At a press conference yesterday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the Education Foundation of Sarasota County is receiving $100,000 for hurricane relief for public schools in Sarasota County. This award is designated to the recently established Hurricane Relief and Recovery Fund, a partnership between the Education Foundation and Sarasota County Schools, to accept monetary donations supporting the local school district and its nearly 5,300 employees.Sarasota County was hit with an unprecedented trio of hurricanes between August and October. Debby caused severe flooding and damage in the eastern parts of the county, followed by Helene, which devastated barrier islands and coastal communities, with Milton coming in two weeks later making landfall over Siesta Key, bringing horrific destruction with the back end of the storm. Full assessment of damages to schools is underway and will be ongoing as district officials are able to receive updates from teachers and school support staff. Several schools operated as emergency shelters before and during the hurricanes. In addition to debris removal on each campus and comprehensive cleaning and disinfecting required for each building, individual classrooms may need repairs and basic supplies replenished. Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, and Pinellas counties received disaster funding to support their public schools as well. With its consistent “A” rating, Sarasota County Schools’ priority is to clean up and restore campuses quickly, so teachers and students can settle back into their routines and pursue the high level of operations and learning that has come to be expected in our community. The Hurricane Relief and Recovery Fund will help in these efforts to regain some sense of normalcy for students’ immediate and long-term recovery needs. There are many ways to donate to the fund. Online giving may be made to the Hurricane Relief and Recovery Fund atedfoundationsrq.org/hurricane-relief-and-recovery-fund via credit card, PayPal, or Venmo. Donors who wish to mail contributions are asked to make checks payable to the Education Foundation of Sarasota County and include Hurricane Relief and Recovery Fund in the memo field. Checks can be mailed or dropped off at the Education Foundation’s LaunchPad4U location in the Rosemary District, north of downtown Sarasota, at 1413 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, Fla., 34236, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.