SRQ DAILY Dec 10, 2025
Wednesday Philanthropy Edition
"Visits to senior centers are one of my favorite parts of my job."
Last month, Cat Depot, a nationally recognized leader in feline rescue, adoption and education, paid a heartwarming visit to the Downtown Sarasota campus of Senior Friendship Centers (SFC). The organization, which rescues and rehomes over 1,200 cats and kittens annually (many from urgent and dire circumstances), shared unconditional love and companionship as therapy kittens brightened the smiles of participating seniors.
Since 2003, Cat Depot has served as a lifeline for felines in the Sarasota area, providing rescue, medical care and adoption services to thousands of cats and kittens. SFC, a nonprofit organization supporting older adults in four Southwest Florida counties, has been serving local seniors since 1973.
"When Cat Depot's kittens visit the Senior Friendship Centers, they bring comfort, calm and connection," says SFC Nutrition Coordinator, Tammy Neubauer. "Much like service animals, these tiny companions soothe anxiety and share love when it is needed most."
Ellie Levine, Cat Depot's Community Engagement Manager, explained the process and benefits of these visits. "When I bring cats from Cat Depot to senior centers, we pass the kitties around from person to person to give everyone some time to cuddle," she said. Levine noted that these visits are mutually beneficial: "We have found that these visits are not only beneficial to the seniors by putting a smile on their faces, reminding them of their past pets and giving them a sweet way to spend their day, but it also benefits the cats." She added that many cats return from these outings more socialized and are often adopted quickly afterward. These visits also provide valuable information for potential adopters, helping staff assess how the cats handle carriers, car rides, harnesses/leashes and interactions with the senior population.
Cat Depot currently offers kitten therapy visits to 16 facilities across Sarasota and Bradenton. Levine expressed her enthusiasm for the program, stating, “Visits to senior centers are one of my favorite parts of my job!” 
Pictured: Community Engagement Manager Ellie Levine brightens the day for seniors when she visits with kittens from Cat Depot. Photo by Tammy Neubauer.
Safe Children Coalition (SCC) is reimagining what’s possible for children and families across Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. As the community-based care agency for Circuit 12, SCC has expanded its Prevention and Diversion programs to reach families long before a crisis leads to child welfare involvement. Last year alone, more than 10,000 children and families received services, with over 80% supported through prevention-focused programs such as Youth Prevention Services, Schoolhouse Link, a Youth Shelter for homeless teens, and more. SCC’s sustained focus on prevention programs is evidenced by nearly 50,000 hours spent with families providing family support services, counseling, and other essential tools to help children remain safely at home. Thanks to the support of our community, SCC is strengthening families and building safer futures for children
Hard hat tour of the new SCC Youth Shelter under construction.
The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) is pleased to share that it has been selected as a finalist for an Impact100 SRQ grant for its early literacy initiative, ReadingPals, and its planned expansion, Storytimers. The project builds on ELC's ongoing work with local child care centers and families to support children's earliest years of learning. The final Impact100 SRQ grant recipients will be announced early next year.
The board of directors of the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation recently approved $911,570 in grants supporting capital needs of local nonprofit organizations. Funds will provide essential tools, equipment, vehicles, and structures to help organizations facilitate meaningful services and programs strengthening opportunity for people and helping our environment. In its 70th year, the Selby Foundation is the legacy of Bill and Marie Selby, two people who cared about increasing opportunity for others. Located in Sarasota, the Foundation invests in results-focused organizations located in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. Susie Bowie is President/CEO and Susan Hines is Board Chair.
All Star Children’s Foundation marked a milestone evening at its third annual Twinkle Ball, on November 12, where more than 400 guests gathered to champion the organization’s mission of transforming the foster care system. The elegant black-tie gala, held at The Ora, raised over $750,000 to support children and families impacted by trauma and foster care. This year’s event was led by gala chairs Michael and Terri Klauber and John and Amy Hoskins, whose leadership and commitment helped elevate the evening’s success. Guests were treated to a memorable night featuring a curated dinner by Michael’s On East, an exciting live auction of luxury travel and lifestyle experiences, powerful mission moments, and an inspiring paddle raise—all benefiting All Star’s trauma-informed programs and life-changing therapeutic services delivered on its Campus of Hope & Healing.
