SRQ DAILY May 18, 2022
Wednesday Philanthropy Edition
"During the height of the pandemic when we were not able to meet indoors, we held outdoor distributions. We never missed one and that’s something we are very proud of."
The volunteers of Baby Basics of Sarasota County, Inc., an all volunteer, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides diapers, wipes and books to working, low-income families who do not receive any governmental assistance, are feeling very grateful these days.
According to Vice President Barbara Price, “The local support we have received recently from volunteers, church groups and philanthropic foundations has been beyond our expectations. The donations have been very generous and the matches that will come in from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County's 2022 Giving Challenge, strengthened by The Patterson Foundation will make a huge difference to the families we serve. We live in an extremely charitable community!”
The first Baby Basics was founded in Ridgewood, N.J. in 1992. There are 11 additional Baby Basics affiliates across the United States. All the programs are run by volunteers and are supported by corporate and private donations. The Sarasota County program was founded in 2007. They currently serve 70 at their Sarasota distribution center and another 31 at the Venice center. As a partner with the Sarasota Library Association's Born to Read Program, the group is also committed to literacy. Along with the basics, they distribute donated books for babies, older siblings and caregivers. “We like to give diapers, wipes, books and kindness,” says Price.
A good amount of the Baby Basics funding comes from an annual fashion show, scheduled to take place in October 2022 at the Sarasota Yacht Club. Because of the global pandemic, they were not able to hold this fundraiser for the past couple of years and so donations and matches from Sarasota County’s 2022 Giving Challenge were even more important. The families served by Baby Basics come to the organization through referrals. Once a referral is made, Baby Basics volunteers meet with the family every month until the baby turns three or becomes potty trained in order to enhance the health and safety of the child and reduce the families' financial burden and the stress that accompanies it.
"During the height of the pandemic when we were not able to meet indoors, we held outdoor distributions,” says Price. “We never missed one and that’s something we are very proud of.”
Currently, there is a diaper, wipe and feeding crisis occurring throughout the United States. Offers to volunteer or donate are needed more now than ever. “We always welcome volunteers,” says Price. “Join us!” Visit the Baby Basics website to learn how you can help: https://www.babybasicssarasota.org/get-involved. 
Pictured: Original organizers and board members of Baby Basics of Sarasota County, Inc.,
Founded in 1979, SPARCC was established by a small group of compassionate women and has grown into the only state-certified center for domestic and sexual violence in Sarasota and DeSoto Counties. For over 40 years, SPARCC addresses both intervention and prevention and its primary goals are to provide free and confidential programs and services to survivors and their minor children. A new, multi-year strategic plan will guide SPARCC through a creative and strategic thinking process of planning for the future, and help ensure adaptive capacity and responsiveness to the evolving internal and external environment. “SPARCC’s mission is to stop domestic and sexual violence in our communities,” said SPARCC President and CEO Jessica Hays. “The Community Foundation of Sarasota County grant is a big help in creating the roadmap that will help ensure SPARCC's success in meeting its mission over the next three years and beyond. We are extremely grateful for this support.” Funding for the SPARCC organizational strategic plan provided by the Capacity Building Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
Rise & Nye’s, the downtown Sarasota coffee and ice cream shop with a mission, is hosting its first Great Ice Cream Eating Championship on May 21st at 11:30am sharp! Show everyone “what cha got” by eating as much ice cream as you can in 4 minutes. Two age divisions. A $20 entry fee (supports their nonprofit, Inclusion Revolution) gives contestants the opportunity to win an array of spectacular prizes along with the pride of being named Sarasota’s Ice Cream Eating Champ. Sign up. Be a winner. Support the amazing team members at Rise & Nye’s.
Registration is open now! Art Center Sarasota is once again encouraging young children and teens to set their inner artists free at its summertime art camps. The 10 weekly sessions run May 31 to August 5. The programs target two different age groups: Creative Kids serves children, ages 6 to10; Emerging Arts is for aspiring artists, ages 11 to 15. The camps are Mondays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Before- and after-care is offered. Fees are $250 per week for Art Center Sarasota members with a family membership; $300 per week for non-members. Art supplies are included; participants will also receive a free art camp t-shirt. Sibling discounts and scholarships are available upon request. Art Center Sarasota is also looking for teens, 15 and over, to volunteer as teaching and after-care assistants. Volunteer hours count towards high school and Bright Futures and National Honor Society requirements. Summer camp sessions will follow the same guidelines as the Sarasota County schools system. Masks are recommended but not required. Should the situation change, campers will be required to adjust to protocols for the safety of the children and staff. For more information about Art Center Sarasota’s summer art camps and its teen volunteer program, visit www.artsarasota.org or call 941-365-2032.
