Robert Martini has been a beach lifeguard for the State of Florida for the past 20 years, 17 with Sarasota County. For the last three and half years, he has also been a lieutenant for the lifeguard division, making sure local beaches are properly staffed, necessary first-aid supplies are on hand and lifeguards are fully trained. And while he may be considered a hero on the beach, Martini's passion to save lives extends beyond his lifeguarding duties, as this summer, he will be competing in the Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis, an 80-mile open ocean paddle from Bimini, Bahamas to the mainland of Florida to help families affected by the devastating disease.

The event begins on June 25th at midnight which obviously entails paddling in the dark. "We will be paddling through the Gulfstream which is a very powerful ocean current," says Martini, who has been training for the event since February, putting in long days and pushing himself in every type of water condition. He will be paddling a lifeguard craft called a Surf Ski, a type of kayak used for lifeguarding competitions and rescues. "There will be 200 paddlers with safety boats to make sure we get to Florida safely," he adds.

All the money raised from the event will go to the Piper Foundation in West Palm Beach for people suffering from cystic fibrosis. The event was inspired because of the incredible health benefits of the ocean for those living with cystic fibrosis, a terminal lung disease. Founder and Executive Director Travis Suit's daughter Piper was diagnosed with CF in 2011 when she was four years old.

To date, Martini has raised over $2,200 for cystic fibrosis and over $1,400 for the Better Life Academy in Sarasota for children with autism. "When it comes to charities I just want to help my community and be someone that my kids can look up too," shares Martini. “When you are at your worst, we are at our best. Lifeguards for life!" 

Pictured: Robert Martini paddling in his Surf Ski. Photo taken by Jill Martini.

To learn more click here.

Each year, SRQ Media invites the community to nominate individuals with hearts of giving who have made a significant impact with local nonprofit organizations — from volunteers and board members to individual staff members and donors. This year, attendees were thrilled to be together as we recognized our annual Good Hero Philanthropic Award recipients at the SB2: Philanthropic Agenda Luncheon and Good Hero Philanthropic Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, March 7th at Michael’s on East in Sarasota. In the coming weeks, we are happy to feature each of the ten honorees in our Wednesday Philanthropic edition of SRQ Daily.

Today we are recognizing Mary Kay Henson, an individual without a personal agenda or political aspiration. She, along with her husband, has made significant contributions to All Faith’s Food Bank to ensure that no children or adults are deprived of food. She has also provided a generous grant to fund UnidosNow to raise an emergency fund that provides assistance to over 800 families for their rent and utilities. Mary Kay also took the time to visit families at their locations and hear about their pressing needs and aspirations, creating a partnership to provide health access for the most vulnerable. An individual who nominated Mary Kay shared, “She and her husband Joe are my local heroes. They know how difficult it is to provide for a child even when people have more than two jobs— their income is not enough. They not only have my eternal gratitude but I want our community to know that we are fortunate to have people like them who take the time to care for others.” Congratulations Mary Kay. 

Pictured: Mary Kay Henson (center) with Dr. Helene Lotman (left) and SRQ Magazine Managing Editor, Barbie Heit. Photo by Wyatt Kostygan.

Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium is pleased to announce a three-year strategic partnership with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. With a grant of $150,000, Mote will launch Ocean Guardians, a new program designed to increase access to STEM education for underrepresented and underserved students in Sarasota County. The grant will also support several donor and member engagement events during the grant period. Through Ocean Guardians, local students will have opportunities to build the knowledge, confidence, and skill needed to become career-ready and to consider careers in STEM. Throughout the academic year, Ocean Guardians will participate in an after-school program with hands-on educational and interactive activities that build upon Mote research and are facilitated by Mote educators. The goal is for participating Guardians to increase their science literacy, develop positive attitudes toward science, gain a basic understanding of available careers in STEM, and deepen their appreciation of marine and coastal environments. All programming supports the five C’s of 21st century career readiness, which are communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and character. Program activities include exploring the local marine environments through kayaking and dip netting in Sarasota Bay as well as learning about marine animals and marine taxonomy through various methods including squid and shark dissections. Guardians will also learn to fly drones much like those used by Mote’s Manatee Research team to conduct aerial manatee identification surveys, and will learn how such studies provide vital data that help local and county officials manage manatees – and other wildlife - in ways that balance human activities and the sustainability of marine animals and their habitat. Summer stipends are a critical program component as they help to ensure the full participation of students who might otherwise need to obtain summer employment. The Ocean Guardians program serves as an example of Mote’s commitment to supporting community-focused engagement in science. Mote’s Education Department provides STEM education through a wide variety of on-campus, regional outreach, and virtual education programs. This grant will allow Mote to take its science programming directly to underserved and underrepresented audiences after school and during the summer at regional organizations. During this inaugural year of the program, Mote is partnering with students and teachers at Booker High School with hopes to expand the program to other organizations in the future.
 

Pictured: Ocean Guardians, a new Mote Education-based program, allows local students to build the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to become career-ready in the STEM field through hands-on learning and experiences.

