It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month and The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota is teaming up with Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, offering special spa and dining experiences throughout the property, with proceeds supporting the cause.

Visit the resort from September 14 through October 31 for a Pink Ribbon Mani-Pedi, a 100-minute manicure and pedicure starting at $185. The treatment features an antioxidant-rich soak, a Dragon Fruit sugar scrub, a hydrating foot and hand mask and a foot and hand massage. To finish, guests can choose polish from an array of pink hues, because after all, pink is the best color when it stands for a cure.

Continue the support and stop by Jack Dusty between October 1 and 31 to sip in support of the cause with two pink signature cocktails. The Siren combines a choice of vodka, gin, or tequila with elderflower liqueur, lemon, Prosecco and vibrant garnishes. At Rufa's, the Mockingbird cocktail combines tequila and lime for a bright, refreshing pour. A non-alcoholic version of The Siren will also be available for purchase.

A portion of the proceeds from the Pink Ribbon Mani-Pedi and both cocktails will benefit Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, supporting breast cancer screening services such as mammograms and diagnostics at SMH's Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute for the uninsured and underinsured in Sarasota County.

“Food and hospitality have always been about bringing people together, and I think there’s something really special about being able to use that same spirit of connection to support an important cause," says Mark Traugutt, specialty chef at Jack Dusty and Rufa’s. "Through our partnership with the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation, our guests can enjoy experiences across the resort while knowing that a portion of the proceeds is helping provide breast cancer screenings to members of our local community who may not otherwise have access. I’m proud to be part of a team that is using the guest experience as an opportunity to give back.” 

In 2019, the Sarasota County Board of Commissioners granted Big Waters Land Trust (at that time known as the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast) a perpetual conservation easement on the southeast, northeast and southwest Quad Parcels adjacent to the Celery Fields and, at the same time, entered into a management agreement with Sarasota Audubon to rewild and maintain the three parcels. Since that time, the organizations have collaborated to fundraise and secure external vendors to rewild these 33 acres, which will improve wildlife habitat, buffer the Celery Fields from industrial uses and I-75 to the west, and provide low-impact public access. Phase I of the rewilding project, launched in January 2025, involved improving the 11-acre Southeast Quad by planting over 21,000 trees and plants while creating trails, a pond, and wildlife-viewing gazebo. On Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. until noon, Big Waters and Audubon will celebrate the completion of Phase I, as the organizations present the public grand opening of the SE Quad. During the event, there will be tours of the 11-acre site every hour, family-friendly activities, and information provided by Audubon and Big Waters. Guests of all ages can enjoy walking, birdwatching, and learning more about the ongoing plans for the remaining parcels. 

Pictured: Community members are invited to enjoy a morning in nature, as Big Waters Land Trust and Sarasota Audubon Society celebrate the grand opening of the Southeast Quad adjacent to the Celery Fields on October 24. Photo by Bill Sullivan.

Aviva Senior Living announces its 2027 fundraising brunch, Welcome to the Good Life, to be held Sunday, February 7, 2027, at 11:00 a.m. at Michael's On East. Co-chaired by Sepi and Ryan Ackerman, the event will benefit Aviva's Benevolent Care Fund while honoring Temple Emanu-El's Rabbi Brenner Glickman for his dedication and service to the community. The brunch will bring together friends, supporters, residents and community leaders to celebrate The Good Life that Aviva strives to create every day. The program will feature inspiring stories that reflect Aviva’s mission and highlight the lasting impact of the Benevolent Care Fund. 

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When Gena was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, she faced surgery and chemotherapy during the pandemic without her family by her side. Fear felt overwhelming, but because of the women she met through the American Cancer Society, Gena found something just as powerful: hope. Today, she participates in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer so others can find that same community. “I walk for the person who just received that phone call and heard the words 'You have cancer.' I walk for the families who are scared, and for those we have lost.” On Saturday, October 24, join Gena for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk of Sarasota Manatee. Register, build a team, or support a participant and help fund lifesaving research and patient services - because no one should have to face breast cancer alone. 