First Watch, the Daytime Dining concept serving breakfast, brunch and lunch, announced that the company has partnered with the V Foundation for Cancer Research to support the organization’s mission of achieving Victory Over Cancer®. As part of this new collaboration, First Watch will donate 25 cents from the sale of every kids meal at its more than 440 locations nationwide to the V Foundation’s Dick Vitale Fund for Pediatric Cancer. The effort is anticipated to raise close to $500,000 in its first year. As a corporate partner, First Watch will work with the V Foundation to strengthen the organization’s efforts to save lives and find cures through awareness and funding, 100% of which will go directly to pediatric cancer research. To foster additional support, First Watch has continued its ongoing sponsorship of the V Foundation’s annual gala, hosted in Sarasota, Fla., by V Foundation board member and longtime champion for pediatric cancer research, Dick Vitale. Most recently, the 17th annual gala held on May 6th raised over $11 million, bringing the event’s total to nearly $55 million since its inception. Dick Vitale joined the V Foundation Board of Directors shortly after the passing of his friend and fellow ESPN broadcaster Jim Valvano to cancer. The fund in Vitale’s name is committed to stopping the disease and, to date, has awarded nearly $60 million to end pediatric cancer.
JMX Brands CEO Jim Miller was honored as a 2022 Top Entrepreneur by the Business Observer during its annual Top Entrepreneurs luncheon on May 12. Miller started JMX Brands with his business partner Miao Xue in 2003 with $1,000 headquartered in his living room. They developed a business plan on how to sell online but weren’t decided on what product they would sell. Miller, a life-long Mennonite who was raised in a Mennonite and Amish community, used his experience, contacts and cultural understanding to build relationships with Amish craftsmen and persuade them to allow him to take their products, made in low-tech woodshops, and sell them on the internet, a still developing high-tech platform. He started with woodworkers in Pennsylvania and revenues grew to $500,000 in 2004. This developed into JMX Brands’ flagship store, www.dutchcrafters.com. Since then, the company has grown to be the largest Amish furniture retailer online. JMX Brands works with more than 130 Amish vendors in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio. There are over 50 employees headquartered in Sarasota and more than 75 worldwide. JMX Brands had revenues of nearly $24 million in 2021. In 2016, Miller moved the company beyond being solely an ecommerce business and opened a DutchCrafters furniture showroom in Sarasota. In 2020, the company expanded further with a warehouse and outlet store in LaGrange, Ind., and last year purchased a property in Alpharetta, Ga., where DutchCrafters’ second showroom will open in mid-2022. JMX Brands was named a Best Place to Work in Sarasota-Manatee in 2020 and 2021 and was ranked second on Furniture Today’s 2021 Best Places to Work list.
Sarasota has been reaffirmed as one of the top 10 Best Places to Live in the U.S. for 2022-23 and moved up to No. 1 in Florida, according to U.S. News & World Report. The Sarasota area is No. 9 overall on the annual Best Places to Live list, which ranks metro areas based on quality of life, job market, value and desirability. This is the second consecutive year Sarasota has ranked No. 9 on the list.
“We’re pleased Sarasota once again has been aptly recognized as a top place to live in the entire nation and now number one in Florida,” said Mayor Erik Arroyo. “Our world-class amenities, including the cultural arts, natural beauty, extensive public park spaces and newly extended Legacy Trail, thriving original restaurants, unique shopping, walkable downtown and recent micro-mobility options combine to create a very desirable city. We have our eye on the number one ranking in the U.S. and we’re working hard every day to make Sarasota a special place to live.”
Christine Kourik of RE/MAX Alliance Group has qualified for the distinguished RE/MAX Chairman’s Club Award in 2021. The Chairman’s Club Award honors high-achieving agents for their service to buyers and/or sellers during the past year. This is the second year Kourik has received this award. Kourik is a consistent top producer specializing in luxury and waterfront homes, vacation properties and investment properties. She recently earned the prestigious RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors highly successful agents who have completed at least seven years of service with the company. Her commitment to professional development and client service is reflected in her numerous designations, including Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI), Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), the Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) certification and e-Pro designation. She is based in the Anna Maria Island office at 5316 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, Florida 34217, and can be reached at (941) 538-7414 or home@christysproperties.com.
