SRQ DAILY Mar 22, 2023
Wednesday Philanthropy Edition
"It is an opportunity to celebrate the collaboration and amazing things we can do when we work together."
The 1500 block of State Street in downtown Sarasota was transformed into a philanthropic celebration on Thursday, March 16th. Better Together, Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s outdoor, fun event brought donors, nonprofit partners, and community members of all ages together to celebrate collaboration, community, and connection.
The event featured free activities celebrating education, arts, health and human services, and the environment. Among many local partners who hosted a booth was local artist Brandon Thrift, known for his “Spread Love” artwork. Thrift invited visitors to collaborate on a piece of community artwork by decorating individualized hearts inspired by the work of renowned artist, Romero Britto, who uses vibrant colors and bold patterns as a visual expression of hope, dreams, and happiness. “This event was an automatic yes for me,” says Thrift. “I’m a huge fan of Romero’s work and I’m so happy to be sharing his inspiration in such a meaningful way today.”
Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Strategic Engagement Manager Kelly Borgia hopes that this Better Together event is the first of what will hopefully be many more like it. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate the collaboration and amazing things we can do when we work together,” she says.
Pictured: Brandon Thrift and GCCF volunteers encouraged visitors to spread love at the Better Together event. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.
Halfacre Construction Company, a Lakewood Ranch-based commercial construction company, recently sponsored Lightshare Behavioral Wellness and Recovery dba First Step of Sarasota’s Caring Hearts event with a $2,500 sponsorship. Held last month, the annual event encourages the community to come together and support those in need most and celebrates the victory of 700 infants born drug-free. First Step’s Mothers and Infants Program empowers and treats pregnant and post-partum mothers who are facing substance abuse addiction. The sold-out event kicked off with a welcome message from Patrick Robinson, Board Chair of Lighshare Behavioral Wellness and Recovery and deputy city manager, and Shawny Robey, president and chief executive officer. The event continued with community partner remarks, guest speakers, a client success story and concluded with an awards ceremony. For more than 50 years, Lightshare as First Step of Sarasota has been caring for the community by providing affordable, evidence-based behavioral healthcare services to children, adolescents, adults, seniors and their families who struggle with mental-health and substance-use issues. The commercial construction company is proud to support the community through giving, fundraising, donating building projects and serving on a number of organizational advisory boards, including the Special Olympics, Boys & Girls Club of Sarasota County, Central Command Memorial Foundation, Suncoast Charities for Children and more.
All Star Children’s Foundation has welcomed a new member to its board of directors: Byron Shinn. Shinn is a partner with Carr, Riggs & Ingram CPAs and Advisors, a nationally acclaimed accounting and advisory firm. He brings 42 years of public accounting experience to the All Star team.
Rise & Nye’s, the little downtown Sarasota coffee and ice cream shop with a big mission, is hosting its second Big Beignet Eating Championship on April 1st at 11:00am sharp! Show everyone “what cha got” by eating as many beignets as you can in 3 minutes. Two age divisions. A $20 entry fee (supports our nonprofit, Inclusion Revolution) gives contestants the opportunity to win an array of spectacular prizes along with the pride of being named Sarasota’s Beignet Eating Champ. Sign up. Be a winner. Support the amazing team members at Rise & Nye’s.
Forty Carrots Family Center’s Generations of Change expansion campaign reaches a milestone as it breaks ground on a new building for Mental Health and Parenting Education services. Since 2020, Forty Carrots has increased child and family mental health services over 70%, and the expansion will allow for a 100% increase in Mental Health and 30% in Parenting Education services over the next several years. The Generations of Change expansion includes a new 6900 sq ft building on 1.72 acres at 1350 Cattlemen Rd. It offers a Child and Family Therapy Center with 6 therapy rooms, intake office, waiting area and Parenting Education Center equipped with flexible capacity with moveable wall and observation capabilities, virtual program rooms, administrative offices, and program staff workspaces. The addition of the Cattlemen campus allows for the expansion of early education services and administrative offices in the existing buildings on S. Tuttle Avenue. The Visionary Circle along with a group of dedicated Forty Carrots donors together have committed $7.5 million toward the $10 million campaign goal to encompass increase in services, financial sustainability, and the building.
Pictured: Forty Carrots Campus Expansion Rendering Cattlemen Road. Photo courtesy of Forty Carrots.