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Senior Friendship Centers continues its “Joyful Journeys” author series with three free programs exploring history, science, international connections and the natural world. The series celebrates storytelling and regional authors, inviting them to share the ideas, experiences and inspiration behind their work. Programs include author presentations, lively discussions and Q&A sessions, with opportunities to connect with fellow book lovers. The upcoming programs begin October 1 with author Bülent Yavuz and his novel, “Sick Man,” followed November 12 by Raymond A. Young discussing “Sarasota Sister Cities: Sixty Years of Citizen Diplomacy,” co-written with Craig H. Hullinger, and December 3 by Kathryn Young and Raymond A. Young presenting “Sarasota Audubon Society: An Historical Perspective.” 

Join us on the Key at Blase Martini Bar for our first Dart Tourney, your team's chance to win fabulous prizes and to make a difference in the health of our community.  Show up on Sunday, October 25 from 1-5:00.  Then aim and show us your skills on our new Dart boards to benefit SMHF's program to provide low-income women with diagnostic screenings, helping to create a stronger tomorrow and keeping the fundraising LOCAL.  Enjoy $3 Miller Lite's all day + our special Martini of the Month, our "Boo-Hoo" made with Tito's, Creme de Cacao and Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink with a Marshmallow Rim (the name literally beckons!).  Aim. Throw. Give Back! 

Dragonfly Mental Health has received a $7,500 Capacity Building Grant from the Josephine N.P. Robertson Fund, Elizabeth MacColl Charitable Fund, and Marguerite A. Coffey Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. This funding will support the cost of consulting services from Dr. Karen Page of NxPage Consulting & Coaching, LLC to facilitate Dragonfly Mental Health’s strategic planning initiative to optimize organization-wide stability, growth, and sustainability. Dragonfly's first annual signature event “From Knowledge to Impact: Advancing Mental Health Literacy will be held on Tuesday, October 6th at the Sarasota Garden Club (doors open 4:30pm, program 5–7pm). The event includes a cocktail-hour for beneficiaries, supporters, and other community stakeholders, followed by a “fireside chat” between Dr. Glenda Wrenn Gordon, a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and our advisor Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Gregg Martin, one of the few senior military leaders to speak openly about his own mental health journey. Plus there will be wine, hors d'oeuvres, a local youth jazz band, and a strong philanthropic crowd.  

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People from across the Sarasota-Bradenton community are invited to Paws for the Cure, a special fundraising event benefiting the American Cancer Society and EIO Rescue Ranch. The event will take place on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Dog Bar Sarasota, 1314 10th Street in Sarasota. Admission is free for people. Dogs are $7 if they are not already covered by a Dog Bar membership or pass. Paws for the Cure is a dog-friendly event, not a general pet event, so guests should not bring pets other than dogs. Anyone planning to bring a dog should contact Dog Bar Sarasota in advance regarding vaccination and spay/neuter requirements. For event details and updates, visit the official Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2202257503681684/ 

A $600,000 grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation will expand Second Heart Homes’ work to turn homelessness into housing—and housing into lasting stability. The investment will help Second Heart Homes acquire and prepare another home in Sarasota or Manatee County, including appliances, furnishings, capital improvements and maintenance. The home will provide permanent housing for six people who have experienced homelessness and live with mental illnesses.  

Pictured: Second Heart Homes supporters celebrate the opening of a new duplex funded with support from Barancik Foundation. Provided photo.

This summer, Goodwill Manasota and SunCoast Blood Centers teamed up to offer convenient locations - at various Goodwill Manasota store locations - for community members to donate blood. Through the collaboration, there were 47 blood drives, with 671 donations collected. And, according to the SunCoast Blood Centers website, a single whole blood donation can save up to three lives. The partnership was such a success that the partners are planning to run the blood drives through the end of the year. Donors who give blood at participating Goodwill drives will receive a $50 Goodwill gift card redeemable at any Goodwill Manasota store location. Donors will also continue to receive a complimentary wellness and eligibility check during each visit.  

The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation announces its 2026-2027 season, bringing nationally recognized performing artists and free experiences to the community through music, creative wellness, family arts programming, live performance, and more. For more information about this season's events, visit www.PerformingArtsFoundation.org. 

Pictured: Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation Volunteer Thuan Tan working with budding artists at one of the foundation's free family events. Provided photo.