Pictured: Buck O'Neil honored with Key to the City. Left to right: Anand Pallegar, Walter Gilbert, Vice Mayor Kyle Battie, Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch, City Manager Marlon Brown. Photo courtesy of DreamLarge.

On July 24 at a community celebration hosted by DreamLarge, the City of Sarasota awarded John “Buck” O’Neil a key to the City. Presented by Vice Mayor Kyle Battie, the key is meant to honor O’Neil and commemorate his powerful legacy in the community. The key will be donated to the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition to be displayed at the future Sarasota African American Arts and Cultural Center located in Newtown. Anand Pallegar, Founder of DreamLarge, accepted the key to the City on behalf of the gathering. This citation from the City follows the recent unveiling of a new mural in the Rosemary Art & Design District (RADD) commemorating O’Neil’s powerful legacy and the path he paved for future generations. Part of the Gilbert Mural Initiative, the mural cements O’Neil’s legacy in former Overtown. At the mural unveiling, a number of community figures spoke on behalf of O’Neil’s impact, including Anand Pallegar, Founder of DreamLarge and RADD, Walter Gilbert, Founder of the Gilbert Mural Initiative, Roxie Jerde, CEO and President of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Brian Roberts, Orioles’ Hall of Famer and Ambassador, and Marlon Brown, City Manager of the City of Sarasota. The mural is painted by artist Matt McAllister and supported by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Baltimore Orioles Foundation, DreamLarge, Newtown Alive, RADD, and the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition. Please contact hello@dreamlarge.org for more information.

Pictured: Buck O'Neil honored with Key to the City. Left to right: Anand Pallegar, Walter Gilbert, Vice Mayor Kyle Battie, Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch, City Manager Marlon Brown. Photo courtesy of DreamLarge.