Eternal Reefs began pretty simply—a pair of college friends in the late 1980s with a mutual love for diving and environmental conservation. After years of diving in the Florida Keys, they noticed significant deterioration and degradation of the reefs they were visiting year after year. They realized the ocean's declining health needed help. 

Don Brawley and Todd Barber, co-founders of Eternal Reefs, came up with the idea to help preseve and restore the fragile ecosystems they loved to explore below by creating a man-made material and system. The “reef ball” was formed, designed to replicate the natural elements of ocean reefs that support coral and microorganism development. In partnership with The Reef Ball Foundation and Reef Innovations, Eternal Reefs quickly began to replenish local ecosystems in more ways than one. The artificial reef ball not only rehabilitates and rebuilds dying reefs, but in turn, adds new habitat sanctuary for marine organisms seeking food and/or shelter.

Today, the nonprofit has evolved as the dba of The Genesis Reef Project, a Sarasota-based 501c3, by using reef balls to not only protect local marine environments but as a neoteric memorialization tool dedicated to science and the celebration of life. Incorporating the cremated remains of passing loved ones, the nonprofit allows families to personalize a reef ball during the casting phase—incorporating sea glass, shells, hand prints and memorabilia in the damp concrete before it hardens to form a customized “pearl” that sits inside the ball. Also added is a bronze plaque with the name and dates of the individual engraved before becoming one with the reef itself, and revealed during the viewing ceremony. Families are invited to boat to the placement site to watch it deployed down to its final resting place under the water. For those who have served, loved ones may also place a flag on the memorial reef during military honors. 

For many seafaring families—including those of environmentalists, boaters, swimmers, adventurers, sailors or veterans who once served in the Navy—this offers an especially unique memorial choice to replace the otherwise end-of-life services like cremation urns, ash scatterings and in-ground tombstones. Families can also choose to have spouses, or other family members (even furry ones) placed together in the same reef. A process that seems as healing for families as it is for the Gulf, these permanent fixtures nestled in the sand create a colony of commemorative living legacies, all while enhancing many marine habitats—thus, gifting future generations to come. 

Currently, Silvertooth Reef in Sarasota near Big Pass is home to hundreds of Eternal Reefs memorials—making it the largest “green memorial” in the United States. Today, there are over 2,500 Eternal Reefs throughout 30 permitted locations off the East Coast of the US.  

Photo courtesy of Eternal Reefs Facebook

Published in the July magazine, In Conversation with Non Profit Leaders features a roundtable discussion among representatives from local non profit organizations. Below is an excerpt from the discussion in which Cheryl Mendelson of The Van Wezel Foundation/Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation shares insight with SRQ readers on how the organization has kept their eyes on the future throughout the pandemic.

WHAT ARE THINGS WE’VE DONE RIGHT FOR THE GREATER COMMUNITY DURING THE PANDEMIC?

We are still looking to the future. We are planning on building a new performing arts center in a vibrant park and the concept that what we’re building is a civic asset to serve the whole community and the region. We are thinking more about the health and safety measures that would go into the design and the building of a new state of the art world-class performing arts center. It impacts how we look at and think about architecture, how we think about coming together, what our spaces look like. We took the opportunity during COVID to do a lot of online surveying because people were available. People really want the performing arts center in the park to be a cultural gateway where people can connect. They can connect in their lives, they can connect with their families, and they more importantly can connect their aspirations and their hopes for a better world together. That’s some of the positive beautiful learning that we’re going to take with us and help guide as we look to building this incredible legacy for the community for generations to come. 

This is an excerpt from the In Conversation with Non Profit Leaders published in the July 2021 edition of SRQ Magazine. Click here to see the full article.  

Read More From In Conversation Here

Retirement planner Jacobina Trump will discuss how annuities can create a solid stream of retirement income at two free upcoming seminars. “Most people's eyes glaze over when you mention ‘annuities,” says Jacobina Trump, a certified life, health, and annuities agent with Bankers Life. “An annuity doesn’t have the sex appeal of a technology stock. But they don't have the risks either.” Trump, who is also a professional artist, says that money never defined her life, but she realizes how important it is to have a steady income stream as she grows older. “People live longer now and face risks to their savings because of that. Having a consistent monthly income is an absolute necessity. In a bear market, equities lose value,” she says. “Retirement planning is important – and complex. Even if you have saved a significant amount of wealth, the prospect of navigating retirement can still be intimidating, because there are so many considerations that are often obscured in financial jargon. I hope to offer a clearer picture that will help people gain the confidence it takes to successfully navigate through retirement.”