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently issued grants totaling nearly $900,000 to 19 nonprofits to boost their educational opportunities for young people and make their programming more accessible to local families, among other causes. The grants were made as part of the foundation’s strategic partnership initiative, in which long-running nonprofits receive ongoing support for community outreach, engagement and access. The grants support everything from youth programming at local theaters to author talks and family togetherness events. “Our strategic partnership grants are designed to increase access to our area’s cultural resources for local families and to give young people a broad range of educational opportunities,” says Kirsten Russell, the Community Foundation’s vice president of community impact. “Each of these 19 grant recipients is a trusted foundation partner with a long track record of excellence. These grants will augment the organizations’ programming and ensure that as many local families as possible have access to their incredible offerings.”
180 Skate is excited to have their Winter Skate Camp on December 22 adn 23 at Payne Skate Park from 9:30am to 11:30am. Students can participate in one or both days. Each day will cost $50 per student. We hope to see you at 180 Skate’s Winter Skate Camp!
On Monday evening, Florida Power & Light Company’s (FPL) 'elves' worked their magic, decorating U.S. Army veteran Doug Mason’s home for the holidays with thousands of sparkling LED lights and other energy-efficient decor. An annual festive tradition, this celebration marks the 18th consecutive year of FPL’s holiday program, which gives back to local heroes for their incredible commitment to the nation and their community.
Provided photo.
Ahead of peak tourism season, Visit Sarasota County (VSC) is reminding travelers why swapping snow for sand this winter has never looked so inviting in its new seasonal marketing campaign. Dubbed “Share the Sunshine,” VSC’s winter promotional push is prominently featuring beaches, outdoor dining, and sunlight in its digital advertising and storytelling through mid-January. The ads are designed to drive traffic to a dedicated landing page, rich in blogs and content of local attractions, sightseeing spots, and events embodying the holiday spirit, coastal style. The website also encourages exploration with VSC’s new Seasons of Sunshine mobile pass, a free platform that provides curated highlights updated monthly from Venice to Sarasota to Longboat Key. To view what content is enticing visitors to adjust their latitude this season, visit www.visitsarasota.com/winter-sarasota.
Each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, National Adoption Day is observed by child welfare organizations and family courts across the U.S. Local child welfare agency Safe Children Coalition recognized the observance with a mass adoption event on November 14 at the Manatee County courthouse; 19 children were legally bonded with new families. In Florida's Circuit 12 (Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties), there are many more children in need of a safe and loving home than there are foster homes and adoptive families. Safe Children Coalition provides the training necessary for families to foster or adopt children; the next eight-week virtual training for adoption begins on January 26, 2026.
In an effort to address hunger in Sarasota and DeSoto counties, Publix Super Markets Charities has awarded two grants totaling $345,000 to All Faiths Food Bank. One grant will support AFFB's Mobile Pantries Program; the other will fund the purchase and branding of a 26' refrigerated box truck.
MITER Foundation, the charitable arm of MITER Brands, a residential window and door manufacturer, recently partnered with Sarasota Memorial Health Care System to give back to 16 families this holiday season through their Women and Children Holiday Event. First 1,000 Days Suncoast and the Pregnancy Care Team at Sarasota Memorial, both programs that assist young families with resources and gaining access to healthcare, identified 16 families in the Venice area who are struggling with basic resources, including Christmas presents for their children. The families provided their needs and holiday wish lists to the team. Sarasota Memorial and the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation collected donations of wrapping supplies and gift bags and provided food for the event. The MITER Foundation was tasked with purchasing gifts for the families and creating meaningful experiences during the event.
The summer 2026 exhibition at Selby Gardens will celebrate the creative collaboration between two legendary figures and longtime friends, photographer Lynn Goldsmith and singer-songwriter Patti Smith, who is Selby Gardens’ artist in residence. The exhibition will feature Goldsmith’s photographs of Smith, past and present, in the Museum of Botany & the Arts. The images will offer an intimate portrait of an iconic artist over the course of her remarkable career.
