SRQ DAILY Mar 29, 2023
Wednesday Philanthropy Edition
"We are so grateful for their support, which is critical to making help available for anyone who is struggling, without having to leave home."
Each year, SRQ Media invites the community to nominate individuals with hearts of giving who have made a significant impact with local nonprofit organizations — from volunteers and board members to individual staff members and donors. This year, attendees were thrilled to be together as we recognized our annual Good Hero Philanthropic Award recipients at the SB2: Philanthropic Agenda Luncheon and Good Hero Philanthropic Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, March 7th at Michael’s on East in Sarasota. In the coming weeks, we are happy to feature each of the ten honorees in our Wednesday Philanthropic edition of SRQ Daily.
The first Good Hero we are recognizing is Lisa Moore, CEO and President of Blaze of Hope, a nonprofit organization aimed at providing financial relief to families of hospitalized children with life-threatening medical conditions. Lisa founded Blaze of Hope when her son, Blaze, was diagnosed with liver cancer at 7 months old. To those who know her, Lisa is someone who always goes above and beyond for her organization and community. She puts in countless hours to help families while their child is sick. She organizes and plans toy and food drives to not only benefit the organization but many others as well. A true representation of selflessness, her goal is to spread hope like fire. Congratulations Lisa on your well-deserved recognition.
Pictured: Lisa Moore (center) with Dr. Helene Lotman, CEO & President of JFCS of the Suncoast (left) and SRQ Magazine Managing Editor, Barbie Heit (right). Photo Taken by Wyatt Kostygan.
Digital Launchpad tablets are now available at all ten Sarasota County Public Libraries thanks to generous grants to the Library Foundation for Sarasota County from the Bladel Charitable Trust and the Koski Family Foundation. Pre-loaded with educational and entertainment content for children, teens, and adults, Launchpads are mobile learning devices that circulate like books. Requiring no internet access, their curated collection of apps, videos, and games helps to reduce the digital divide, bringing technology to the nearly 50,000 Sarasota County households without high-speed internet. Launchpads are safe, ad-free, and portable. With 100 Launchpads in circulation, as many as 1,700 children and families are expected to benefit each year from this new technology. Since its founding in 2011, the nonprofit Library Foundation for Sarasota County has raised more than $8 millionin private funds for the benefit of Sarasota County public libraries. To learn more about the Library Foundation for Sarasota County and how you can support its mission, please visit SarasotaLibraryFoundation.org or call 941-404-3139.
Pictured: A teen enjoying a Launchpad at Selby Library. Photo courtesy of Library Foundation for Sarasota County.
On March 20th, co-owners Mike Gowan and Mike Quillen from Gecko’s Hospitality Group presented a check for over $14,600 to Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President & CEO of Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. The donation is part of a years-long partnership where Gecko’s provides proceeds from the sale of their ‘Shark Lady’ philanthropic cocktail to support Mote’s globally impactful red tide and marine science research. Gecko’s donation from sales of ‘ Shark Lady’ cocktail have now provided Mote with approximately $50,000 to support its mission since the specialty drink was launched in 2018.Both aesthetically and palate pleasing, the aqua-blue cocktail is named after Mote’s Founding Director, Dr. Eugenie “Genie” Clark, who is popularly and affectionately known as ‘The Shark Lady’ because of her extensive research on sharks. Developed by Anne Rollings and Mike Ferarra, Gecko’s Director of Operations, the libation is a mix of rum, blue curacao, pineapple juice and sour mix. The partnership between Gecko’s and Mote goes back to 2018 when the region experienced an unusually persistent red tide bloom. Wanting to support the science-based red tide mitigation work being conducted at Mote, Anne Rollings, an executive with Gecko’s, came up with the concept as a way to create an ongoing source of education about the work being done at Mote to Gecko’s guests as well as contribute with financial support. The Shark Lady philanthropic cocktail was awarded Sarasota Magazine’s ‘Best Cocktail for a Cause” in 2019. The Florida Public Relations Association recognized The Shark Lady Philanthropic cocktail among outstanding public relations programs in Florida by awarding it the prestigious Golden Image Judges Award and the Award of Distinction.
