The Humane Society of Sarasota County (HSCC) held the first-ever Ruffs & Fluffs Pup Crawl on Saturday, September 24th and it received a very paws-itive response from all two-legged and four-legged fans.

Participating bars/restaurants included Evie’s Tavern & Grill on Main Street; The Gator Club; Joe’s; Pizza N’ Brew; and Raffurty’s Bar & Grill. The overall event was put on by Motorworks Brewing. All of these establishments are pet friendly and supportive of the HSSC mission. Many of them have also held fundraisers for HSCC in the past.

The fun began at Evie's Tavern & Grill where the 39 participants met to register. The registration fee included VIP access into the bars and one Motorworks beer at each stop. There were lots of games and prizes and college football playing on televisions throughout.

For those looking for a new fur baby, there were adoptable dogs at the beginning of the event. Former Sarasota Mayor Hagen Brody brought his dog, Rudy, an HSSC alum who was adopted exactly one year ago. Brody attended HSSC's grand opening on September 24, 2021, where he spotted this cute little puppy named Preston. HSSC Executive Director, Anna Gonce, was fostering Preston and considering adopting him, but when Brody showed interest in Preston, she conceded; however, she did [jokingly] tell people, “The Mayor stole my puppy.”

And the best part of all, $1,870 was raised to benefit the shelter animals at HSSC.

Senior Director of Philanthropy, Autumn Steiner was delighted by the outcome of the pup crawl. "We love events like these because they expose so many people to our mission, and they’re just fun in general," she says. "It seemed like everyone we talked to—not just participants—had a story about their own pets and how much they mean to them. It was a heartwarming day all around."

If you missed this pup crawl, you're in luck because there will be another one on Saturday, October 8th. This one will be on Siesta Key, though, not downtown. HSSC will also be holding a family-and-pet-friendly 5K and 1-mile fun run/walk inside the gates of SRQ Airport on November 12, 2022, called Vets, Pets & Jets. Details about those events are available at hssc.org/get-involved/events. 

Pictured: Adoptable beer, produced by Motorworks Brewing, is designed to help shelter dogs find their furever homes. Photo courtesy of HSSC.

When Hurricane Ian makes landfall, All Faiths Food Bank will be on the ground and ready to provide food and water to shelters, disaster relief organizations, and storm victims in our community. As one of the lead emergency response organizations in Sarasota and DeSoto counties and the State of Florida, All Faiths is prepared for immediate activation. All Faiths Food Bank has already initiated the movement of product – such as ready-to-eat meals for shelters and agencies, snacks, and many pallets of water – bound for shelters throughout Sarasota County. Six agencies are designated as emergency food partners: in Sarasota County, they are Harvest Food Pantry, Faith to Faeth, Englewood UMC and Trinity Presbyterian; in DeSoto County, they are the All Faiths Food Bank DeSoto Food and Resource Center and Arcadia Trinity UMC. All Faiths distributed generators to those locations today (September 27) and these agencies will be open after the storm passes to distribute food. Community members need to contact the agency or the All Faiths’ website to find out when they open after the storm. These locations are open to the public. All Faiths is distributing water to 14 shelters at this time. Additionally, 4,000 backpacks were distributed through 10 schools that have a high percentage of students on free and reduced meals and that already had backpacks in stock. Volunteers at All Faiths packed additional backpacks the morning of September 27; the food bank will replenish school supplies as soon as schools reopen. Four members of the food bank’s emergency response team will remain at the organization’s headquarters through the storm and two will be located at the Sarasota Emergency Operations Center. When roads are cleared, AFFB drivers will be delivering water and food. Eight members of Sarasota’s Tactical First In Teams (TFIT), who are responsible for clearing roads to make it safe for first responders – like All Faiths – to navigate the roads, are sheltering at the food bank’s headquarters.

Post-hurricane, All Faiths will assess the disaster relief capability and needs of its 200 partner agencies and programs and continue distribution of additional food items from its warehouse on Fruitville Road. All Faiths Food Bank also works with Feeding Florida and sister food banks around the state to coordinate recovery efforts, stage product and transport food to Florida communities affected by the storm. Depending on the magnitude and location of the damage, All Faiths’ fleet of trucks carrying food may be deployed to other food banks in Florida. The national organization, Feeding America, will coordinate resources from around the nation to help sustain relief efforts. For the safety of its staff and our neighbors, All Faiths Food Bank will close from noon today through Thursday, September 29. When roads are clear, the food bank plans to immediately begin distribution of food and water on Friday morning, September 30. 

Pictured: An All Faiths Food Bank truck is loaded with snacks for school shelters. Photo courtesy of All Faiths Food Bank.

Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee has adjusted operations schedules ahead of Hurricane Ian. Programs for Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee include: Home-delivered Meals, The Food Bank of Manatee, Daybreak Adult Day Center, and Friendship Dining Center locations. Operations schedules are as follows: Normal operations for all programs are scheduled to occur on Tuesday, September 27th. All programs will close on Wednesday, September 28th. All programs will close on Thursday, September 29th. Additional closures may be possible. As access permits, updates will be posted at www.MealsOnWheelsPLUS.org. 

CreArte Latino Cultural Center presents “A Taste of Latin America,” a fundraising event that celebrates the food and culture of Latin America. The evening includes a dance performance by local artists and Latin American cuisine. A Taste of Latin America is October 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at CreArte Latino, 8251 15th Street East, Suite I, Sarasota. Tickets are $100 per person. Event sponsors include Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Mi Lic Hispano Abogados de Accidentes, and an anonymous donor. To purchase tickets, visit www.creartelatino.org.  

Due to the impending storm and out of concern for his fans, the Jerry Seinfeld show originally scheduled for Friday, September 30, 2022, at the Van Wezel Performing Hall has been rescheduled to January 13, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., 2023. All tickets purchased for the September 30th performance will be honored for the new date. The Van Wezel’s Box Office will be following up with patrons directly affected by this change. Patrons should hold onto their tickets as they will be honored for the future performance date. Patrons who will not be able to attend the rescheduled performance will have the opportunity to retain an account credit to use toward a different performance. Patrons may also donate their tickets or receive a full refund. If patrons donate their tickets, they enable the Hall to deliver on world class entertainment, bring arts integrated learning to children, families, and educators, and invest in the power of the human spirit.

The Van Wezel Box Office will be closed from Tuesday, September 27 at noon, through Thursday, September 29. For ticketing questions, contact the box office at 941-263-6799 beginning Friday, September 30. Normal Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All single tickets for the Van Wezel’s 2022-2023 season are on sale now. For the latest Safety Protocols, visit the Van Wezel’s Safety Page. Protocols will be revisited and revised as circumstances evolve.  

To learn more, visit