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 Elizabeth “Betty” Ferguson, Membership Chair at the Sarasota Ballet. Betty represents one of the most precious treasures of any nonprofit organization—their volunteers. Trusted and relied upon, volunteers become the heart and soul of the organization, personally sharing their passion with others. Betty has volunteered at the box office for countless years, contributing to its success and efficiency while also volunteering as an usher and handling will call during performances. Her passion and love for the arts are what make her an outstanding volunteer and advocate.

Box Office Manager, Rod Kelly, shared this about Betty, "I have come to trust Betty's knowledge of the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, Sarasota Opera House, and Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall —the theaters where we perform. She interacts with our patrons with kindness and compassion and handles each situation in a timely and professional manner. She is highly proficient and creative at solving problems and taking appropriate action. It is truly my pleasure to work with Betty." She has become an invaluable member of the Sarasota Ballet Family and truly deserving of this award. 

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

On May 24th County Commissioner Joe Nuender presented a proclamation recognizing May as “Older Americans Month.” Participating in the ceremony were (left to right) Kim Kutch, Sarasota County Government human services manager; Nancy Buechler, Seniors Advisory Council Chair; Susan Berger, Sarasota County Health and Human Services Aging System Coordinator; and, Erin Mcleod, President/CEO of Senior Friendship Centers, (right). Older adults aged 65 and older make up more than 37% of our county’s population. The proclamation recognizes older adults as valued and contributing members of our county and underscores the importance of supporting our aging populations.

The Patterson Foundation is pleased to welcome Cathy Layton as the newest member of its Governing Board. The Governing Board recently approved Layton’s appointment, which is scheduled to begin Aug. 1. Layton, a retired commercial real estate broker, has lived in Sarasota since 1970. She has served the community in many ways since, notably in volunteer leadership roles with multiple public and private entities. This includes appointed and elected positions with the Sarasota County Planning Commission, the Sarasota Housing Authority and the Sarasota County Charter Review Board, among others. Most recently, Layton served on the boards of the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation and the Bay Park Conservancy (BPC), chairing both groups. The Patterson Foundation has long supported BPC and its work with the community to create The Bay, an open and accessible public park that will span 53 acres along Sarasota’s bayfront. For more information on The Patterson Foundation and its Governing Board, please visit thepattersonfoundation.org. 

The TREE Foundation of Sarasota has added two new board members: recently retired pediatrician/neonatologist Dr. Robert Beck of Fairfax, Virginia, and EarthJustice legal recruiter Carmela French of Washington, DC. TREE Foundation, an international non-profit organization based in Sarasota, is dedicated to tree and forest research, exploration, education, and conservation across the globe. Dr. Beck and Ms. French joined the Board in late 2022; their terms will expire December 31, 2024. Also a talent management consultant, Ms. French holds a BA in Conservation Biology from New College of Florida. She was a leader and Chair for the DC Chapter of the Climate Reality Project from 2017-2019. Biology major in college, Dr. Beck is concerned about climate change and the impact of man on the global inventory of forests and seeks to strategize and implement sustainable solutions to these issues. His career includes leading newborn intensive care services for Fairfax Neonatal Associates in Virginia as President (1997-2005) and Board Member (2006-2022). The TREE Foundation was founded in 1999 and is actively leading efforts to create forest canopy walkways around the globe to preserve the Earth’s vital, endangered forests. Learn more at treefoundation.org or mission-green.org.  

The Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation awarded scholarships this month to five outstanding local high school students who plan to pursue careers in health care. The G. Duncan Finlay Health Careers Scholarships and The Heather G. Miller Health Careers Scholarship help ensure that health care providers can continue delivering the highest quality of care for years to come. Each student will receive up to $10,000 to help offset the cost of college tuition and expenses over the next four years. For 30 years, the health careers scholarships have provided $773,750 to 166 high school seniors, and are critical as the demand for health care professionals grows each year. 