Pictured L-R: Mike Ferrara, GHG Dir. of Operations; Mike Quillen, co-owner, GHG; Dr. Michael Crosby, Mote; Mike Gowan, co-owner, GHG. Credit: Mote Marine.
Recovery from Hurricane Ian is going strong in the Gulf Coast of Florida. Gulf Coast Community Foundation provided a $20,000 Hurricane Ian Recovery Initiative grant to Praying Pelican Missions to assist Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, and Lee County neighbors requiring assistance with home repair needs and basic humanitarian aid post-storm. Praying Pelican Missions, an international organization, is on the frontlines of response and relief efforts after disaster strikes. Gulf Coast’s Director of Community Leadership, Dr. Kameron Hodgens, recently visited with Praying Pelican Missions on-site to learn more about their work. “Gulf Coast is honored to support Praying Pelican Missions as our region continues the arduous work of recovering from Hurricane Ian. The volunteers visiting our area weekly as a part of this organization selflessly assist homeowners with the overwhelming tasks of yard and home cleanup. The work they are doing is life changing and truly commendable,” said Dr. Hodgens. Volunteers fly into Sarasota every week to donate a week of hurricane cleanup service and will do so through the summer. They plan to work in the area fulltime.
Pictured: Praying Pelican Missions helps clean up Hurricane Ian debris in Sarasota County.
The Bay Park Conservancy (BPC), the non-profit organization responsible for designing and developing 53 acres of City-owned land on Sarasota Bay into a signature park, and then operating, maintaining and programming the park as it opens to the public, has announced Stephanie Crockatt will become BPC’s first full-time President and Chief Executive Officer. Crockatt will assume overall responsibility for building out the 53-acre park known as “The Bay.” Crockatt will also focus on securing funding to support ongoing BPC operations, maintenance, programming and endowment, and build on the strong partnership with the City, and relationships with the County, foundations and philanthropists, business partners and friends of The Bay, and the broader community. As CEO, Crockatt will report to BPC Board Chair Jennifer Compton and work closely with the BPC Executive Committee, Board of Directors and staff. “I am looking forward to working with Stephanie as we continue to deliver on BPC’s mission for our community,” says Jennifer Compton, BPC Board Chair. “Together, Stephanie and I, the board and the park conservancy staff, will endeavor to complete the design and development of a signature park for Sarasota and build a strong dedicated park conservancy team that delivers a delightful park guest experience every day at The Bay.” Crockatt is an accomplished park conservancy leader with significant development and fundraising experience as Executive Director of Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy (BOPC) the first nonprofit organization in the US to manage and operate an entire urban park system consisting of six Olmsted-designed parks and 850 acres. In nine years as BOPC Executive Director, Stephanie secured substantial park maintenance funding from the city through an unprecedented public-private partnership, built reliable annual fundraising from private sources, secured a major foundation gift to ensure sustainable conservancy operations, secured millions in capital support, fulfilled over 50 capital restoration projects from an award-winning master plan, and built an inclusive team of professionals to manage and operate the park and engage constructively and productively with partners and stakeholders. Stephanie will be succeeding AG Lafley who served as volunteer chair of the Sarasota Bayfront Planning Organization master planning committee (SBPO), and then as volunteer BPC Founding CEO since 2019. Lafley plans to stay fully engaged and involved to ensure a smooth transition and to maintain the momentum and progress already underway. For more information about The Bay and The Bay Park Conservancy, visit www.thebaysarasota.org or contact Julia Groom at julia@dreamlarge.org or 941-786-8732.
