SRQ DAILY Mar 16, 2026
Monday Business Edition
"We just loved the concept of creating something that was bringing people together. "
When Misty and Dennis Akers opened The Candle Pour in Tampa in 2019, the couple envisioned a space where people could step away from their everyday lives for a custom candle-making experience. “We just loved the concept of creating something that was bringing people together. Today, there's so much opportunity for people to shop online and skip the personal relationships and experiences that you can have in person,” says Misty. “So we felt like providing a fulfilling experience was important when we were coming up with the business idea.”
The Candle Pour’s newest location opened in Downtown Sarasota in October, an expansion that was particularly special to Misty, who grew up visiting Sarasota. The new location marks the introduction of the candle-making experience to Sarasota, in which guests begin by sampling nearly 100 different fragrances. From there, in-store specialists help customers create a blend of their favorite fragrances and pour their personalized candles.
For Misty, the business is an opportunity to be part of customers’ special memories. “When we opened, we thought it could be a good business idea that people are interested in visiting, but it goes so much deeper than that. Our customers are celebrating some of the most special occasions in their lives, and they choose us to be a part of it,” she says. “I never anticipated how meaningful it would be.”
Looking ahead, Misty looks forward to welcoming more members of the Sarasota community to the store and continuing to share the unique concept with new visitors. “Everyone who's come in has been very positive, thinking about the next time they’ll come in,” says Misty. “It’s really exciting for us to hear that when people come in, they're already thinking about their next visit.”
The Candle Pour, 1443 Main St, Sarasota, thecandlepour.com, 941-870-2555. 
The Giving Challenge has become a singular date on the region’s calendar, rallying tens of thousands of people to give to an ever-increasing number of causes. The most recent Giving Challenge, in 2024, raised more than $17.2 million for 724 nonprofits through 90,000-plus gifts, bringing the total amount the Challenge has raised since its inception to more than $92 million.
Expect that number to grow.
This year the Giving Challenge runs from noon to noon, April 15-16, and involves a record number of nonprofits - more than 750! Once again, The Patterson Foundation will match every donation from $25 to $100. The match acts as a force multiplier, inviting everyone to become a philanthropist. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County invites you to #BeTheOne to make a difference in your community during this year’s Giving Challenge, April 15 to 16.
HCA Florida Englewood Hospital has been named a 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient by Healthgrades, placing it among the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety for the second consecutive year and in the top 10% for eight straight years. The distinction reflects the hospital’s sustained focus on clinical quality, risk reduction and patient-centered care. Healthgrades, a leading online resource for information about physicians and hospitals, evaluates performance using objective measures of patient outcomes.
HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital has achieved the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award from Healthgrades, a national online database that provides rankings based on clinical outcomes. The award reflects the hospital’s commitment to safe, patient-centered care and puts the organization in the top 5% of hospitals nationwide for patient safety.
Pulte Homes is celebrating the completion of its all-new amenities in Shores at Stillwater in Englewood with a grand opening on Saturday, March 14, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Designed to give homebuyers a taste of the gated neighborhood’s vibrant lifestyle, the event features live music, a food truck, giveaways and tours of two professionally decorated model homes. For exclusive monthly updates as Shores at Stillwater progresses, homebuyers can join the VIP List at www.Pulte.com/shoresatstillwater or call and text 941-389-1010.
Children and families impacted by autism at Babcock Ranch will soon have on-site access to clinical and support services with the announcement of Family Initiative coming to Curry Commerce Center. The nonprofit organization will occupy a 3,000-square-foot space and provide a full range of programs, including free screenings, applied behavior analysis and occupational therapies as well as autism play groups, teen meetups, parent education and community conversations. Family Initiative provides high-quality services, cutting-edge interventions, guided play to teach lasting life skills, and engages caregivers, lawmakers, schools, communities and peer institutions as partners. Its team of clinicians serves children through compassionate, personalized solutions for sustainable outcomes. For more information, visit fi-florida.org. For more information about Family Initiative’s Thrive Academy Micro School program, please email thriveinfo@fi-florida.org.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy with a defibrillator is a common treatment that uses an implanted device to help weakened or failing hearts beat more efficiently. While this therapy helps some people with rhythm disorders, others may see little to no improvement. In search of additional treatment options, Sarasota Memorial’s Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute has joined an international clinical trial, SYNCHRONICITY, evaluating the safety and effectiveness of a new pacing approach for heart failure patients. For more information or to find out if you are eligible to participate in the local study, contact the research team at (941) 917-2225 or researchinstitute@smh.com. For information about the national trial, visit: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07069738
In recognition of Government Finance Professionals Week (March 16-20), the Manatee Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller is shining a light on its Finance team for earning top honors from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) — including the Triple Crown Medallion for the fifth consecutive year. The Triple Crown is reserved for governments that achieve all three of GFOA's top financial reporting designations. The Clerk & Comptroller's office earned two of them: the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 46th consecutive year and the Popular Annual Financial Report award for the 27th consecutive year. The third, Manatee County's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award, completes the trio. The office also earned the Port Authority Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) Certificate of Excellence for the 32nd consecutive year, reflecting the same standard of excellence applied to Manatee County’s Port Authority financial reporting. The award-winning financial reports are available at www.ManateeClerk.com.
