SRQ DAILY Dec 24, 2020
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"While this time of year often brings presents of all shapes and sizes, I cannot imagine a better way to finish the year and celebrate the holiday spirit than to unwrap the gift of hope for so many still in crisis."
“Hope is here at SMH!”
The subject line of the email disclosed a sense of hope that largely felt absent in this year's pandemic. But this message announced the arrival of a vaccine that offers a path to normalcy, in the halls of Sarasota Memorial Hospital and beyond. On Tuesday morning, more than 9,600 doses of a vaccine produced by Moderna arrived in Sarasota.
“Seeing that is something I will never forget in my life,” said Dr. Manuel Gordilla, SMH’s infectious disease specialist .”All of us have never been through a year this difficult. In the hospital, in the community, in our families, in the country, this is a year to be remembered. To finally receive the vaccine we’ve been talking about, that we’ve been hoping for,and to receive it right before Christmas and right before the New Year, being able to tell our coworkers and their families, yes the vaccine is here, it’s just out of this world.”
Allison Gottermeier, a SMH spokeswoman, said more than 900 vaccines had been administered in the hospital as of noon on Wednesday. Gordilla was among the first to receive an inoculation, with the hospital sharing images to the public in hopes of raising public confidence in the safety of the Moderna shot.
Gottermeier said the first vaccines will go to frontline health workers, including nurses, respiratory therapists and hospital staff involved with patient care.
Meanwhile in Manatee County, a pop-up center set up to administer shots began vaccinating frontline workers there on Tuesday as well. A total of 115 first responders from county EMS and fire departments were treated on Tuesday. Around 2 p.m. Wednesday, the county Public Safety Department announced it had run through its first shipment.
“More vaccine doses will be arriving soon and planning is underway for community inoculations,” read an announcmenet by the department.
Manatee Memorial Hospital began administering its first vaccines on Wednesday. also from Moderna. The first four shots were administered to hospital staff at 1 p.m. The first went to nurse, Joanne Nipper and Jerry Larona. After that, Dr. Ralph Gonzalez, Neurology chief of staff, and Dr. Jay Dominguez, chief resident and internalist, recieved immunizations.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office is managing how vaccines get distributed throughout Florida by now. Lobbying has already begun on who should be next in line for receiving shots, whether that’s elderly populations at nursing homes, essential workers at grocery stores or even Uber drivers risking exposure each day.
The Centers for Disease Control say essential workers and those older than 75 should be priorities. DeSantis said he will prioritize the elderly. 
Photo courtesy SMH: Dr. Manuel Gordillo receives a Moderna vaccine for COVID-19.
'Tis the season to gather with friends and family, drink, be merry, and maybe even sit at the dining room table for a game of twisted humor and silly laughs. You've heard of Cards Against Humanity, sure. But this one was thought up and created by two Sarasota friends who wanted to bring some extra playful giggles to the holiday season this year. "A friend and I from Sarasota took it upon ourselves to cheer the world and ourselves up by developing a hilarious new card game and free phone APP called Socially Twisted," explains Jane Bennett of Be Creative Studios. The first 'Original BADASS pack,' recently launched in the US and is now on Amazon for purchase. Easy to learn, and quick to pickup, Socially Twisted welcomes three to eight players to the game, with 115 story cards and 75 word cards. Players must create their own hysterical stories using the word and story cards in under 60 seconds. "It's quick, clever, naughty, wacky, competitive and perfect for the holidays, parties, college and pandemics!" says Bennett.
The APP, which is going live soon, will do the same virtually and on video. Otherwise, you can purchase the in-person card game on Amazon. Be warned, this game is for 17+ ages and "What's Said in The Game, Stays in The Game!".
Buy Socially Twisted here for $26 .
The William G & Marie Selby Foundation has awarded the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County a $25,000 grant to purchase and install new flooring in their offices. Executive Director, Jim Shirley said, "This grant is truly a gift to the entire cultural community, replacing the carpeting in our heavily used conference rooms will make them safer and more comfortable for the arts organizations and individual members of the Alliance who use the space."
B & I Contractors’ employee-owners joined together to gather toy and monetary donations to bring a little joy to children who are hospitalized during the holiday season. Donations were delivered to hospitals in the main regions served by B & I. Toys were received by John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Saint Petersburg, Golisano Children’s Hospital in Fort Myers and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, with ample time to be quarantined and safely distributed to patients.
In a holiday season marked by heightened needs as well as heightened charitable giving, an inspiring marker of hope for our community has been reached ahead of schedule. Six weeks into the Community Foundation of Sarasota County’s annual 12-week Season of Sharing campaign, grassroots donors and local foundations have raised more than $2.1 million to alleviate immediate basic needs and restore stability for our most vulnerable in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties. Roxie Jerde, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County said, “While this time of year often brings presents of all shapes and sizes, I cannot imagine a better way to finish the year and celebrate the holiday spirit than to unwrap the gift of hope for so many still in crisis.”
Caldwell Trust Company and its staff members are sharing their many blessings with donations to the Holiday Drive sponsored by Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, according to Sheryl Vieira, vice president of marketing and communications. Vieira said, “Meals on Wheels of Sarasota is an example of exactly what our community needs, and we’re so glad that we can support them in their mission especially during these challenging times.”