Following a long and successful career, All Faiths Food Bank CEO Sandra Frank announced today that she plans to retire by the end of 2023. In her 11 years at All Faiths, Frank has led the organization to boldly rethink and re-envision the food bank to ensure that ending hunger extends beyond the traditional “food in – food out” model and targets underlying causes to end hunger before it begins. Working alongside the Board of Directors and senior leadership team, she launched a new mission and rebranding of the organization in 2018. In partnership with visionary funders, she helped create the foundation for All Faiths’ exemplary fundraising program, including the Campaign Against Summer Hunger, which provides food to students and their siblings during the summer months when schools are closed. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Campaign, which has raised over $14 million and feeds more than 35,000 children every summer. She has directed All Faiths with intense focus and determination throughout a global pandemic, devastating hurricanes, and record levels of need. [See below for further achievements.] Frank’s leadership has earned All Faiths Food Bank national and local recognition as a pioneer and model in the program areas of hunger and health, evaluation, and rural hunger. The organization’s executive committee has begun the process of interviewing executive search firms to recruit qualified and experienced candidates; the search committee will be headed by former food bank chair, Benjamin Hanan. Frank will remain CEO through the recruitment process and transition, and will consult as needed. Hanan expects to announce the hiring of the recruitment firm and the launch of a national search within the next month. While Frank has been considering retirement since 2020, a triple-header of crises – the pandemic, the resulting economic impacts, and Hurricane Ian – caused her to pause her plans. In late 2022, with strong professional and volunteer leadership in place and the organization’s new strategic plan being implemented, she decided it was time to begin preparing for her next chapter. To learn more about All Faiths Food Bank, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org or call 941-379-6333.
Making An Impact. Inc. (MAI), a local nonprofit and leading curator of basic needs community resource information in Sarasota and Manatee counties, recently received several grant awards supporting its Community Connections Resource Guide. The grants, totaling $10,858, support providing information on basic need services at public libraries serving Parrish, underserved residents in Newtown, and needy Manatee County families with school-aged children whose primary or preferred communication language is Spanish.The grants come from various sources, including the Conrad & Ruth Ann Szymanski Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation, the Dallas and Elizabeth Dort Charitable Legacy Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, the New Genesis Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation, and The Parrish Foundation. These grantors were impressed by Making An Impact’s commitment to the community and its innovative approach to addressing the informational gap in finding local essential services. Now in its third year, the organization already has nearly 5000 printed basic needs Community Connections Resource Guides in circulation, and thousands view the information online. Last year, in response to Hurricane Ian, MAI created a printed and online Disaster Recovery Guide used by area residents, Emergency Management, and FEMA. For more information about Making An Impact or to view their online Guides, visit their website at www.Making-An-Impact.org.
Sarasota Opera will work to strengthen its entrepreneurial capacity and increase its mission impact with earned-income strategies developed and implemented through its participation in Margin & Mission Ignition, an opportunity presented by The Patterson Foundation. As one of four regional organizations selected for Margin & Mission Ignition, Sarasota Opera will work with No Margin, No Mission, a social enterprise and national consulting firm engaged by The Patterson Foundation, over a 30-month process. No Margin, No Mission will work with each nonprofit to develop and implement business plans to generate revenue and support their efforts in the community. Throughout the process, the organizations participating in Margin & Mission Ignition will come together to learn from and share with one another based on their experiences. Margin & Mission Ignition is part of The Patterson Foundation’s Nonprofit Thrivability initiative. This initiative connects nonprofits with expertise and resources to learn concepts like strategic decision-making while adopting and implementing entrepreneurial principles to generate enough revenue to support and eventually grow their operations. For more information about Margin & Mission Ignition, please visit thepattersonfoundation.org. Join the conversation on social media by using #TPFMarginMission.For more information about Sarasota Opera, please visit SarasotaOpera.org.
Making An Impact. Inc. (MAI), a local nonprofit and leading curator of community resource information for Sarasota and Manatee counties, recently partnered with The School District of Manatee County. Through this collaboration, printed copies of MAI’s Community Connections Resource Guide, a comprehensive directory of local resources, will now be available in Spanish and English to help families locate essential services so their children can focus on learning. The guide features over 300 listings of services and programs available in Sarasota and Manatee counties, including children’s programs, employment, food assistance, healthcare, housing, and more. By providing the guide in Spanish, MAI hopes to bridge the communication gap that may otherwise make it more difficult for Spanish-speaking families to find available helping resources. MAI’s Community Connections Resource Guide is accessible to the general public online at Making-An-Impact.org where it can be viewed in any of 20 languages. Printed copies of the Spanish version of the Guide are currently limited to those produced for the Manatee County School District. Making An Impact is actively seeking sponsors and donations to enable additional production and broader distribution of the Spanish version of the Community Resource Guide as soon as possible. In just three years, Making An Impact’s Community Connections Resource Guide has more than 5000 copies in circulation, and thousands view the guide online. Their guide has quickly become one of the area's most trusted and widely used references for where to go to get help. In addition to Manatee School District, guide users include most of the areas social service nonprofits, law enforcement agencies, and faith-based institutions.
