New College’s 42nd Clambake is Set for March 4th

Due to concerns with COVID-19, organizers decided to push it past its usual November timeline

New College of Florida will celebrate the 42nd anniversary of its annual
Scholarship Clambake, hosted by the New College Foundation, on Thursday, March 4, 2021, at 6 p.m. The event will take place on the New College bayfront beside College Hall, 5800 Bay Shore Road in Sarasota. All ticket proceeds benefit student scholarships. New College Foundation board members Beverly Bartner and Renee Hamad are this year’s co-chairs. Tickets start at $250 and sponsorships are available. For more information, please call 941-487-4800.

Mary Anne Young, the executive director of the New College Foundation, stresses the pivotal role of New College’s scholarships. Young notes that scholarships are essential to attracting outstanding students from around the region, the nation, and the world and providing them with a truly exceptional liberal arts education.

“While New College is public, state funding covers only a fraction of the cost of maintaining our status as a world-class educational institution,” says Young. “Our scholarship program closes the gap, and it makes it all possible.”

According to Young, the New College Foundation provides more than $2 million for student scholarships, faculty and student research, academic excellence, and campus enhancements. “Clambake has been a very successful way to help empower this life-changing effort,” she says. “Guests can invest in the future of New College, while hearing from our exceptional students and faculty and enjoying a breathtaking sunset and inspired feast.” She adds that, last year, the event raised $318,000 toward
scholarships.

New College’s signature benefit has always been held in November. Why shift the date ahead to March?

“Safety for our guests is our top priority,” Young says. “It’s an outdoor event and this will give us time to plan for adequate social distancing on our beautiful Bayfront lawn.”

Young remains confident that the event will sparkle under the March stars.
Featuring cocktails at sunset, New England fare and a live auction, Clambake has been one of Sarasota’s most popular philanthropic events for more than four decades. “Clambake has always been a night to remember,” says Young “I think this Clambake will be as well.”

New College of Florida
Located in Sarasota, New College of Florida has educated intellectually curious students for lives of great achievement since its founding in 1960. As the State of Florida’s designated honors college, New College provides an exceptional education that transforms students’ intellectual curiosity into personal accomplishment. The 110-acre campus on Sarasota Bay is home to more than 700 students and 80 full-time faculty engaged in interdisciplinary research and collaborative learning. New College offers nearly 40 areas of concentration for undergraduates and a master’s degree program in Data Science.