The Hyatt Regency Ballroom is packed, and the crowd is happily mulling around the conference-style roundtables. Nonprofits, donors, activists, workers, and bankers mix company and trade business cards—hardly anyone scans the room for a familiar face to deliver them from an unwanted conversation. SRQ’s Wes Roberts takes the stage and ushers the revelers to their seats. Despite their growling stomachs and the hotel staff waiting in the wings with lunch, the crowd is reluctant to sit down to their meal. The chance to have so many community representatives in one place is a rare opportunity.

“I’m surprised you’re all getting along!” Mark Brewer exclaims at the beginning of his keynote speech. The President and CEO of the Central Florida Foundation is, of course, kidding with his audience, but the convivial air that defines SRQ’s SB2 luncheon is no joke. Leaders from the socially-engaged world of nonprofit work ask candid questions of their partners in the private sector, while the private sector donors outline what ideal participation in the nonprofit world would look like for them and their organizations. This, Brewer reminds his audience, is the ground on which American governance was built. Voluntary associations, or what the philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville called “the art of joining” formed the ad hoc, unsanctioned social nervous system of civic engagement in early American society. And Brewer has a point: This room full of public and private entities feels like a modern iteration of the salon culture that fostered America’s take on democracy. 

Connections are formed in a variety of ways at SB2. Sabal Palm Bank holds a raffle, and awards $1000 to the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School. Janis Wasserman has the opportunity to explain the school’s mission to a room full of her colleagues. Brian Mariash has the chance to explain to nonprofits in the audience that his subsidiary of Merrill Lynch specifically caters to community organizations. And the melancholy announcement of the Community Foundation of Sarasota’s founder, Stewart Stearns’ recent death sends a gasp through the audience like a wave.

Consistent themes run through both the keynote address and the panel of local luminaries that follows. Philanthropy needs to move past the idea of crisis-oriented “charity” and towards a more wholistic idea of social improvement. Infrastructure, housing, healthcare—the panelists agree that these are a far more valuable way to allocate resources than feel-good giveaways. John Annis of the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Carol Butera of the Selby Foundation, Roxie Jerde of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, and Mark Pritchett of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation grappled with a host of issues, on stage. The panelists addressed mental health, the ethics of nonprofit workers’ benefits, and the relationship between social justice and the politics of social identity. During one particularly frank conversation on the topic of diversity, Roberts differed to Mark Brewer in the crowd. “Diversity,” Brewer said, “is something that happens to us. Inclusion is something that we choose to do.”

After the panel, SRQ presented its Good Hero awards to individuals who have shared their passion, treasure, time, and talents with the Sarasota community in a way that warrants public recognition. They included two Volunteer Awards to Ann Walborn of Mote Marine and Suzanne King of Selby Gardens; a Staff Award to Barbara Van Essen from Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast; two Board Member Awards to Jonna Keller of Boys & Girls Clubs Sarasota and Ann Anderson of Save Our Seabirds; a Donor Award to Robert Bernhard; two New Nonprofit Awards to Peter Skokos and Chef Bryan Jacobs; and, finally, a Corporate Hero Award to Rae Dowling. 

“I love the presentations at SB2, but the conversations after the event are the best part,” the Barancik Foundation’s John Annis tells SRQ. It would seem that the art of joining is alive and well in the biggest little town in Florida. 

Japanese company, Sanrio, is known worldwide for its designs, licenses and products focusing on the kawaii (cute) segment of Japanese popular culture. Sanrio's best-known character will forever and always remain Hello Kitty—one of the most successful marketing brands and fictional character franchises in the world since 1974. And in October 2014, right around the time when the food truck trend began to take off, Hello Kitty Cafe Truck made its debut as part of Sanrio’s first food-related venture. The cafe on wheels has delighted thousands of fans from all over the U.S., drawing crowds of up to hundreds of Hello Kitty lovers at each of its city stops. To date, two Hello Kitty Cafe trucks have traveled to more than 80 cities across both coasts—from Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, Chicago, New York and the sunshine state of Florida. For its 2019 East Coast Tour, 25 new cities have been added to Hello Kitty Cafe Truck’s ever-expanding routes‚ to excitingly include both Tampa and Sarasota for the first time.

Fans of Hello Kitty can look forward to a new batch of exclusive goodies and limited-edition collectibles, including Enamel Pin Sets (in 2 styles), Madeleine Sets, Hello Kitty Cafe Canvas Totes and Hello Kitty Cafe Giant Chef Cookies. Other best-selling items include stainless steel thermal bottles, sprinkle T-Shirts, bow shaped water bottles, giant Hello Kitty Cafe chef cookies and a cafe lunch box with confetti popcorn. Get in on the cute cartoon kitty swag and sweets at the UTC this coming weekend for a quick street-side celebrity appearance!

