster House Boardwalk. Both locations offer spectacular waterfront views, private party rooms and have been celebrated as the area’s finest family restaurants for the past 42 years. For more information about Original Oyster House scholarship, visit www.originaloysterhouse.com/scholarship or call 251-928-2620.
Pictured from left are Terri Smith, art teacher at Foley High School and the 2025 Chelsea Garvin Spirit Scholarship awardee Jasmin Alvarado with her winning artwork.