Community members are invited to a free Community Conversation on Hurricane Preparedness hosted by Sarasota County and partner agencies from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 at Riverview High School, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota. Now is the time to finalize your family’s emergency plans and build or refresh your supply kits. For preparedness tips and resources, visit scgov.net/beprepared.
Who’s your Paddy? The Watershed Hospitality Concepts family of restaurants has you covered from the Rosemary District to Siesta Key Village for St. Paddy's Day. Cask & Ale will serve a St. Patrick's day Irish Platter and Shepherds Pie, prepared with traditional corned beef & cabbage. Cask will be open all day and serve specialty cocktails during the block party on the weekend before and the 17th. Lefty's Oyster & Seafood Bar will be serving Irish Point Oysters flown in fresh from the cold, nutrient-rich, tidal waters of Rustico, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Pie On Main and Blase Martini Bar in Siesta Key Village offers their Shamrock Expresso Martini for those who want to enjoy the luck o' the Irish.
Showcasing 100 rare posters along with sculptures, cocktail shakers, and furniture pieces, this exciting exhibition celebrates the centennial anniversary of Art Deco and the artistic significance it brought to the early 20th-century.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Selina Román blends photography, abstraction, and self-portraiture to explore themes of beauty and the politics of size. Roman’s photographs transform the gallery into a space of quiet resistance, subverting traditional ideas of feminine beauty.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Art immersion class for children ages 6-18. Small classes with fine arts materials. Visit linarinconart.com for more information and to register.
Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Creative Academy, 927 N Lime Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237
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
Juana Romani (1867–1924) was one of the most fascinating and successful painters in late-nineteenth-century Paris. Born in Italy, Juana—whose given name was Giovanna Carlesimo—moved to Paris with her mother and stepfather at the age of ten. She took up painting, studying under the well-known painters Jean-Jacques Henner (1829–1905) and Ferdinand Roybet (1840–1920). Romani quickly earned both critical praise and significant fame for her deftly painted, richly colorful depictions of strong, sensual women adorned in lavish textiles.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Mayer explores the impact of technology on the human body through this interactive sculpture series. Slumpies invites viewers to sit and slump on these sculptures, much like furniture, and find a place of comfort while using their technological devices.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
SPAACES is pleased to present Subterranean Voices, a five-week artist residency and exhibition by Sabrina Small that transforms the gallery into an immersive, hybrid space—part living studio, part evolving installation. Visitors are invited to engage with Small’s completed works and her active creative process, encountering an environment rich with personal objects, vinyl records, and works-in-progress. Subterranean Voices explores the tension between outward persona and inner consciousness through hand-stitched and drawn works that celebrate slowness, tactility, and imperfection.
SPAACES, 2051 Princeton St, Sarasota, FL 34237
Our Tapas Cooking Classes are designed as a cultural and gastronomic experience, not just a cooking class. Guests will learn how tapas are enjoyed in Spain, the history and traditions behind them, and take part in a hands-on cooking experience preparing several classic Spanish tapas. The evening also includes tasting, wine, and written recipes to take home.
Taste of Spain, 2767 Mall Dr, Sarasota, FL 34231
When President Kennedy vowed to put a man on the moon, the task landed in the hands of a band of maverick engineers – once the misfits of American science. With no rulebook, they embraced “blue-skying,” drawing inspiration from Buck Rogers, Greek myths, Louis Leakey, and even Snoopy and the Red Baron.
Florida Studio Theatre, 1241 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
An exhibition showcasing the recent work of Sarasota-based artist and Ringling College alumnus Tom Stephens (Class of 1996). Known for his expressive use of color, gestural brushwork, and emotionally charged compositions, Stephens’ paintings explore the tension between abstraction and representation. His dynamic surfaces reveal a deep engagement with process and intuition, resulting in works that resonate with both personal introspection and universal human experience.
Galleries of Ringling College of Art and Design, 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34234
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