The Grapefruit League has dates set for the 2023 spring training season. Major League Baseball teams will bring with them a boost in sports tourism for the region.

The Baltimore Orioles will play 16 home games at Ed Smith Stadium in its 14th consecutive season in Sarasota. The Atlanta Braves will also play 16 games at home at CoolToday Park in North Port. And the Pittsburgh Pirates will play 16 home games at LECOM Park in Bradenton, where the team has played for 55 years.

All three teams managed to schedule opening games at home this year on Feb. 25, making the Sarasota-Manatee County area a major sporting venue as the Major League season kicks off. The Os play the Minneapolis Twins, the Braves face the Boston Red Sox and the Bucs will play the Toronto Blue Jays.

And over the course of the season, which runs through March 28, the three teams expect to draw thousands to baseball diamonds in the region. Major League Baseball for the 2022 season reported that the Braves attracted 46,320 to spring training, the Orioles drew 38,351 spectators and the Pirates pulled in 30,738 to games. Of note, attendance has been down 31% since 2019, with seasons impacted by both the COVID-19 pandemic and by an MLB lockout, but this year should be the first “normal” season in three years.

The teams will also spent much of their time away but still in this market. The Orioles and Pirates will play each other a record six times over the course of the season, three times in Sarasota (March 5, 8 and 19) on and three times in Bradenton (Feb. 28, March 14 and 25). The Braves also play the Os on March 4 in Sarasota and March 13 in North Port, and face the Pirates on March 14 in Bradenton and March 26 in North Port.

CoolToday Park. Image courtesy Visit Sarasota.

In the September 2022 edition of SRQ Magazine, we interviewed Joseph Stokes, Head of School at Sarasota Christian School as part of our In Conversation feature with educational leaaders about current trends in education. Below is an excerpt published in the magazine in which Stokes shares his insights with SRQ readers.

How do you think that having a set of principles has benefited the students at a school like yours?

In our mission statement as might be expected, it would embody our savior as part of being a Christian school. So we talk about the love of Christ, we talk about learning about the scriptures, but one of the things that's most important is that we serve. And so I think we find the service piece historically at this school has led to everything from environmental things to service projects in the community to mission trips. And so the more that we can help students develop their service concepts about other people and get outside of themselves, the love of Christ ends up becoming something that is visible and real. And you realize that if we're not serving in a way that helps others, we're kind of missing a point of the gospel. So I'm, I'm very happy to say that we may have different names for the things that are important in our creed, but I think we all have a creed that is trying to produce citizens that are an advantage for the community, for the churches they come from, from the families that they serve. 

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Icard Merrill Shareholder and Real Estate Attorney Steven Greenberg has announced his retirement from the practice of law. Greenberg joined the firm in May of 1994 and has been board certified in real estate law by The Florida Bar since 1993. He has handled tens of thousands of closings over his career and has provided countless hours of education to realtors and affiliates in the region to help them stay current on legal issues. Greenberg has been an instructor and frequent lecturer for REALTOR® Association of Sarasota and Manatee (RASM) and other organizations. Greenberg served as an agent for most title underwriters and as general counsel to several real estate companies, advising clients on all aspects of real estate law. He was named to the list of The Best Lawyers in America® in 2022 and 2023. Icard Merrill’s extensive real estate practice group continues to serve clients throughout the Suncoast region, offering skilled and comprehensive counsel in a diverse range of legal matters including closings, property valuation, buying or selling property, liens and titles, coastal and waterfront matters, planning and development, and more. More information can be found at icardmerrill.com. 

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O&A Coffee, 1570 Lakefront Drive, #102, in Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch, will hold its ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16. Founded in 2015, O&A Coffee was originally conceptualized as a mobile coffee bar. Originally stationed on the sidewalk in downtown Sarasota, the focus of O&A remained a constant: to make delicious coffee with great service. O&A’s roasts are small farm, ethically-sourced high-quality coffees from across the globe. For more information visit oandacoffee.com. 

Michael Saunders, Founder and CEO of Michael Saunders & Company, will speak at Dreamers & Doers on Thursday, September 8. The series, presented by Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County, provides a platform for young professionals and business owners to network while learning from the global business leaders living in the Sarasota region. Michael Saunders, known for her successful development of the real estate empire Michael Saunders & Company, has a well-established reputation in the industry. Through her tenacity and determination, Saunders has worked to break down barriers in her field, and today leads an enterprise that achieved $4.79 billion in sales in 2021.The journey of building Saunders' real estate business was not without its obstacles. Beginning in 1976, when it was rare for women to own their own businesses, Saunders had to fight against the “status quo” to even get started. But with her “never give up” attitude she was able to transform the industry, building one of the most successful and well-known companies in the country. Her wide range of success and ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles make her an invaluable resource. Breaking Barriers with Michael Saunders will take place on Thursday, September 8 at 5:45 pm at The Bay Park. For more information about the event and to purchase tickets, visit https://breakingbarrierswithmichaelsaunders.eventbrite.com. The series continues with The Greater Good featuring Mark Pritchett, President and CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, on Thursday, October 13. 

Lighthouse Vision Loss Education Center has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to provide mental health counseling services to its clients. In conjunction with Samaritan Counseling Services of the Gulf Coast, this new program will offer support for those who have significant vision loss or are blind. Services will include individual counseling along with small group sessions. “Loss of eyesight can have a devastating effect on anyone,” said Lisa Howard, CEO of Lighthouse Vision Loss Education Center. “Navigating a new world that includes impaired vision can lead to further feelings of helplessness and isolation. We welcome this new partnership with Samaritan and look forward to helping our clients cope with the challenges vision loss entails.”

“We are blessed to work with this population helping them find hope and peace in their lives,” said John Gregory, Community Care Director for Samaritan Counseling. “Our counselor reports clients are expressing positive comments and results. Some are moving forward by starting new things in their lives, resuming relationships, and exploring work opportunities. Many have expressed they are able to have a life again as they are learning to look at things from a different perspective.” Funds for this initiative were granted through the Community Foundation’s Equity and Access program to support projects that promote equity and access to services amongst populations who face systemic barriers in our community. These grants are an opportunity for the Community Foundation to partner with organizations who are focusing on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access in local, direct service work. 

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The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg (MFA) announces Anne-Marie Russell as new Interim Executive Director. Anne-Marie joins the MFA from Architecture Sarasota, where she recently served as Executive Director. Russell brings to bear more than 25 years of expertise in cultural production leadership to the MFA. As interim Executive Director, Anne-Marie will be responsible for continuing the successful momentum of the MFA. She will provide leadership and support to the accomplished staff in the curation of new and upcoming exhibitions, build out the MFA’s encyclopedic collection, and ensure that the museum maintains the high-quality experience for which it’s celebrated. Russell was the inaugural Executive Director of the Sarasota Art Museum and previously the Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson. Most recently, she served as Executive Director for Architecture Sarasota. She received a BA in cultural anthropology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MA in art history from the University of Arizona. Russell succeeds Kristen A. Shepherd, who served as CEO and Executive Director of the MFA from December 2016 to August 2022. Russell is joining the MFA at a pivotal moment. With exciting exhibitions such as the nationally acclaimed Gio Swaby: Fresh Up coming to a close, and the opening of True Nature: Rodin and the Age of Impressionism on the horizon, the MFA looks forward to continued growth and momentum under Russell’s tenure.