People & Business: Friday 3/15/19

Friday, March 29th
THE SARASOTA SCENE
People & Business
To submit your news for consideration, please send press info to scenemagazine@scenesarasota.com

Holly Gray named Director of Student Support  at Education Foundation of Sarasota County

Holly E. Gray has been named director of student support at the Education Foundation of Sarasota County (EFSC).

In her new role, Gray is responsible for developing a dynamic volunteer-student mentoring program to ensure students get “to and through” their postsecondary pursuits.

Gray’s experience and skills complement the EFSC College, Career and Life Readiness Initiative and substantially enhance the STRIVE awards program, which provides generous cash awards to high school students who have overcome significant life challenges and plan to enroll at a postsecondary institution, ranging from technical schools to four-year universities and colleges.     

Gray is a solutions-driven counseling professional and educator with broad qualifications in advising and mentoring. She earned her master’s degree in counselor education and her bachelor’s in psychology and education, both from Rhode Island College. 

Previously, Gray was a college success coach and academic advisor at Take Stock in Children of Manatee County.  She has worked in counseling and advising at several schools and colleges, including the American School of Barcelona, Spain; an Oregon college preparatory school; and public schools in Rhode Island.  

Gray holds several specialized training certificates and is committed to supporting and advocating for students who are struggling, disabled, and financially, culturally and linguistically diverse.

“We are excited that Holly is bringing her student-centered focus and skills, experience and passion to join the Education Foundation of Sarasota County as we continue strengthening our programs to help students succeed in college, career and life,” said Jennifer Vigne, EFSC president.

Learn How to Help Your Nonprofit Thrive at Best-Practices Workshop

Gulf Coast Community Foundation will offer a two-part workshop series geared toward emerging nonprofit organizations next month called Pathways to Excellence. Scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 5 and 12, the training will address the skills and capacities that enable some nonprofits to grow and flourish while others fade. More information and registration is available on the Gulf Coast website at GulfCoastCF.org/events.

Over the workshop’s two days, participants will learn techniques to help build an engaged board with the skills and experience to advance their organization, develop a fundraising plan that supports growth, expand the organization’s value to donors, and much more. The series costs $50, which includes breakfast and lunch both days, and will take place at the Gulf Coast Philanthropy Center in Sarasota. Registration is required by April 3.

Pathways to Excellence is presented through Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Invest in Incredible initiative, which provides resources, training, and consulting to help regional nonprofits improve their operational effectiveness and board governance. This two-part series will be led by three of Gulf Coast’s experienced I3 consultants: Betsy Steiner, James Rollo, and Neil Comber.

Nonprofit Capacity-Building Workshop Series: Pathways to Excellence

Presented by James Rollo, Betsy Steiner, and Neil Comber

April 5, 8:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (includes breakfast and lunch)

April 12, 8:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (includes breakfast and lunch)

Gulf Coast Philanthropy Center, 1931 South Osprey Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34239

$50 – registration and payment required by April 3

“Impact 100 SRQ” Raises $228,000

Impact 100 SRQ, a dynamic group of local philanthropists committed to high impact strategic grant making, recently announced it will award two transformational grants of $114,000 to Sarasota and Manatee non-profits in the Fall.   

Sarasota and Manatee County women have banded together under a growing philanthropic movement that will deliver meaningful change in the area. The group finalized its 2019 membership recently of 228 committed women and announced its total grant giving amount at its Big Reveal event hosted at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing. 

“The grants are designed to have a major impact on the Sarasota and Manatee county area, the selected non-profits, and the communities served,” said Jane Watt, president of Impact 100 SRQ. “Through collective giving, Impact 100 SRQ members demonstrate leadership and comradery as they cultivate transformation together.”

The window for grant application is April 1 – June 18, 2019. The two $114,000 grants, which are open to non-profits in Sarasota and Manatee counties, will be awarded at the organization’s Annual Awards Celebration on November 3, 2019. Grant applications may be submitted online for projects in any of the following areas: Arts & Culture; Education; Environment & Recreation; Family; Health & Wellness.  Applications should have a focus on serving residents in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Impact 100 SRQ will use Community Force as its grant application platform, an established and respected on-line grant application service known in the non-profit arena.