Two members of Goodwill Manasota’s leadership team have recently been elevated to vice presidential roles, in recognition of longtime, dedicated and successful experience with the organization as well as to increase the capacity of the nonprofit, which serves Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto and Hardee counties, and northwest Charlotte County. Melissa Carman, who was hired by Goodwill Manasota in 2008, began her service as an assistant and has risen steadily through the ranks ever since, with roles including support & recognition manager, director of board & support services, and senior director of board & community engagement. Her new title is vice president of engagement; in that role, her key responsibilities include overseeing the support team, project management, and marketing as well as serving as the liaison between the President & CEO Donn Githens and the board of directors. Alexa Olivas was hired by Goodwill Manasota in 2009 on the retail operations side. Since that time, she has been promoted numerous times, with positions including assistant team leader (store management), manager of bookstores & clearance centers, operations manager, director of donated goods operations, and senior director of operations. Her new title is vice president of donated goods operations, a new position resulting from the division of donated goods operations and retail. This move will expand the capacity of the nonprofit, which will maximize revenues to support its Mission Services. Carman and Olivas have both been working toward their Master’s degrees – Carman recently earned hers for Human Services and Olivas will complete hers in Business Administration in August – with tuition provided through Goodwill’s “Pursuit of Education” program aimed at workforce upskilling. Carman and Olivas join Goodwill Manasota’s executive team: Donn Githens, president & CEO; Bob Stanell, financial/treasury; Adrian Gessen, senior VP of organizational development; Margie Genter, VP of mission services; Brady O’Neil, VP of donated goods retail; and Angela Gerholdt, VP of HR and risk management. The sales of donated goods and philanthropic donations fund Goodwill Manasota’s Mission Services. With these revenues, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities, veterans, seniors, justice-involved individuals, and those with other barriers to employment by providing job skills training and employment opportunities. Approximately 76% of Goodwill Manasota’s team members have a self-identified barrier to employment. For more information, visit experiencegoodwill.org. 

Pictured: The Goodwill executive leadership team is (seated, l-r) Melissa Carman, Donn Githens and Alexa Olivas; (standing, l-r) Angela Gerholdt, Brady O’Neil, Adrian Gessen, Bob Stanell and Margie Genter Courtesy photo/Goodwill Manasota

ALSO Youth needs your support now more than ever. Over the last six months, our attendance rates have soared and our requests for free counseling have doubled! We ask for your support of our spring fundraiser to help us continue to provide free activities at both of our youth centers for the LGBTQ+ youth population of Manatee and Sarasota counties. Register now to bid on incredible prizes including: a signed copy of Billy Porter's memoir, beautiful original fiber art from local artist, Dr. Michael Stevenson, a luxurious custom massage from Alcover Spa, an amazing Marauders baseball gift basket that includes four tickets to a game. Bidding begins May 18th at noon and ends  May 19th at noon. 

To learn more click here.

Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 25 to celebrate the recent completion of a $3M expansion and renovation of the hospital. More than 100 people attended the ceremony including a Sarasota County commissioner, representatives from community partners including National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Manatee Chamber of Commerce, Florida Department of Health, Manatee County Government, as well as Centerstone board members and staff. Regional CEO, Melissa Larkin-Skinner spoke briefly about the six-decade history of the hospital, Centerstone's impact to the community, and the patient safety features of the expansion, before cutting the ribbon in front of the crowd. The facility improvements are made possible by generous donations from the Bishop Parker Foundation and the William G. & Marie Selby Foundation. If you or someone you know is experiencing the challenges of addiction, Centerstone can help. Their 24/7 Emergency Access Center is located at 2020 26th Ave East in Bradenton. For outpatient services, you can contact them by calling 877-HOPE123 (877-467-3123). 

SunCoast Blood Centers and 107.9 WSRZ are teaming up to co-host the 15th Annual Pints for Play blood drive on Thursday, May 11. This year’s event will take place at University Town Center in the parking lot in front of Target. Pints for Play is a unique blood drive that not only saves lives through blood donations, but also gives participants the opportunity to play any song of their choice or have 30 seconds to "plug" their business on 107.9 WSRZ. Donors will also receive a commemorative t-shirt while supplies last. “SunCoast Blood Centers is excited to co-host this year’s Pints for Play,” said Joan Leonard, Community Liaison for SunCoast Blood Centers. “The blood donated will be a much-needed start to the summer supply for our local hospitals. Summer months are typically the toughest time of year for blood collections, making events like this one crucial to ensuring blood is available for those in need.” In addition to the UTC location, donors will also be welcomed at SunCoast Blood Centers’ Lakewood Ranch headquarters, 3025 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Suite 111 in Bradenton, and SunCoast donor centers, including Downtown Sarasota on Mound St. and Bird Bay Plaza in Venice. The locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. “We have been involved with Pints for Play since the beginning, and we continue to be humbled by the generosity and support of our community,” said David Jones, co-host of Jones & Company on 107.9 WSRZ. “For us at WSRZ, it is an opportunity for our listeners to pick the music from 6 to 10 a.m. But the best part is knowing that lives will be saved because our audience is always ready to give of themselves.” SunCoast Blood Centers proudly serves hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties as well as the Moffitt Cancer Center. Having an adequate supply of blood and platelets is vital every day and especially during a time when medical resources are operating at full capacity. Patients suffering trauma, undergoing cancer treatments, or those battling chronic blood diseases all rely on blood and platelets. 

To learn more click here.

A Good Hero Works Here | By helping people help themselves, Jessica Braemer is recognized as a good hero by her colleagues and community, May/June 2023. 

Read Here!