On March 24, 2023, over 400 guests attended Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation’s 10th annual Women & Medicine Educational Luncheon held at Michael’s on East. The program featured a panel discussion from leading behavioral health experts. Over $210,000 was raised. Proceeds will help support patient care services at the Cornell Family Behavioral Health Pavilion scheduled to open late this year on the SMH-Sarasota campus. The program opened with a welcome from returning event co-chairs and Healthcare Foundation board members, Gwen MacKenzie and Sandi Stuart. Lorrie Liang, President, Sarasota Memorial Hospital–Sarasota Campus presented key mental health statistics and shared Sarasota Memorial’s approach to behavioral health care. The educational program, moderated by Stephanie Roberts, executive producer and co-host of Suncoast View on ABC7, included a panel of behavioral health experts: Robinder Bhangoo, M.D., Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, First Physicians Group; Terry Cassidy, Executive Director, Behavioral Health Services, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System; and Dana Gau, Psychiatric Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Sarasota Memorial Hospital. The discussion primarily focused on the stressors affecting women as the primary caregivers of their families, the adverse impact of the pandemic on mental health, and how and when to seek help. An audience Q&A session followed. “The Women & Medicine Educational Luncheon is a one-of-a-kind experience where the women in Sarasota come together to learn about healthcare issues affecting them and their families,” said Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation president Stacey Corley. “We are so grateful for their support, which is critical to making help available for anyone who is struggling—without having to leave home.”
Pictured: Women & Medicine 2023 Co-Chairs and Healthcare Foundation board members Gwen MacKenzie, left, and Sandi Stuart, right, with Healthcare Foundation President Stacey Corley. Photo courtesy of SMH Foundation.
GET OUT AND RIDE | Hit the road this spring with advice from three Lakewood Ranch bicycle stores, March 2023.
A Place in the Sun – A Tribute to Stevie Wonder, will begin playing in FST’s Goldstein Cabaret on November 16, 2022. The new music revue celebrates the legendary musician whose catalogue spans six decades and multiple musical genres, taking audiences through the beloved songbook of musical pioneer, Stevie Wonder. Created by Jason Cannon, Richard Hopkins, and Sarah Durham, this all-new Cabaret features such timeless hits as “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” “Isn’t She Lovely?,” and “Superstition.” Tickets are now on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or at 941.366.9000.
This walking tour led by volunteer guides will introduce you to interesting botanical specimens on the estate while providing a historic overview of the development of the estate. The Ringling Arboretum has been accredited at Level II through ArbNet and there are over 2350 trees within the arboretum representing native, exotic, historical, and culturally significant trees. Garden Tours are available Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays and take place entirely outdoors. It is 90 minutes in length and covers approximately 1 mile. We encourage visitors to bring bottled water, and wear appropriate footwear, preferably closed-toe, sunblock, and hats. There will be a maximum of 10 participants per tour. Tours are subject to weather conditions. Please check it at the Visitors Pavilion prior to your tour. Tickets will be available 30 days prior to each tour.
SHE ENGINEERS is a bilingual (English and Spanish) poster exhibition highlighting eight women in various engineering fields. In their own words, the women share their passion and what inspired them to become engineers. If we support a woman in STEM, then she can change the world.
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.
The hilarious new play CHICKEN & BISCUITS introduces us to the Jenkins family, as they gather to celebrate the life of their beloved and recently deceased father and grandfather, the Revered Bernard Jenkins. When an unexpected guest reveals a secret, they all discover that nothing brings a family together like a big side of drama. This side-splitting new Broadway comedy explores the tenderness of family, the joy of reconciliation, and the nourishing power of love. Written by Broadway newcomer Douglas Lyons and directed by the talented Bianca LaVerne Jones, who was associate director of the 2021 Broadway production, CHICKEN & BISCUITS proves that while family may drive us crazy, we’re lucky to have each other.