The idea behind Impact 100 SRQ is simple:  Encourage at least 100 women to donate $1,000 each, then pool those resources into one big grant of $100,000 for a qualifying non-profit in Sarasota and Manatee Counties.    Impact 100 SRQ has no paid employees or staff, so 100% of each member’s annual contribution of $1,000 is awarded to non-profit organizations in grants of $100,000 or more. Operational costs are kept to a minimum and funded voluntarily by members and corporate supporters.

For grant application information, 2020 membership, ongoing sponsorship or community partnership details visit www.impact100SRQ.org .

Daniel M Carter joins BBBS Board of Directors

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast is pleased to announce Mr. Daniel M Carter has joined their Corporate Board of Directors. Daniel M. Carter has more than 40 years of wealth management and retirement planning experience. Mr. Carter founded Retirement Planning Associates, Inc. in 1967 and oversaw the company until its merger with CCR Wealth Management in 2005. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Long Island University, received his insurance training from the Life Insurance Marketing Institute of Purdue University and earned his Chartered Life Underwriter Degree from the American College. Prior to moving to Florida, Daniel was chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeastern Connecticut. He has also served as First Vice President of Temple Emanu-El of Sarasota and is currently a Big Brother in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast program.

Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue Launches Capital Campaign for New Campus

Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, a not-for-profit animal rescue organization, is holding an invite-only fundraising luncheon to launch its “Journey Home Campaign”, a capital campaign to build a new campus for the organization.

The luncheon, hosted by Anne Virag, Scott Anderson and Mary Dougherty, will unveil the fundraising campaign with a goal of securing $8 million to finance construction and renovation of a new 25,000-square-foot campus located at 4951 Lorraine Road in Bradenton.

The current campus is overcrowded and prone to flooding. So far, the campaign has raised more than $1.8 million, and an anonymous donor has agreed to match all donations up to $4 million.

GCCF Continues to Support Teen Court Programs 

With the generous support of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Teen Court of Sarasota, Inc. receives funding to continue the collaboration between the two organizations.
It is the one year anniversary of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s $15,000 grant to help with the expansion of Sarasota County Teen Court services and programs in North Port. This year a $15,000 grant was awarded to help leverage the preventative and behavioral services and programs that help our young people through a difficult time.  Heather Todd, Executive Director of Teen Court says, “Thank you to Gulf Coast Community Foundation for recognizing the need to support young people in this community and their families at a critical time.  This generous donation will support the youth and their families with wrap around services through restorative strategies.  Thank you to GCCF for believing in the young people in this community and believing that every child deserves a second chance.”
We are truly grateful for The Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s further investment in us and the opportunity to serve our young people in the North and South Sarasota County areas.  We are grateful for the accessibility families have of our new location in North Port since 2018 and with the help of GCCF we will continue to reach all those who need our services and build relationships with families in a positive way.
Together with its donors, Gulf Coast Community Foundation transforms our region through bold and proactive philanthropy. Gulf Coast is a public charity that was created in 1995 through the sale of the Venice Hospital. Since then, it has become the philanthropic home of more than 800 families, individuals, organizations, and businesses that have established charitable funds there, and has invested over $300 million in grants in the areas of health and human services, civic and economic development, education, arts and culture, and the environment. Learn more at GulfCoastCF.org.

4th Annual My Hometown Fest Coming to Nathan Benderson Park

Food, fun, craft beer and live music from some of the area’s top bands will be the order of the day from noon-5 pm on Saturday, March 23, as Sertoma Club of Greater Sarasota and Sertoma Kids, Inc. host their 4th Annual My Hometown Fest at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, in Sarasota.
   
 General Admission tickets cost $35, which includes food and craft beer samples from more than 40 area restaurants and 20 local and regional breweries. Food Only tickets are available for $25. Children 14 and under are free. Parking is $5. Purchase tickets today at MyHometownFest.org.
Admission includes:
    •   Free samples from more than 40 area restaurants;
    •   Free samples from more than 20 local and regional craft breweries, including Big Top, Motorworks, Naughty Monk, Darwin’s, Good Liquid and 3 Keys Brewing;
    •   Live music from the Billy Rice Band, Strangeways, and Lisa Ridings Band;
    •   Lots of family friendly activities, like the Tampa Bay Bucs Kids Zone, Sarasota County Sheriff’s SWAT Team Obstacle Course, Bradenton Marauders Pitching Challenge, Mote Marine Lab Touch Displays, and a petting zoo by Nate’s Honor Rescue.

There will also be lots of exhibits, displays and giveaways from dozens of local and regional businesses.