The Education Foundation of Sarasota has received a $4,000 grant from the Florida Lottery to encourage eligible students to apply for Bright Futures scholarships to fund their postsecondary education. Jennifer Vigne, president of the Education Foundation said, "This grant is designated to help students and families, particularly those from low socio-economic backgrounds, to overcome barriers and learn how to plan for postsecondary education."
Sisterhood for Good announces new board memebrs: Company Officers Terri Stern; Company Vice President and June Braithwaite; Company Secretary. Advisory Board Officers Amy Gorman; Advisory Board Chair. Advisory Board & Committee Chairs Lori Ruth; Advisory Board Ethics & Accountability Chair, Maureen Chesson, Advisory Board Governance Chair, Jill Maciag; Advisory Board Volunteers / Happy Hours Chair and Roxanne Sima; Advisory Board Grants Chair.
Pitmasters tame the inferno to fashion a perfect smoked brisket.
Click here to read the full article from SRQ's December 2020 edition.
This year's event will be a Virtual Race on Thursday, Dec. 24 at 8am through Sunday, December 27th at 1pm, 2020 and is hosted by the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Auxiliary to benefit their Nursing and Health Careers' Scholarship Program. Keep the tradition going in 2020 with the 9th Annual Jingle Run, a virtual 5K run/walk to help support the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center Auxiliary Nursing Scholarship Program. Proceeds from The Virtual Jingle SK Run and Walk go directly to the Auxiliary's New Nursing Scholarship Program designed to benefit students enrolled in college nursing program and currently doing their clinical affiliation at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. To register for the Virtual race go to www.raceroster.com, go to register for a new event and search under the word "Jingle." Register to run or walk wherever you are to show your support for future nurses. Participants will receive a bib number and custom designed 2020 medal. Participants who complete the virtual run/walk and submit results will be eligible for raffle prizes.
This year, the spotlight will be on the SMH healthcare heroes. Their commitment and compassion during one of the most challenging years in the hospital’s history has been extraordinary. Proceeds from the gala on January 9, 2021 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm will also support the hospital’s areas of greatest need helping to ensure that SMH retains its ranking as one of the nation’s top hospitals.
Join New College creative writing professor Dr. Emily Carr for this four-part Zoom workshop series is offered from 5pm to 7pm on the second Wednesday of the month: January 13, February 10, March 10, and April 14. A fee of $95 is required for participation. This includes a copy of the required text, The Creative Tarot: A Modern Guide to an Inspired Life by Jessa Crispin, and all four Zoom sessions. This mixed-genre, all-levels workshop includes a basic introduction to the Tarot, generative writing exercises, storytelling tips and tricks, unique Tarot-inspired provocations for creativity in times of crisis, and a discussion of the various ways writers might use the Tarot in their work. This workshop is open to writers at all levels, working in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Together, we'll explore a series of Tarot-inspired writing activities designed to offer you strategies for using the cards to 1) start a new poem/story/essay 2) inject new life and surprising stakes into a poem/story/essay you're already working on and/or 3) breakthrough imaginative blocks - in this particular historical moment.
In collaboration with the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation and the AIA Gulf Coast Chapter, this exhibit will examine the unique history of architecture in Sarasota from the time of Native Americans to the present and will run from January 12 until April 17, 2021. Timed reservation information will be available soon.
Thirst by Ronán Noone and directed by Brendan Ragan will be read outdoors on January 14, 15 and 16 at 6pm at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Downtown Campus. Set in the Tyrone family kitchen during Eugene O’Neill’s classic play Long Day’s Journey into Night, Ronán Noone’s Thirst explores the comedy, tragedy and triumph of two Irish immigrant servant girls’ search for love, success, and a sense of belonging in their new world.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Downtown Campus
FST audiences may remember the work of husband and wife creative team Jason Odell Williams and Charlotte Cohn from their Winter Mainstage play, Handle With Care. Now, we reconnect with the couple as they share about their latest work - a musical - which continues their creative exploration of Cohn's Jewish heritage. As the Nazis plan to round up all of the Danish Jews for concentration camp assignment in the fall of 1943, one family of five attempts to elude capture by hiding in a fishing boat traveling to Sweden - and freedom. In this FST Forum on January 14, 2021 at 11am, we will examine what it takes to bring such an emotionally-charged story to life and how to tell a true story with justice, authenticity, and heart.
Great composers have always looked to other great composers for guidance and inspiration. This program, from January 14 until January 17, 2021, features music whose composition was influenced by other masters. American Caroline Shaw, the youngest-ever recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Music, was inspired to write her 2011 string quartet Entr’acte after hearing a performance of Haydn’s quartet, Op. 77, No. 2. Her captivating, cinematic writing has earned her widespread acclaim as one of the most important young voices in today’s music world. Antonin Dvorak had recently lost his mother when he decided to rework the slow movement from an earlier string quartet into the hypnotic Nocturne in B Major in 1883. Nine years later, Josef Suk, Dvorak's student and future son-in-law, was challenged by his teacher to “lighten up” his melancholy music. Suk responded with the sunny and romantic Serenade for Strings, by far his most popular and enduring work. $10 Streaming Access from January 21 - 26.