Local community-based care organization Safe Children Coalition is continuing to move forward with its capital campaign, planning and construction of its new Youth Shelter. Architectural firm Clifford M. Scholz Architects – with Rick Oswald leading the team – is designing the new facility and Tandem Construction has recently been retained as the builder. The new youth shelter is critical to our community and SCC's efforts to protect area youths: there are typically over 2,000 teens who are homeless in Circuit 12 (Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties) and there is always a waiting list for the shelter. The SCC Youth Shelter provides a safe space for homeless or unaccompanied teens who are without safe shelter due to extreme parental conflict, abuse or neglect, or a parent’s inability to cope. Teens may also be experiencing homelessness as a result of a mental health crisis, substance/alcohol abuse, or teens may be ordered to the shelter by the court. The previous Youth Shelter was more than 60 years old and limited the number of teens the program could serve. Homeless youths are currently being cared for at a temporary facility in north Sarasota while the new Youth Shelter campaign is underway. SCC leaders note that, for the past few years, the SCC Youth Shelter has been first or second in facility utilization out of the 30 shelters in the Florida network. With the one-two punch of the pandemic and then Hurricane Ian, the need has only increased. The new Youth Shelter will be located on Sawyer Road in north Sarasota, sitting on two acres of land. The nearly 9,000-square-foot building will provide safe emergency, temporary housing for youth ages 10-17, and is designed to reduce the list of youth waiting for safe shelter, and house the maximum number of youths allowed by its contract consistently throughout the year. The ultimate goal of the Youth Shelter program is to reunite youth with their families as appropriate, or to help parents find resources for more appropriate care, thereby keeping teens out of foster care. The new Youth Shelter will provide nearly 3,000 safe shelter bed-nights a year and serve up to 200 youth annually for many years to come. For more about Safe Children Coalition or to learn how you can support the effort to build the new Youth Shelter, contact Jacqueline House at jhouse@sccfl.org or call 941-371-4799, ext. 1127. 

Pictured: Architectural plans for the new Safe Children Coalition Youth Shelter Provided by Rick Oswald/Clifford M. Scholz Architects.

Mote Marine Laboratory and The Florida Aquarium are thrilled to announce the release of two rescued loggerhead sea turtles nicknamed, "Valerie" and "Mahomes," at Anna Maria Bayfront Park Tuesday morning, May 30. This momentous event marks the finish line of months of dedicated care and rehabilitation provided by Mote's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital and The Florida Aquarium Turtle Rehabilitation Center. "Valerie" was discovered floating nearshore on Longboat Key, and initial observations suggested the turtle was affected by toxins from red tide. She was transported to Mote’s Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital on Feb. 21 and began receiving injectable antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids until symptoms improved. When "Valerie" arrived at the hospital, Mote scientists found that she already had a flipper tag and a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag. The PIT tag, placed by Mote's Sea Turtle Conservation & Research Program in 2019, gives the turtle a unique barcode identification number that allows our scientists to gain valuable insights into "Valerie's" migratory patterns, growth rates, survival, and reproductive output. Similarly, "Mahomes" was found washed ashore off Casey Key Road in Sarasota County and showed symptoms of red tide toxicity. Initially admitted to Mote's Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Hospital on Feb. 13, "Mahomes" was later transferred to Mote's nearby neighbors at The Florida Aquarium Turtle Rehabilitation Center on Feb. 24 to better prepare Mote for the high numbers of incoming sea turtle patients affected by toxic red tide exposure. Requiring similar treatment, “Mahomes” received antibiotics and supportive care during the course of rehabilitation at The Florida Aquarium to help rid the sea turtle's body of toxins. Before the release, "Mahomes" was outfitted with a satellite tag by The Florida Aquarium and the Sea Turtle Conservancy. These tags provide critically important information about diving, feeding, migratory and activity patterns all while recording corresponding environmental data such as water temperatures. This data help better understand the patient's behavior after reintroduction and provides key insight for future rehabilitation and conservation efforts. Under the meticulous care of both facilities' dedicated staff members, "Valerie" and "Mahomes" have made remarkable recoveries, successfully clearing all health assessments mandated by wildlife officials and were cleared for release. Within Sarasota or Manatee county waters, if you see a stranded or dead sea turtle, dolphin or whale, please call Mote's Stranding Investigations Program, a 24-hour response service, at 941-988-0212. If you see a stranded or dead manatee anywhere in state waters or a stranded or dead sea turtle, dolphin or whale outside of Sarasota or Manatee counties, please call the FWC Wildlife Alert hotline at 1 (888) 404-FWCC (3922). Mote's sea turtle activities are conducted under Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Marine Turtle Permits 155, 216, 027, 054, 070, 048, 126 and 028. 

Pictured: Mote Marine Laboratory and The Florida Aquarium release "Mahomes" off Anna Maria Bayfront Park. Photo courtesy of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.