Gulf Coast Community Foundation is delighted to announce that applications for their highly anticipated 2023 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute are now open. Gulf Coast Leadership Institute is designed to identify and develop aspiring, emerging, and experienced leaders who reflect the diversity of our region. For the 2023 class, up to 25 people will be selected to participate in a program of leadership development sessions over a two-month period. Applications will close on Monday, April 10 and are available at www.GulfCoastCF.org/GCLI. Led by faculty of the internationally acclaimed Leadership Development Institute at Eckerd College, the institute will provide leadership skills and resources necessary to positively impact the community. “Gulf Coast Leadership Institute is an exciting opportunity for our region’s current and future leaders to harness their leadership skills,” said Kelly Carlstein, Vice President of Brand Strategy for Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “This high quality leadership development training provides participants with a chance to positively impact the community and take their leadership to the next level.” Gulf Coast Community Foundation encourages people to apply for the unique Gulf Coast Leadership Institute which trains and connects aspiring, emerging, and experienced community leaders across the Gulf Coast region. For more information, please visit www.GulfCoastCF.org/GCLI.
Adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas. Directed by Peter Amster. Harrowing adventure, bravery, and friendship take center stage in Ken Ludwig's THE THREE MUSKETEERS, a thrilling adaptation of the popular novel by Alexandre Dumas. One of the world’s most enduring comedies, this classic tells the tale of a daring young man who finds himself in the company of the world’s greatest swordsmen, as well as some of the world’s most dangerous men and women. Directed by Peter Amster, who most recently directed Asolo Rep’s smash hit Murder on the Orient Express in 2020, this play promises to be a fast-paced, witty, swashbuckling good time. All for one, and one for all!
Asolo Repertory Theatre
Enjoy a night of fun at Waterside Place during Ranch Nite Wednesdays. The event features food trucks, live music, a night market, a vintage mobile bar and cornhole. Visit lakewoodranch.com to learn more. Waterside Place, 1561 Lakefront Drive, Sarasota.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ 2023 Jean and Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Tiffany: The Pursuit of Beauty in Nature showcases the creativity and innovation of American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933). The first exhibition of its type to be presented in a botanical garden, the exhibition highlights the inspiring connection between Tiffany Studios and the natural world through unique horticultural displays in the Tropical Conservatory and the Gardens, accompanied by seminal examples of Tiffany’s work on view in the Museum of Botany and the Arts. To learn more, visit selby.org. Selby Gardens Downtown Sarasota campus, 1534 Mound St., Sarasota.
Madama Butterfly is an Opera in three acts. Music by Giacomo Puccini. Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. A young geisha known affectionately as Madama Butterfly is swept off her feet by an American Naval Officer. Left with a promise that he would return one day, Butterfly waits faithfully for three years, but is met with heartbreak in one of opera’s most enduring tragedies. Sung in Italian with Translations in English. February 18th-March 24 For tickets visit sarasotaopera.org or Ph. +1 941 328 1300
Sarasota Opera , 61 N Pineapple Ave. Sarasota, FL 34236
Compass Rose History Experiences announces the launch of Resilience: A Guided Walking Tour Experience. Guides Mimi Cirbusova and Andrea Knies will navigate attendees on a journey back in time down Main Street as we explore the resilience of the Sarasota community during the Great Depression and World War II. Locals and visitors alike will find inspiration from the stories of the people and places of Sarasota's past. Tours meet at Five Points Park in Downtown Sarasota and cover a distance of less than one mile over the 75-90 minute tour. All tours begin at 3:30 pm. Tickets cost $20.00 and must be purchased in advance. Guests purchasing both tours can receive a $10 discount by selecting the ticket package. Visit CompassRoseHistory.com to purchase your tickets or to learn more about Compass Rose History Experiences.
The program includes music by five Jewish composers in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. Felix Mendelssohn's powerful Sinfonia in B Minor opens the program. George Gershwin's Lullaby for Strings adds a jazzy touch. Boris Levenberg's Hassidic Scene features concertmaster Christina Adams in a heartfelt violin solo which evokes the world of Fiddler on the Roof. Noubar Aslanyan's Trumpet Concertino features Robert Smith in a brilliant work for trumpet and strings. The program concludes with Ernest Bloch's exhilarating Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra and Piano Obbligato with Ann Stephenson-Moe, pianist. General seating. First Presbyterian Church, 2050 Oak St, Sarasota. chamberorchestrasarasota.org.