Proceeds from My Hometown Fest support Sertoma Club of Greater Sarasota and its Sertoma Kids Clinic. Both are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that serve children and others in our community who suffer from speech, language and hearing disabilities.

Early Childhood Court Judges Among Honorees at Annual Breakfast

 Two 12th Judicial Circuit Court judges, the Sarasota County School District and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County are among the honorees at The Florida Center for Early Childhood’s Fourth Annual Champions for Children Breakfast on Thursday, April 4, 2019 at the Sarasota Yacht Club.

The Honorable Rochelle Curley & The Honorable Teresa Dees will be recognized for their role in Early Childhood Court, a voluntary diversion program that expedites the route to permanency for children under three years old.

Sarasota County School District and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County will also be recognized for their role in placing 14 mental health counselors in local elementary schools to counsel vulnerable students in need of mental health therapy.

Other honorees include the Green Family Foundation of Sarasota County (Agency Impact Award) and Michelle Masse, of Gilbane Bulding Co. (Volunteer of the Year Award).

Guest Speaker Beth Duda, Director of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading will deliver an inspiring speech on what makes a champion.

For more information, call or email Merab Favorite (e) merab.favorite@thefloridacenter.org, (p) 941-371-8820 ext 1025
Join us for our Fourth Annual Champions of Children Breakfast! We are celebrating our friends and supporters, whose compassion and investment is changing the lives of children.

Coming Together Against Cancer Expands Unique Engagement Model

 Coming Together Against Cancer (CTAC) announced the expansion of its unique physician/researcher/donor engagement model by adding four new pioneering physicians to the upcoming CTAC 2019 event being held on Saturday, April 13th from 9 to 11:30 AM at Eloise Werlin Park on the east side of the Ringling Bridge Causeway in Sarasota, Florida.

Coming Together Against Cancer (CTAC) is a donor driven community-uniting donors with pioneering physicians, researchers and institutions as ‘Partners in Discovery’ with the common goal of eradicating cancer.  CTAC’s medical advisory staff, led by Dr. Dean Hautamaki, helps select leading edge programs from candidates across the country in order to bring four new pioneering physicians each year to Sarasota.

“We are excited to invite our expanding CTAC community to welcome and engage with the incoming CTAC 2019 Pioneering Physicians on April 13th,” said CTAC CEO and cancer survivor Lori Kayser. “Their work is ground-breaking. We are grateful for the opportunity to be of service to these amazing physicians and to our donors by maximizing the impact of their philanthropy. Once again, 100% of the monies raised are passed through to the donor-directed cancer research programs and cancer-support organizations. I am excited to announce that CTAC has already been offered over $250,000 in matching funds.”

Joining CTAC 2019 as Pioneering Physicians are Paul Chomiak, MD, Director of Thoracic Surgical Oncology at the Cancer Institute of the Sarasota Memorial Hospital Health Care System; Paul Crispen, MD, Research Leader GU Disease Site Group, UF Health Cancer Center at the University of Florida College of Medicine; Douglas Evans, MD, the Donald C. Ausman Family Foundation Professor & Chair, Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin; and Susan J. Hoover, MD; Associate Professor of Surgery, Breast Surgical Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center.

Attendees at this year’s free event will be treated to presentations by the physicians about their research, their progress and a look ahead at the treatments for cancer by the people most in the know.

Participants in the inaugural 2018 CTAC event collectively donated $750,000 and 100% of the funds went to directly benefit 35 cancer programs from coast to coast. These institutions included Johns Hopkins, Duke, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Moffitt, M.D. Anderson, U.N.C.-Lineberger, Sloan Kettering, Cleveland Clinic, University of Florida Cancer Center, NYU Lagone Health and Dana-Faber Cancer Institute to name just a few.

According to CTAC visionary Ernest ‘Doc’ Werlin, “I founded CTAC in great part because of my personal experience with cancer. All of my siblings and our spouses, myself included, have battled cancer. I’ve dedicated this chapter of my life to searching out and helping to facilitate the most promising research, and then bringing together the pioneering physicians leading those programs with interested and invested donors to forge a new model of active philanthropic engagement. I hope you can join us for this free event on April 13th to meet the new 2019 CTAC Pioneering Physicians and learn about their programs as well as be brought up to date on the 2018 CTAC physician research supported by CTAC donors.”

Local organizations supported through CTAC include Breast Health Sarasota, Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation, Jewish Family and Children’s Services and Team Tony Cancer Foundation