Building a brand is no easy task. It takes time, money and the gumption to even start in the first place. But that’s exactly what Marcus Walfridson has done with the Sarasota Paradise, one of the newest and most exciting teams to call Sarasota its home. The Paradise, who just capped off their second season with a South Florida Division title in the United Soccer League Two (USL2), are a pre-professional team owned and operated by Walfridson’s company Audigr Group Inc.

Walfridson’s hope for the Paradise, however, is that they will eventually move up into United Soccer League One (USL1), a Division-Three sanctioned professional league. In the ever evolving US Soccer pyramid, USL1 operates only one step below the highly lucrative USL Championship League, which on its own is considered just one step below Major League Soccer. Last month, the Paradise took a big step towards becoming a professional team when the Papanicholas family, of the construction and development firm Nicholas & Associates, purchased an interest in the team. Nicholas & Associates, who hold an office in Tampa Bay, were jersey sponsors for the Paradise during the 2024 season.

“The long term goal with this project will always be to have a professional team in Sarasota. One of the biggest challenges, especially for a team in Sarasota County, are the facilities. For a professional team to be financially viable in the long run, you need a good stadium solution,” says Walfridson. “They are a general contracting firm, meaning that they can do the designing and construction of a potential new facility. They have expertise when it comes to not only locating places that could be developed, but also in improving existing areas.”

For the Paradise, this is just one step in securing a spot in the USL1 and establishing themselves as Sarasota’s professional soccer team. For that to happen, the club needs to add more ownership partners–two to three in the next year–as well as a principal owner. For now, the club will continue to play in USL2, but if all goes according to plan, they’ll be a professional team with their own facilities in the near future. “When you’re building something that’s for the community, you want to have people on board,” says Walfridson. “You want to have more people to share it with because life's nothing if you don’t have people there to share it with.” 

Pictured: Midfielder JP Jordan makes a play on the ball during a match against division rival St. Petersburg FC. Photo courtesy of Sarasota Paradise.

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The Pops Orchestra presents a recital-style program featuring The Stiletto Brass on Friday, September 27 at 7:30 PM in Holley Hall in the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center (709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota). This recital-style concert titled “Struttin with the Stiletto Brass” will feature several selections in the “struttin’” theme, including original compositions for brass quintet, such as a piece by trumpeter and composer Jens Lindemann about dodging taxi cabs in London called “When a Body Meets a Body,” “Central Park in the Morning” by David Chesky, and “Struttin’ with Some BBQ” by composer Kenneth Abeling. Other selections include a fantasy variation arrangement on George Gershwin’s “Summertime” that the Stiletto Brass first performed with Doc Severinsen, featuring recent Sarasota transplant and retired trumpet teacher at the University of Kentucky, Vincent DiMartino, and another Gershwin favorite, “Someone to Watch Over Me." Formed in 2010, the Stiletto Brass features five highly accomplished women from the U.S. with careers spanning the fields of symphony orchestra, professional and military wind bands, university faculty members, and solo artists. Its energetic and diversified 6repertoire includes new music by leading composers of our time, as well as classical and popular selections from the Baroque period to Gershwin. Stiletto Brass’s concerts are fun, serious, heart-warming, emotionally intense, and always an audience’s favorite.

Struttin’ with the Stiletto Brass, Friday, September 27, 7:30 p.m., Holley Hall, Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center, 709 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Tickets start at $35, Tickets are available online or by calling The Pops’ Box Office at 941-926-POPS (7677). 

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The Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber is excited to announce Smith & Associates Real Estate as the title sponsor of the 2024 Taste of the Beaches taste tour. This year’s event will take place October 5th-13th, with a kickoff party to remember on October 4th. Taste of the Beaches is a beloved annual tradition that showcases the culinary talents of local restaurants while supporting and giving back to the community. As the premier real estate firm in the area, Smith & Associates Real Estate shares the Chamber’s commitment to enhancing the community. Together, they are set to create an unforgettable event that celebrates the vibrant food scene and rich culture of the Beaches. For more information, please contact Robin Miller at info@tampabaybeaches.com or visit TampaBayBeaches.com/taste.  

The start of the new school year is right around the corner and the School District of Manatee County’s Food & Nutrition Services would like to remind parents and guardians to apply for meal benefits this year. Breakfast will continue to be free for all students. Full pay lunch prices are $3.10 for elementary students and $3.40 for secondary students. We encourage families to apply for Free or Reduced Price Meal Benefits at schoolcafe.com/manateecountyschools or on the SchoolCafe app. Paper applications are also available at the front office in each school. Only one application is needed per household. 

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The Women’s Resource Center presents Divorce 101, a free, five-part workshop series that comprehensively explains the divorce process. It is divided into five sessions, each dedicated to a specific topic. The sessions will delve into the emotional aspects of divorce, the laws governing divorce in Florida, ways to assert your financial rights, dealing with children and the family home during divorce, and home financing during and after divorce. The series launches on Wednesday, September 11, 6-7:30 p.m., with “Financial Decisions” with Dr. Laura Mattia, PH.D., MBA, CFP, a financial advisor, educator, and author. Sessions following are: “Legal Considerations” with Chris Florand, a certified family and civil court mediator (September 18, 6-7:30 p.m.); “Understanding and Conquering the Emotions of Divorce” with Kim Boyd, a board-certified divorce coach (September 25, 6-7:30 p.m.); “Mortgage Financing Planning During and After Divorce” with Luz Ruiztagle, CDLP™ (October 2, 6-7:30 pm); and “Parenting Through Divorce” with Chris Florand and Kim Boyd (October 9, 6-7:30 p.m.).