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SRQ DAILY Sep 24, 2015

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Freshly Squeezed Content Every Morning

"Nothing impacts me like the SMART Ride."

- Valerie Wojciechowicz, Team Wojo
 

[Community]  Raising Funds for Team Wojo at Polo Grill
Philip Lederer, Phil.Lederer@srqme.com

Come November 13, some 500 cyclists will take to the streets, traversing the 165 miles from Miami to Key West in the span of two days in the annual SMART Ride, raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS services and care. Closer to home, on October 7, Lakewood Ranch Polo Grill and Bar will be hosting the first fundraiser for Sarasota’s own Team Wojo, looking to raise the necessary entry fees for its riders to participate in this yearly event and lend their support. With local celebrity bartenders such as the uproarious Beneva Fruitville, Channel 7’s Alix Redmond and Nicole Pepe-Dorn from Treat Boutique serving up special-made SMART Ride Concoctions, all tips on food and drink from 6pm-9pm will be donated to the team.

“I’ve done fundraisers of all sorts, I sit on boards of HIV organization – I’ve done a lot – and nothing impacts me like the SMART Ride,” said Valerie Wojciechowicz, the leader of Team Wojo, regular participant and who has been living with HIV for 30 years. “Amazing amounts of effort go into this and it’s all volunteer and every single penny goes to direct services for people with HIV.” In addition, the money all stays within South Florida, according to Wojciechowicz, and the state currently leads in new diagnoses of HIV and AIDS. Toward this charitable end, each participating rider must present a $1,250 entry fee, which combined will comprise a bulk of the funds raised and some of which Team Wojo’s 13 riders hope to collect at this opening fundraiser at Polo Grill.

The community has already rallied some, said Wojciechowicz, with her mother driving down every year to work on the team’s crew, her doctor joining the team as a rider and her employer, Community Aids Network, donating funds and team jerseys. With door prizes, a silent auction and the aforementioned slate of stars tending bar, she hopes the community at large will come out to show what support they can.

“It’s amazing,” said Wojciechowicz of the reaction she sees from communities along the ride. “It’s certainly not always easy to be out in the open, but because I’m in the open I get so much support. It’s humbling.”

The fundraiser for Team Wojo will take place on Oct. 7 at the Polo Grill and Bar in Lakewood Ranch, where, from 6pm-9pm, all tips on food and drink count as donations to the team. 

[Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center]  Enrich Your Life by Volunteering

Recently, nine students from Ohio State University gave up their spring break to serve others. They entered the Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center (GSHSC) campus on 17th Street with a desire to impact the lives of people they had never met. They assisted with All Faith's Food Bank and used their time to make the GSHSC campus beautiful by painting and landscaping. Their lives, and the people served by GSHSC were changed for the better.

That's the way it often goes with giving. The giver becomes the one who receives. To continue the broad reach of GSHSC in our community, it takes resources. Either through generous donations or in giving of time and services, the individuals served by GSHSC lives become better. There are many ways to get involved with the mission of GSHSC. 

  • Assist at our Center as an administrator
  • Donate time in our community projects. This is terrific for high school students looking for volunteer hours in the Bright Future program
  • Volunteer for upcoming landscaping project along with donations
  • Donate plants for outside the facility to keep our campus looking amazing
  • Include us in your United Way Day of Caring campaign
  • Donate for updated technology in conference rooms and for general operations
  • Make a one-time, monthly, or yearly donation online, by check, or over the phone

Many of the agencies that work with GSHSC accept volunteers and all donations are tax deductible.

GSHSC is home to 19 non-profit health and human services agencies who are a part of our reputation as the “Campus of Caring!”

For more information on how to get involved and give back, please visit GS-HumanServices.org.

The Glasser Schoenbaum Human Services Center (GSHSC) is a 2015 SRQ Story Project partner and the featured non-profit organization this September. To learn more about the mission of GSHSC and the organizations they support, visit them online at GS-HumanServices.org or call (941) 365-4545.  

[Exec Moves]  Drews Joins Michael Saunders

Matt Drews has joined Michael Saunders and Company as director of the company’s Commercial Division. Drews, a Sarasota native and former professional baseball player, brings a wealth of diversified business, entrepreneurial, real estate and customer service experience to his new role with the company. Since returning to his Sarasota roots, Drews has held several key management, operational and business development positions. 

Michael Saunders and Company

[Synergy]  Hearing Loops Installed at City Hall

Beginning September 30th, two locations in Sarasota City Hall,  the Sarasota City Hall Chambers and the Sarasota County Media Room, will be equipped with an induction loop system that enables people with hearing loss to hear council meetings and proceedings more clearly. The hearing loop surrounds the area where the listening audience is located, and carries the sound signal through the loop with reduced ambient noise. The sound signal is picked up by telecoil-enabled hearing aids, cochlear implants, or headsets with loop receivers. The telecoil is activated simply by touching a switch on the individual’s personal hearing device, effectively customizing the sound for each user. Best of all, background noise and reverberation are eliminated, no extra devices are needed, and any number of users can take advantage of the system simultaneously. Over the past 5 years, the Hearing Loss Association - Sarasota/Manatee Chapter has been successful in educating the community on the benefits of installing a hearing loop system in their business or venue.  

Hearing Loss Association - Sarasota/Manatee

SRQ Media Group

SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email

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