Trump will share her knowledge about annuities and retirement planning at two free seminars, July 28 and August 25, from 5-6 pm, at the Englewood Florida Chamber of Commerce, 601 South Indiana Ave., Englewood. RSVP at jacobina@jacobinatrump.com. For more information, call Trump at 786-457-1606 or email jacobina@jacobinatrump.com. 

St. Armands Circle’s summer happening series, “Sol of the Circle,” is scheduled to include a free outdoor yoga class set amongst the area’s lush tropical inner-circle park. Every second Wednesday of the month, the Circle will take full advantage of the brilliant Florida sun and seasonal humidity by hosting Breathe: A Summertime Yoga Series for beginner and experienced yoga enthusiasts. Get a quick workout in by bringing your own mat and stopping by the Circle’s grounds for a group guided class from trained, local yoga instructor, Liana Sheintal Bryant—a self-described fitness fanatic with a background that spans from gymnastics and collegiate cheerleading before finding her passion for yoga. Breathe is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, July 14; August 11; and September 8, from 6-7 pm and is free for the public. 

For more information about Sol of the Circle and the Breathe yoga series, visit here  

Photo courtesy of Joseph Grano

National Hot Dog Day calls for free beers, and, well, hot dogs. On Saturday, July 24, what better way to celebrate than heading to the courtyard of The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime? Traditional and vegan dogs will be cooked by Hamlet's Eatery food truck  and served with their award-winning hand-cut fries. Not your ordinary baseball park dogs, these will be cookied in J'Dub Brewery's Bell Cow Beer, and will be available with a variety of toppings. 

Live Music with Zeena Brown & Sabrina McClenithan and free J’Dub’s beer (while supplies last). For more information visit HamletsEatery.com or call 941-445-1938.  

On Saturday, June 26, the Safe Children Coalition’s Achievers program awarded college scholarships to recent high school graduates as well as returning college students who were engaged with the program as teens. Approximately 30-35 scholarships of $1,000-$2,500 were awarded. 

A welcome was offered by Dave Luebcke, Safe Children Coalition’s senior director of programs. Achievers program manager, Jone Williams, acknowledged students who achieved certain levels of program participation and community service as well as “PUSHY Parents” who have volunteered on behalf of the program as well as encouraged their children to participate at a high level.

The Achievers program empowers at-risk, minority and other disadvantaged students to set and achieve goals in both their educational and personal lives, encouraging continuous growth in the areas of personal development, college preparation, community service and leadership, cultural enrichment, and career options. The program, which has served the community for over 30 years, is open to all middle and high school students in Sarasota County. 

Pictued: Safe Children Coalition Achievers 2021 program participants, courtesy of the nonprofit

The Parkinson's Foundation selected Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s (NCF) as a 2021-22 community grant recipient to support local health, wellness and educational programs that address unmet needs in the Parkinson's disease (PD) community. This year's grant cycle focused on programs that provide a service for underserved PD communities and initiatives that reach those newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s or those who are just beginning their Parkinson’s journey.  “The initiatives and growth of Neuro Challenge are possible due in part to continued partnership with Parkinson’s Foundation which helps provide essential service to the local Parkinson’s community today,” said Dr. Sara Grivetti, CEO of Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s. 

On Tuesday, July 13 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am, Manatee Community Foundation and Resilient Retreat will host an essential conversation about mental health and suicide prevention with the Gelt Charitable Foundation. "If You See Something, Say Something” is a virtual course that presents the facts and statistics of suicide, teaches participants to identify the signs of one struggling with mental health or suicide and how to get them the help that they need. It ends with a Q & A session. Nonprofit organizations, associations, businesses and residents are encouraged to attend. The session is virtual and free. Visit ManateeCF.org to register. 

The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation Fall 2021 Grants Cycle opened on June 1 and will close at 3:59 pm on August 2. The Grant Portal is open for area non-profit organizations to create an account and access existing accounts as they begin the application process. The Selby Foundation board meets in mid-November to review grant applications and award grants. 

The Foundation specializes in supporting local area non-profits with capital grants which support construction, acquisition and/or renovation of facilities as well as the purchase of equipment or software. Grants requests may also include the costs of related technical services like legal, architectural and engineering. Nonprofit organizations are required to be primarily located in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee or Sarasota Counties. 

For additional information regarding the grant process, visit www.selbyfdn.org.