Children First is proud to announce the naming of the agency’s Teacher Resource Room for long-time supporters Katherine and Frank Martucci. In a special ceremony with board members and staff, the couple was recognized for their most recent gift of $150,000, directed by Frank in honor of Katherine’s board leadership and volunteerism. The Martucci's philanthropic spirits has them deeply invested within the nonprofit community. Through their support of Children First, the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County, the couple have transformed the lives of our area’s most vulnerable young children and families, many of whom live at or below the Federal Poverty Level (just $23,030 for a family of 3).
After starting as a classroom volunteer in 2015, Katherine became further empowered to make a difference in the lives of others by joining the Children First Board of Directors. In 2021, she was elected as Chair of the Board where she displayed trailblazing leadership during a time of extreme duress, and since stepping into the newer role of Chair Emeritus has continued her deep commitment to the agency’s mission alongside Frank. Throughout the agency’s 60th anniversary, the couple came together with a dedicated group of extraordinary supporters to form Children First’s Diamond Circle, raising over $2.3MM to help ensure equal access to opportunities for all.
Project PRIDE SRQ Inc., the Suncoast’s premier LGBTQ+ organization’s mission is to expand awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community by creating strategic partnerships with local organizations, businesses, and governments towards a shared goal is proud to announce several upcoming events. LGBTQ+ Pride Month is coming to Sarasota in June, courtesy of Project PRIDE SRQ through visibility campaigns and events you won’t want to miss! There is something for everyone during this year’s Pride Month. All Project PRIDE SRQ’s June 2022 Pride events are
open to the public and we encourage all to participate.
This winter, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Selby Gardens) will spotlight the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, one of the most significant photographers of the 20th century, together with the poetry of legendary singer-songwriter and poet Patti Smith in a special exhibition on view throughout the garden’s 15-acre Downtown Sarasota campus. Marking the sixth edition of the Gardens’ annual Jean & Alfred Goldstein Exhibition Series, which explores the work of major artists through the lens of their connection to nature, this immersive exhibition puts a selection of Mapplethorpe’s photographs of orchids, hyacinths, and irises, and excerpts of Smith’s poems and lyrics on flowers and nature, in dialogue with new horticultural installations inspired by the two artists’ work. On view from February 13 through June 26, 2022, Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith: Flowers, Poetry, and Light is curated by Dr. Carol Ockman, Selby Gardens’ Curator-at-Large and the Robert Sterling Clark Professor of Art History Emerita at Williams College. The Gardens will host an Evening with Patti Smith, on Tuesday, February 15, a lecture and performance with Smith that will shed new light on this body of work.
The exhibition features work from the past decade by an international selection of artists and visual activists that are working to make palpable the unseen information, or metadata, that undergirds the image regime. This includes not just the tags or descriptors attached to image files, but the power relationships, biases, and economic interests that are not always visible in the image itself. The exhibition emphasizes an expanded concept of photographic practice that includes research-based projects, installation, conceptual work, and activism as well as analog and digital photographs. Artists featured are Mohsen Azar, Viktoria Binschtok, Mladen Bizumic, Joy Buolamwini, Jason Lazarus, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Lilly Lulay, Trevor Paglen, and Penelope Umbrico. Metadata: Rethinking Photography in the 21st Century will be held at The John and Mable Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida from March 6 through August 28th, 2022. The exhibition is curated by Christopher Jones, Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Curator of Photography and Media Art.
FST Improv Presents Comedy Freestyle Beginning on April 2 and through May 28, 2022 at 7:30pm. What happens when you take some of your favorite improv games…and remove all the rules? Anything goes at Comedy Freestyle, an off-the-wall improvisation potpourri. Featuring a mashup of both short-form and long-form styles, audiences get the best of the art form when styles and techniques collide! We’ll set our performers free from all of the traditional dos and don’ts of improv, and you get to watch them figure out what comes next, completely on the spot. Tickets are $15 per person and the performance will take place in FST's Bowne's Lab.