*Special promotion: Each guest who spends $25 on food purchases will receive a free Hello Kitty Cafe pink mini-tote while supplies last. Sarasota will be the final stop in the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck’s 2019 East Coast Tour. More to come in 2020.

Saturday, December 14, 10 am — 8 pm. The Mall at University Town Center, 140 University Town Center Dr., Sarasota (find the truck at the mall entrance near Kona Grill).  

Photo courtesy of the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck

Music Compound recently announced that ten of its students will audition December 17 in Miami for America’s Got Talent. Students have attended one or two six week audition workshops at Music Compound. To close the audition workshop, Music Compound will host a live dress rehearsal for students and fans. The dress rehearsal is open to the public.  “Each student has grown musically and professionally over the past six weeks. Their boost in confidence and stage presence is very inspirational!” said Jenny Townsend, owner of Music Compound.  The audition workshop was led by Grammy Nominee and vocalist, Yaya Diamond. Each six week series focused on  song selection, audition cuts, stage presence, introduction, artistry development, and media training.  In addition to the workshop, every student takes private lessons weekly. 

The dress rehearsal is December 11 at 6:00 pm at Music Compound’s Cattlemen Studio,1751 Cattlemen Rd. The goal is for students to gain followers, to perform for a live audience, and work through nerves. Students will have a few days to tweak their audition and prepare further. 

Embracing Our Differences uses the power of art and prose to promote culture and diversity. One way it accomplishes this is through its annual, juried international outdoor art exhibition consisting of 50 billboard-sized works of art, each accompanied by an inspirational quote. The response to the call for artwork and inspirational quotes was record-breaking this year, with 16,118 entries pouring in from 127 countries and 50 states. Students from 398 schools around the world submitted artwork or quotes to the juried exhibit. The winning quotes and art will be showcased in the 17^th annual exhibit, January 18 through April 5, in Sarasota’s Bayfront Park. 

“Yet again, thousands of people from around the world seized the opportunity to celebrate the values of diversity and inclusion,” says Sarah Wertheimer, Embracing Our Differences’ executive director. “Our art selection jury was truly moved by the heartfelt honesty and level of artistic excellence.” “It boils down to respecting every individual for who they are. Human identity is a complex intersection of race, culture, sexual orientation and so much more. That incredible diversity is a beautiful thing." 

For more information about this exhibit or Embracing Our Differences, call 941-404-5710 or visit embracingourdifferences.org. 

Pictured: EOD 2020 Best in Show, Student:

Artists, curators and like-minded creatives are welcomes to attend Art Center Sarasota's extended opening reception to views the works in its four gallery exhibitions. The party Thursday, December 12, 6 pm - 9 pm is open to the public (donations appreciated) and will feature local musicians and dueling violinist, specialty wine and craft beers from 99 Bottles Taproom & Bottleshop, as well as handheld meals from food trucks, Spice Boys and Polpos Pizza.  

Art Center Sarasota Garden Party, 707 North Tamiami Trl., Sarasota, 941-365-2032.

Compeer Sarasota is harnessing the power of the Internet with a three pronged launch of a new website, Facebook presence, and Instagram site - all for the purpose of offering youth as young as five, along with their parents and teachers the power of one-on-one mentorships for those with a mental illness. On July 18, 2019, the Florida State Board of Education voted to require the public schools to provide students in grades six and above to take a minimum of five hours of mental health education annually. 

“This Compeer Sarasota Youth effort dovetails nicely into the state’s upcoming mental health education requirement.” states Lynn Buehler, Director of Compeer Sarasota. “With students soon studying mental health at school, these social media outlets could fill in the blanks as well as offer one alternative to facing mental illness alone.” Suppying friendships with adult mentors is the key to Compeer’s youth program and social media is one more step to reaching young people and matching them to adult volunteers in the Sarasota area. 

Learn more about Compeer Sarasota Youth

The Ramos Center for Interventional & Functional Pain Medicine proudly welcomes the addition of Dr. Samuel A. Amen, MD, DABAM,
FASAM, Board Certified Addictionologist to their team of highly skilled physicians. Dr. Amen is Board Certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine. He completed his Fellowship at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine – Tulsa Department of Internal Medicine/Addiction Medicine. As an Addiction Medicine specialist, Dr. Amen will provide state of the art, evidence-based, medication assisted therapy for opioid dependence in an office-based setting. While the Ramos Center does not accept patients who consume high dosages of opioids into their practice, Dr. Amen will manage opioid therapy for high-risk patients suffering with chronic pain and are willing to wean down to a manageable level or cease opioid consumption completely. He will help to prevent, identify and treat opioid dependence in pain patients using a multi-factorial approach.

“Incorporating an Addiction Medicine Specialist into the Ramos Center’s multi-modality pain medicine practice further substantiates our commitment to continue to help our community beat the opioid epidemic, Dr. Fabian Ramos said.” Dr. Amen will practice his unique specialty at all three Ramos Center locations in Bradenton, Sarasota and Venice.