Holley Hall, 709 North Tamiami Trail
Join us at Restorative Ringling on January 14, 2021 from 4pm to 5pm for a variety of activities designed to soothe body, mind, and spirit. Sketching with Keith Crowley in The Mable Ringling Rose Garden.
The Ringling Museum
The Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) is hosting "Writing Tools - Essential Strategies for Every Writer" on January 13 at noon, featuring veteran writer Roy Peter Clark. During the virtual event, Clark will be discussing how all writers can improve their skills and gain a powerful sense of mission and purpose. Clark is a senior scholar at the Poynter Institute, the prestigious school for journalists that owns the Tampa Bay Times. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has served the newspaper as a contributing writer, donating his services as a weekly columnist. Clark has taught writing at every level since 1977, from school children to Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, and is the author or editor of 19 books. His most popular book is "Writing Tools" and his latest work, "Murder Your Darlings: And other gentle writing advice from Aristotle to Zinsser," is a book about writing books. Tickets for the program are $10/FPRA members, $15/guests; cost includes access to the recordings after the event.
Since 2004, Embracing Our Differences has used the power of art and prose to promote 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 brought 15,912 entries pouring in from 128 countries and 48 states. Students from 412 schools around the world submitted artwork or quotes to the juried exhibit. The winning quotes and art will be showcased in the 18th annual exhibit, January 20 through April 1, in Sarasota’s Bayfront Park.
All art is original and personally handmade by the artist present at the show on January 23 and 24, 2021 outdoors at Phillippi Estate Park from 10am to 5pm - there is something for everyone, in all price ranges. Free Admission and $5 close & convenient parking supports Institute for the Arts & Education, non-profit organization with focus on visual arts, cultural diversity, community enrichment and fostering art education among youth. Juried by art professionals, criteria for judging is based on originality, technique/execution and booth appearance. As part of our commitment to bring art education into the community, the events integrate a Youth Art/Budding Artist Competition within the art shows. This one-of-a-kind program encourages all young artists in grades K-8/6-12 or ages 5-13/9i-19 to enter his/her original and personally handmade art that is publicly displayed within the show. There is $250 in youth art awards as students begin to learn the rules and are exposed to the entrepreneurship opportunity of doing art shows for a living.
Phillippi Estate Park
SAF resumes its monthly house tours on Saturday, January 23, 2021. Take this opportunity to explore both the interiors and exteriors of the iconic Umbrella House, Cocoon House, and the Revere Quality House, which is rarely open to the public. Tickets sales are very limited; be sure to book your tours today. Masks will be required. Tour the renowned Umbrella House at 11am, described by Architectural Digest as “One of the five most remarkable houses of the mid-twentieth century”. Experience the rare opportunity to tour the interior of Ralph Twitchell and Paul Rudolph’s historic 1950 Healy Guest House, also known as Cocoon House at 1pm or 2:15pm. Join SAF in this rare opportunity to tour the Revere Quality House located on Siesta Key at 1pm or 2:15pm. Make a day of it and purchase the bundle ticket to tour the Revere Quality House and the Cocoon House (located across the bayou). Tickets are limited, be sure to secure yours soon.
All three Mattison’s Restaurants will be open on New Year’s Eve featuring special holiday menus, festive drinks, live music, and spectacular giveaways at midnight with each restaurant offering its own unique dining and party experience. The newly renovated Mattison’s Forty-One offers an elegant atmosphere with both inside and expanded patio seating. Live entertainment at Forty-One will feature The Randy Stephens and Jonathon Elgart Review. Chef Paul Mattison has created a special a’la carte holiday menu of delectable appetizers, entrees, salads, and desserts along with an extensive wine list and festive cocktails that will make your New Year’s Eve extraordinary. Mattison’s Forty-One is also offering a special pre-fixe, 4-course dinner priced at $129 per couple. If Bradenton is your locale, reserve a spot at Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille. With plenty of parking and seating on the heated, outdoor patio, Riverwalk Grille is the perfect New Year’s Eve spot in Bradenton. Entertainment is provided by Doug Deming and The Jewel Tones. Three reserved seating times are available at Mattison’s Riverwalk Grille. Mattison’s City Grille, in the heart of Downtown Sarasota, will feature seating in front of the restaurant will ample space inside to dance to the music of The Shift Change Band. All three restaurants will host a raffle for giveaways just before midnight. There is no cost to enter. You must be present to win. Each guest will receive a complimentary raffle entry. No matter which restaurant you choose to attend, Mattison’s has the night covered for you and your special someone. Join us to say farewell to what has been a difficult year and bring in 2021 with style.
The 25th annual Christmas Day parade will begin at 3pm on December 25 in the Amish and Mennonite community of Pinecraft. Participants typically meet at the Der Dutchman parking lot at 3713 Bahia Vista Street and bring lawn chairs. Onlookers usually line Birky Street an hour or more ahead of the parade start time.
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