For communities to thrive, they must ask a crucial question:  what more can we do for each other?

Twenty-seven years ago, Manatee County leaders recognized a gap here. Their solution was to create a community foundation designed to stand the test of time.

Musing is easy, but action requires resolve. In 1998, the then-publisher of the Bradenton Herald, Dot Ridings, acted. She secured $1 million from the Knight Foundation and challenged people to match it within three years. The “Three Bobs”—Blalock, Christopher, and Bell—led the effort, and residents met the challenge in only six months. If that doesn’t speak to the heart of this community, I don’t know what does.

From that first $1 million, Manatee Community Foundation has given neighbors ways to help one another and invest in our shared future. We have grown to $66 million in assets and poured over $67 million back into Manatee County. Last year alone, we granted over $7 million to local nonprofits and awarded $265,000 in scholarships.

But beyond financial impact, our true strength is as a convener. When we connect donors, nonprofits, businesses, and government, we find solutions any of us cannot achieve alone. Our Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) helps our region prepare for and respond to crises. Our Child Care Alliance supports working families. CLASP members (Community Leaders Aligning Strategies and Partnerships) share ideas and align goals for everyone we serve.

This commitment to working together has always been part of our story. MCF has been fortunate to grow with the vital support of a fellow foundation—a clear example of partnership in action. But our founders always envisioned the day we would stand fully on our own, to better serve local needs.

Friends, that day is here. On July 1, MCF became a fully independent organization. The Manatee County Commission recognized this milestone by proclaiming July 1 as Manatee Community Foundation Day. To me, that proclamation honors every person who has ever given their time, talent, and treasure to support our county.

This turning point is especially meaningful because it links our history to the future we’re ready to steward. On the same day we stepped into our independence, Dannie Sherrill, the daughter of one of our founders, Bob Blalock, became our new Board Chair. I couldn’t have orchestrated such a beautiful full-circle moment if I’d planned it. Bob helped build MCF so Manatee County would have something truly rooted here, shaped by its residents. Dannie has carried that same spirit forward through years of dedicated nonprofit work and investing in local relationships. Together, Bob’s vision and Dannie’s leadership capture the essence of family philanthropy: neighbors caring for each other across generations.

So, what does independence mean for us? Now, we can discover new answers to that question: what more can we do for each other? We can focus on being catalysts for positive change in Manatee County, respond faster when challenges come our way, and keep homegrown generosity working where it’s needed most. We can bring local people together to solve problems, big and small, and we are now able to receive all gifts in more tax-advantageous ways, to make transformational change and honor legacies in perpetuity.

And as our county grows, so does our responsibility. By 2030, Manatee County’s population is expected to surpass Sarasota’s. Our area is more diverse than ever, and its needs more complex. Over 850 nonprofits serve our region, but amidst fluctuations in funding and capacity, they can’t shoulder every need. MCF will be here to help fill the gaps.

Becoming independent is not the finish line. It is a new beginning. We will keep connecting people and ideas, strengthening our region, and celebrating the families who believe that a rising tide lifts all boats, and invest to lift those around them. I’m honored to carry this vision forward alongside leaders like Dannie, our board, and each of you who are determined to make our world a better one.

Let’s keep asking:  what more can we do?

Veronica Thames is the Chief Executive Officer of Manatee Community Foundation.  

Between your summer bops on the Billboard Hot 100 and true crime podcast binges, you may have heard Sarasota County mentioned over your radio these past few weeks. If you’re a devoted listener to The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show – one of the most listened to in America – then you certainly heard many of our local attractions, properties, restaurants, and businesses name dropped on-air. 

That’s because our team at Visit Sarasota County partnered with VISIT FLORIDA, our statewide counterpart, to bring this morning show to our shores. Quite literally, as the “KiddNation” broadcasted LIVE from the new Cirque St. Armands Beachside hotel, within view of Lido Beach for every conversation.  

While the crew was in town for their annual KiddNation Family Vacation special broadcast, they didn’t stay behind the mic the entire time. In between their LIVE broadcasts from July 28 to August 1, the team had free time to be a tourist, visiting local businesses and sharing their experiences on-air, online, and with their millions of followers on social media. 

Like most of our Familiarization Tours – which we in the industry endearingly call “FAMs” – the itinerary was curated to match the interests of the Kidd Kraddick crew. Their adventures included a trolley tour with Discover Sarasota Tours and a visit to The Ringling, where local legend Nik Wallenda made a surprise appearance at the Circus Museum to coach them through how to walk the high wire. 

Other highlights included a trampoline class at The Circus Arts Conservatory, an afternoon at Sarasota Jungle Gardens, a culinary tour of Downtown Sarasota, a resort day at Lido Beach Resort, a sunset boat cruise with High Tide Tiki Tours, an e-bike tour through Myakka River State Park, and dining experiences ranging from Siesta Key Oyster Bar to O’Leary’s Tiki Bar & Grill. 

The morning show even gave listeners a chance to win vacations to experience this very same itinerary each morning, promotions that just wrapped up yesterday. If you missed the broadcasts, you can listen at www.kiddnation.com/sarasota-family-vacation-2025/.

While this is the first time the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show chose us as their broadcast destination, hosting top-tier media is well within our wheelhouse. Each year, our PR and Sales teams welcome up to 250 travel writers from various media outlets, including print, online, and radio, to feature local gems and our destination as a whole. These media placements generate hundreds of millions of impressions, which in turn capture the attention and imagination of potential vacationers, both near and far. 

You may ask, why radio? If so, you may be surprised to hear that radio remains as relevant as ever, especially with new ways to stream. According to Nielsen Media Research, eight-in-ten Americans ages 12 and older listen to radio weekly – staying remarkably consistent amidst a media landscape in flux. The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show underscores radio’s media muscle, as its programming reaches 2.6 million listeners across 70 markets daily. 

This media opportunity is the latest collaboration between our tourism bureau and VISIT FLORIDA – the Sunshine State’s official destination marketing organization charged with protecting and promoting its $142 billion vacation brand through global marketing, public relations and travel trade efforts. Case in point, the show’s over 200 minutes of dedicated airtime and 170 social media posts promoting the destination already has trickled into 50 million impressions and more than $5.4 million in broadcast media value. This kind of national exposure is incredibly valuable, particularly during the slower summer when strategic promotion helps sustain our tourism economy. 

Thanks to VISIT FLORIDA’s support and the enthusiasm from the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show team and our local businesses, Sarasota’s not only hit national airwaves, but we also made sure future travelers were tuned in and ready to experience all our destination has to offer, with open hearts…and ears. 

Erin Duggan is President & CEO of Visit Sarasota County.

Pictured: Kidd Kraddick Morning Show crew with Nik Wallenda. Provided photo.