Asolo Repertory Theatre
Florida Studio Theatre presents the original music revue, Reel Music, celebrating the movies that helped create the soundtrack to the last century. Featuring classics like “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Circle of Life,” and “My Heart Will Go On,” this new Cabaret traces how films—and the music highlighted in them—have evolved over the past one hundred years. Created by Richard Hopkins, Rebecca Hopkins, and Sarah Durham with musical arrangements by Jim Prosser, Reel Music begins playing February 15, 2023, in FST’s Court Cabaret. Single tickets for Reel Music
range between $18-39 and are now on sale at FloridaStudioTheatre.org or at 941.366.9000.
Take a trip back to 1973 with the Irish Catholic OShea family in the uproarious INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP. This boisterous and moving new memory play introduces us to young Linda, as she recalls a week she’ll never forget. When Linda’s mother instructs her to tell her sister about the birds and the bees, things quickly snowball into a potential crisis after the conversation is overheard by the parish priest. Secrets are unintentionally revealed, and a quick-witted group of women realize what really matters as they work to protect their family reputation and each other. This wild and tender comedy directed by Asolo Rep Associate Artistic Director Celine Rosenthal explores the foolishness of first love, the pains of Catholic guilt, and ultimately, the power of family.
Asolo Repertory Theatre
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
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.
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 7 - Tribute to Balanchine. April 28-29, 2023 at the Sarasota Opera House. Featuring: Divertimento No. 15 - Choreography by George Balanchine, Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Four Temperaments - Choreography by George Balanchine, Music by Paul Hindemith. Western Symphony - Choreography by George Balanchine, Music – American folk tunes arranged by Hershy Kay. For more information visit www.sarasotaballet.org, Box office 941.359.0099
Sarasota Opera House, 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
2023 MODERN WORKS FESTIVAL Presented by Summer Wallace. May 3 - May 7, 2023. Urbanite Theatre. Back for the fourth time and returning to an in-person experience, the Modern Works Festival is a playwriting contest, reading festival and celebration of women in theatre. See all three finalist readings and become eligible to vote on the festival-winning playwright! Titles of finalist plays will be announced in 2023. For information contact - phone (941) 321-1397, email info@urbanitetheatre.com, website www.urbanitetheatre.com
Urbanite Theatre , 1487 2nd Street Sarasota FL, 34236
The 2023 Forks and Corks Food and Wine Festival will return for its 16th year. The Festival is scheduled for April 20-24, 2023 and offers a world-class weekend of winemaker dinners, interactive wine seminars and wine tastings that culminates with the alfresco Grand Tasting event at The Ringling Museum of Art Courtyard. Guests will savor delicious dishes presented by over 40 members of the Sarasota-Manatee Originals restaurant group and sample from a collection of more than 300 unique wines from across the globe. There will be live musical entertainment and an expansive silent auction of rare and collectible wines and experiences. Due to the unprecedented demand this year, there are three available ticket levels: VIP, early access and general admission. For more information on Forks and Corks and to purchase tickets, visit EatLikeALocal.com. Follow Forks and Corks on Facebook and Instagram.
Considered by many to be one of the best musicals of all time, MAN OF LA MANCHA is brilliantly reimagined with a contemporary urgency by celebrated director Peter Rothstein, who immerses us in Miguel de Cervantes’s retelling of Don Quixote and his quest. This epic and poignant journey celebrates the perseverance of one man who refuses to relinquish his ideals and who is determined to see life not as it is, but as it ought to be. The winner of five Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, and featuring a soaring score, including “Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)” and one of theatre’s most beloved songs, “The Impossible Dream,” this classic musical celebrates the power of theatre, the bravery of holding strong to our dreams, and the resilience of imagination.
Asolo Repertory Theatre
THAT MUST BE THE ENTRANCE TO HEAVEN by Franky D. Gonzalez. A World Premiere. June 9 - July 9, 2023. Urbanite Theatre. Glory. Survival. Legacy. Citizenship. Four Latino boxers all chase a world title to achieve their personal versions of heaven. But to get there, they must battle each other, their own battered bodies, and the universe itself. All four men walk the line between life and death in this poignant, poetic collision of combat and cosmos. 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
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