Selby Gardens, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236
This exhibition highlights contemporary Native design, craftwork, and art that employ the formal and aesthetic elements of abstraction as meaningful motifs and coded tools of Indigenous expression to communicate tribal cultures and histories, ancestral knowledge, and the lived experiences of the artists and their communities.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Thursdays and Saturdays, 7:30pm. Step right up to solve the murder of Dahlia the Queen of the High Wire on this interactive murder mystery who-dunnit.
Tripletail Seafood & Spirits delicious Sunday Brunch is from 11am-3pm. Guests are invited to indulge in a delightful brunch experience on the beautiful covered patio or casual dining room with nautical touches. The brunch menu features a variety of mouth-watering dishes created by Chef Cesareo Cardenas, including his decadent Crème Brûlée French Toast, savory Steak & Eggs, succulent Lobster Benedict, the flavorful Tripletail Brunch Burger and Crab & Shrimp Omelet. Guests will receive a complimentary Bloody Mary or Mimosa with the purchase of any entrée. Prices range from $13 to $26. Reservations can be made through Open Table or by calling 941-529-0555.
Tripletail Seafood & Spirits, 4870 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
ArtCenter Sarasota continues its Centennial Season with Paradise, a juried exhibition selected by Robyn Holl that invites artists to envision personal and collective interpretations of utopia, escape, and idealized worlds. Accompanying this theme are two compelling solo exhibitions. Echoes: Movement and Permanence by Delsy Rubio, whose large-scale works explore resonance and transformation through line and material, and new paintings by Russ Noto, which merge figurative symbolism and mythological overtones within lush, surreal environments. In The Collective Lens, the ACS Photo Critique Group presents a vibrant group exhibition celebrating the diverse photographic practices cultivated through two years of creative exchange and peer support. This thoughtfully curated reception showcases a broad spectrum of mediums and voices, offering viewers an immersive, imaginative journey into both real and reimagined worlds.
ArtCenter Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota
This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. With standing room only productions in London, on Broadway, and across North America, The Book of Mormon has truly become an international sensation.
Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Enjoy the most wonderful time of the year with family and friends at our annual celebration of music and togetherness. Become immersed in beloved Christmas carols and memorable seasonal tunes such as Good King Wenceslas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Sleigh Ride and Mary Did You Know? Special performances by guest vocalist Christal Rheams and the Key Chorale.
Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave Building 5, Venice, FL 34285
Every month, we proudly partner with a local brewery to bring you exclusive tastings, exciting giveaways, and special craft features that you won't want to miss! NOW, we are also partnering with a local non-profit Nuero Challenge Foundation for Parkinson's. Gecko's will donate a portion of the beer sales back to the organization. This month, we’re thrilled to welcome Hidden Springs Ale Company to our Craft Feature Friday event! Proudly located in Tampa Heights. Bring your friends, and let’s raise a glass to local brews and philanthropy. Cheers!
Gecko's Grill & Pub
PMP Suncoast hosts the PMP Winter Residency for young musical prodigies ages 14-20+ who play the violin, viola, cello and bass. The program provides valuable mentoring and performance opportunities for young, promising musicians from all over the world. PMP’s world-class faculty, led by acclaimed violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman, oversee a curriculum of solo, chamber music, and orchestral repertoire at the highest level.
Drawing inspiration from audience suggestions, the cast of FST Improv weaves sketches, musical numbers, and classic improv games that pay special tribute to this beautiful spot in paradise we hold dear. From the epic annual snowbird migration and abundant roundabout confusion to dogs in strollers and seemingly never-ending construction, nothing is safe from a good-spirited tease.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
The Pops Orchestra welcomes the Liverpool Legends back to our stage! This internationally acclaimed Beatles tribute band was hand-picked by Louise Harrison (George’s sister and former Sarasota resident) and have performed all over the world including the Rose Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and Mexico City, being nominated for a Grammy Award along the way.
Riverview Performing Arts Center, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota, FL 34231
A concert where delicate serenades and bold symphonic sounds intertwine. Featuring intimate selection of wind chamber works that beautifully balance lightness with grandeur, showcasing the depth and versatility of wind instruments in both lyrical and powerful expressions.
Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave S, Venice, FL 34285
A Hollywood film star and her entourage descend upon a quaint English village to film an epic period drama. But when the glamorous opening reception ends in a chilling murder, everyone becomes a suspect. Leaving Agatha Christie's beloved sleuth, Miss Marple, to untangle a web of ambition, deceit, and stage fright. One of the Queen of Mystery's most celebrated novels finally makes it to the stage in this new adaptation by Rachel Wagstaff.
Asolo Repertory Theatre , 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
The critically-acclaimed Kavita Shah Quintet explores Kavita’s original music and her arrangements of jazz standards and music from around the world. Incorporating themes of diaspora into her work, Kavita uses her background in ethnomusicology, linguistic fluency (she speaks 9 languages), and in-depth knowledge of various cultural traditions to place seemingly eclectic and diverse music elements in dialogue with one another.
Historic Asolo Theatre, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Join us for the Sarasota Opera's highly celebrated Annual Gala, themed "Winter in Paris." Be immersed in the splendor of the City of Lights while enjoying an evening of mingling, fine cuisine, and dancing. Proceeds from the event and paddle raise will support our Youth Opera & Education programs. We invite you to be part of this elegant experience inspired by the Sarasota Opera's 67th Winter Opera Festival and its opening performance of La bohème. Guests are encouraged to dress in chic, boutique Parisian black-tie (optional) attire.
The Ora Ballroom, 578 McIntosh Rd, Sarasota, FL 34232
Wednesdays, 10am. Go back in time to the 1920’s in Sarasota to hear from three leading ladies (Bertha Palmer, Marie Selby and Mable Ringling) as portrayed by Kathryn Chesley, who shaped Sarasota into a cultural icon.
Hatch’s newly commissioned “plate painting,” Amalgam (2023), was created specifically for Sarasota Art Museum. Consisting of more than 450 earthenware plates hand-painted in white, blue, and gold luster, the abstract lines and shapes in Amalgam are drawn from a variety of historical ceramics from around the globe.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Sundays, 1pm. Join psychic and tarot reader, Deni Dreazen on a metaphysical exploration trolley tour of Sarasota. Visit Pixie Dust gift shop, experience a sound bath at the Crocker Memorial Church with sound healer, Kaylene McCaw, and then walk the labyrinth.
Wednesdays, 10:30am. Explore Art Deco, Mid-Century Modern (the Sarasota School of Architecture) and Mediterranean Revival Architecture buildings, homes and structures of Sarasota on this 90-minute mainland tour.
Mondays, 1pm. Join Jerome Chesley as you explore more than 60 pieces of public art located in downtown and St. Armands.
Saturdays, 1pm. This tour led by circus historian Bob Collins explores the fascinating legacy of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.
This long-term installation in Gallery 10 of the Museum of Art showcases five outstanding examples of 17th-century Dutch painting on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Featuring a dramatic seascape, an expansive landscape, and captivating portraits set in detailed interiors, this exhibition offers a window into the vibrant artistic production of the Netherlands as the small nation rose to global prominence in the 17th century. The five exceptional paintings from the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, complement The Ringling's holdings of Dutch art and provide additional perspective on the artistry, historical significance, and continuing appeal of Dutch painting from this period.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota
If you are oyster curious or just craving the fresh coastal seafood & hand-crafted cocktails from your new Rosemary District favorite, join us at Lefty's for our daily Happy Hours Monday - Friday from 4 pm - 6 pm and our Late Night Happy Hours every night from 9:00-Close. With seafood offerings from the Steamer and Buck-A-Shucks on oysters plus our extensive wine, specialty and seasonal cocktails and draft beers, Lefty's has your recipe to get happier and explore our menus. Join us every day for Lunch, Happy Hours or Dinner and for our downtown neighbors and Hospitality industry colleagues, we'll have live music and keep the light on for you on the weekends!
Lefty's Oyster and Seafood Bar, 428 N Lemon Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
SCFD is proud to welcome the community into the fire stations, continuing the tradition of open houses. These open houses are a wonderful opportunity for residents to engage directly with neighborhood firefighters. Visit our website to view the open house schedule.
Multiple Location, Multiple Locations
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