The Sarasota Ballet is excited to announce the Company’s 2022 – 2023 Season. Over seven programs, The Sarasota Ballet will perform 15 works by some of the most celebrated and prestigious choreographers and composers of the ballet world. Program 6 - La Sylphide. March 24-25, 2023. At the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. La Sylphide (Company Premiere) Choreography by Johan Kobborg after August Bournonville, Music by Herman Severin Lovenskiold. For more information visit www.sarasotaballet.org, Box office 941.359.0099
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall , 777 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34236
Our stories have never been the same since Ponce De Leon first arrived on our shores in 1513. Flowing seamlessly between Spanish and English, the personal, historical, and traditional Florida tales that storyteller Carrie Sue Ayvar tells in Stories of Florida Con Sabor connect the people and cultures of Florida, con un poquito de sabor Latino, with a little bit of Latino flavor. This bilingual presentation, designed for audiences 13 years and older, is funded by the Florida Humanities’ Florida Talks program and runs Friday, March 24, at 7:30 p.m., at CreArte Latino Theatre, 8251 15th St. E. Suite I, Sarasota. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at www.creartelatino.org.
Phillippi Estate Park, as the home of the Edson Keith Mansion and the historic Keith Farmhouse, is holding History Day in the Park on Saturday March 25 2023. We’re helping preserve the fascinating history of the greater Sarasota area by presenting local history to residents and visitors. The event will feature live music, kids' activities, historical fun and more. Phillippi Estate Park, 5500 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. historydayinthepark.com.
BACKWARDS FORWARDS BACK by Jacqueline Goldfinger. A World Premiere. March 24 - April 23, 2023. Urbanite Theatre. When a soldier returns from war carrying the ghosts of his tour, he’s faced with a sobering decision: address his alarming PTSD with Virtual Reality therapy, or risk losing access to his family forever. Can this new technology recalibrate the brains and bodies of wounded soldiers? This electric, vivid, one-man drama studies the power of healing and finding strength in vulnerability. For tickets and info contact phone (941) 321-1397, email info@urbanitetheatre.com, website www.urbanitetheatre.com
Urbanite Theatre , 1487 2nd Street Sarasota FL, 34236
The Humane Society of Manatee County is proud to present the first Bradenton Spring Festival Fundraiser. Located at Caddy’s of Bradenton, 801 Riverside Drive East, this family, and pet-friendly festival will allow guests to enjoy an abundance of activities such as a dog lure course, photo booth, DJ, games, raffle prizes, local vendors, adoptable dogs and more. Individuals and fundraising teams can buy tickets now by visiting the events page at www.humanemanatee.org.
Does a Modern building’s design significance stand independent from its original site, as does a work of art or sculpture? This talk will explore the concept, the recent trend, the future implications, and the possible preservation opportunities of treating Modern architecture as "moveable" heritage. In addition to moving buildings to preserve them, the presentation will also feature the emerging phenomena of treating significant Modern architecture as works of art that can be acquired by collectors including their sale and auction followed by being disassembled, packed up, transported, and reassembled on a new site. McCulloch Pavilion 265 S Orange Ave., Sarasota, architecturesarasota.org.
Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC) is hosting its signature, annual fashion show on Friday, March 31, 2023 at The Ritz Carlton, Sarasota. The 2023 event, SPARCC Runway: Timeless Treasures will be filled with nostalgia and fashion-forward styles as we showcase trends that have come full-circle. Guests will enjoy valet parking, a champagne toast, shopping in the event’s premiere, pop-up fashion boutique (featuring great deals on high-end fashion pieces from SPARCC Treasure Chest), a delicious luncheon complete with wine service, and an unforgettable and fantastic runway fashion show. This year guests can also join in on our inaugural Fashion Show After-Party, and avoid the valet rush, with musical entertainment, for purchase beverage options and additional opportunities to shop the boutique. Registration and shopping begin at 10 AM, followed by the seated luncheon and fashion show at noon and the after-party immediately following. All festivities wrap-up by 2:30 PM. This year’s Fashion Show Chairs are: Vickie Smith, Event Chair; Darci Jacob, Fashion Chair; Coral Pleas (Cutting Loose Hair Salons) and Terry McKee (Nuovo Salon Group) as Honorary Chairs. As the owners of Sarasota’s most beloved hair salons the event’s Honorary Chairs are coming together to show their support of SPARCC, take a stand for survivors and help make Timeless Treasures an event to remember! All proceeds from the event support SPARCC’s free and confidential programs and services for
survivors of domestic and sexual violence. For tickets and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.sparcc.net/events or call 941-365-0208 ext. 110.
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