He's young, he's broke, his landlord's knocking at the door, and he's just found out his wife is going to have a baby. To make matters even more desperate, Casey is struggling with his gig as an Elvis impersonator in a run-down, small-town Florida bar. When the bar owner brings in a B-level drag show to replace his act, Casey finds that he has a whole lot to learn about show business - and himself. The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez will play beginning March 30, 2022 through May 22, 2022 in FST's Gompertz Theatre.
Every 3rd Saturday from 10-3 The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime opens their outdoor space for guest vendors, dog rescues, and live music. Check out the 40 local creators and curators inside The Bazaar every Thursday - Saturday. Enjoy a delicious lunch and support local. Free, until you buy something amazing!
The newest artists at Art Uptown Gallery will be featured in the May exhibit, "Different Strokes," showcasing their paintings. Diane Boone, intuitive abstract painter, and Gillian St. George, hard-edge abstract painter, are both local, full-time residents of national recognition. Meet the artists on May 6 from 6pm to 9pm at the First Friday public reception at the gallery and Saturday, May 7 from 11am to 5pm, The exhibit opens on Saturday, April 30 and runs through Friday, May 27. Art Uptown Gallery welcomes patrons and friends at 1367 Main Street where the diverse art works of local, award-winning artists are exhibited. Telephone 941-955-5409 or visit www.artuptown.com for hours and further information.
M A R A Art Studio + Gallery presents “black+white,” featuring monochromatic works by nine artists: Grace Howl, Jack Shapiro, Jana Millstone, Ralph Berger, Lisa DiFranza, Craig Palmer, Dan Wilkerson, Sam Wuerfel, and MARA Torres, May 1-31. The opening reception is Friday, May 6, 5:30-7 p.m. The gallery is at 1421 5th Street, Rosemary District, Sarasota. For more information, call (941) 914-8110 or visit MaraStudioGallery.com
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will close its 2021-2022 season with two world-premiere one-act plays, under the auspices of its New Playwrights Series. These plays, "From Birmingham To Broadway” and “Float Like A Butterfly," will be presented together May 4-29. "From Birmingham to Broadway," an ode to Nell Carter, was written by and stars popular WBTT artist Tarra Conner jones. "Float Like a Butterfly," which examines the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali, was written by WBTT founder/artistic director Nate Jacobs' brother, Michael Jacobs, and stars Darius Autry. Call the Box Office at 941-366-1505 or visit westcoastblacktheatre.org
The Players Centre for Performing Arts is back with the popular Broadway on the Bay series titled, The Sarasota Divas, at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236) May 17-20, 2022. This year some of your favorite Sarasota divas including Kathryn Parks, Alana Opie, Berry Ayers, Jennifer Baker and Eve Caballero will perform some of your favorite Broadway tunes. No food or drink will be sold at this event. Seats are provided. NO TICKETS will be printed for this event. Upon making your purchase your name will be on a reservation list.
May 19, 2022, 11am, Arts Advocates Scholarship Winners – Meet the recipients of our 2022-23 scholarships, which are awarded to Sarasota and Manatee county resident students pursuing degrees in visual arts, performing arts, creative writing, architecture, and related endeavors. Arts Advocates is keeping a close eye on the COVID-19 situation and will decide whether their monthly speaker programs will be in-person luncheons at Bird Key Yacht Club or held via Zoom as each event nears. These programs are open to the public. Visit ArtsAdvocates.org for more information.
Not only do we love our local authors, but we know you'll love them, too. Let us introduce you! On Thursday, May 19 between 11 AM and 4 PM, twenty local authors will be in the loft of our new forever-home on 117 S. Pineapple Avenue for one hour each, to sign books and spend a little time with you.
Here's how it works: Read their bios, check out their book blurbs, and place an order online for whatever strikes your fancy. You can pick up your order in-store on the day of the book fair (or sooner), or you can have them delivered right to your home. Find out when your favorite local authors will be here, and drop by to say "hi"!
Remember: These author's books are available for pre-order only; there will be no books available to purchase in-store and take home same-day unless you've placed a pre-order. You can, however, place a special order in-store to be picked up at a later date.
Join The Ringling Art Library for Literati, a book group that discusses books about art and subjects reflecting the Ringling collections. The May 20 book club will take place at 10:30am: ArtCurious: Stories of the Unexpected, Slightly Odd and Strangely Wonderful in Art History by Jennifer Dasal. This program will be virtual via zoom until further notice. This program is free. For further information, contact the Art Library at 359-5700, ex. 2701 or elisa.hansen@ringling.org.
Ah Who Run Dis, A Solo Exhibit by Krystle Lemonias. This work explores personal and political intersections of power that govern how people interact daily through an immigrant lens. It creates an entry point to consider the impact larger systems have on people from colonized nations. A subject is used to examine access, privilege, misuse, and obstruction to the status quo when one wields power. Each piece reflects the complexity of being resilient through society’s exploitive structure then, using this understanding to get over and ahead for one’s self. What is the cost of resilience? Who really has the power? This body of work shows intimate views of video, installation, prints, and performance. Opening Night Reception is Friday, May 20th, 2022 from 6pm to 8pm. Open Exhibition Dates are May 21st through June 11th By Appointment Only.
UnidosNow presents the acclaimed Mexican folkloric group Mariachi Cobre and the Venice Symphony, on Friday, May 20, 7:30 p.m., at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, and on Saturday, May 21, 2:30 p.m., at the Venice Performing Arts Center, 1 Indian Ave., Venice. Michelle Merrill, the former associate conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, will conduct both performances. The concerts commemorate UnidosNow's 10th anniversary, which has been delayed for two years due to the pandemic. Proceeds will raise valuable funds to empower UnidosNow's education, integration, and civic engagement initiatives. Tickets for the event, which range from $30 to $120, are now on sale at www.unidosnow.org/nocheunidos.
The 6th Annual Adopt-A-Palooza will be held, Saturday, May 21st at the Bradenton Area Convention Center, 1 Haben Boulevard in Palmetto. Hours are 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission and parking are FREE.
Returning this year, after a two-year postponement due to the pandemic, Adopt-A-Palooza is the largest one-day adoption and expo-style event in Manatee County and will feature over 100 adoptable puppies, dogs, cats and kittens from Manatee County Animal Services (MCAS), local shelters and animal rescues - all under one roof.
For pets from MCAS, all adoption fees will be waived in lieu of a donation made to the Friends of Manatee County Animal Services (FoMCAS). Manatee County residents are required to license their new pet for an additional $20 tag fee. All pets will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated and micro-chipped.
The family-friendly event will include over 25 retail vendors selling a variety of pet products. New this year, offered by Manatee County Animal Services, is a free pet vaccine and microchip clinic. Pet owners with dogs and cats in need of vaccinations and/or microchips can bring their pet to the event to receive them at no charge. This free clinic is offered from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
The event also includes information tables with special pricing on services such as spay and neuter, chipping, veterinarian services and more. Raffles and silent auction items will be available.
The Sarasota MLK Celebration Committee is hosting the MLK Scholarship and Awards Gala at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 22 inside the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, located at 1534 Mound Street in Sarasota. Multiple academic scholarships will be awarded to graduating high school seniors who have a dream of obtaining a post-secondary education. Additionally, selfless individuals and organizations will be recognized for their unwavering public service. Tickets are available for purchase online at srqmlkgala.eventbrite.com/. For more information, contact Nicole Brown at 941-281-0520 or srqmlkcelebrationpr@gmail.com.
On Thursday, May 26 you could win a Sarasota Staycation ($1,000 value)! The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime is turning four and they want you to celebrate with them from 5-7pm. While you wander the 40 creators and curators you will enjoy complimentary champagne, live music from Hot Club of SRQ, activities, and other fun surprises. After getting your Bazaar passport stamped, you will be entered to win the grand prize. Includes: a hotel stay at Home 2 Suites; dining from First Watch ($100) and Bavaro’s ($50); passes for Discover Sarasota Tours, Mote Marine, and A.J. Electric Bike Tour; theatre tickets to Westcoast Black Theatre and Players Centre; rum from Siesta Key Rum, and other goodies. No purchase necessary.
SRQ DAILY is produced by SRQ | The Magazine. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and in the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. Senior Editor Jacob Ogles edits the Saturday Perspective Edition, Letters and Guest Contributor columns.In the CocoTele department, SRQ DAILY is providing excerpts from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. The views expressed by individuals are their own and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Ashley Ryan Cannon at 941-365-7702 x211 or via email |
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