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Contents may/june 2021
pets we love competition
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This past year, pets were promoted from sidekicks to co-workers and we loved them all the more for it. They kept our work-from-home couches warm with their fluffy faces and took lunch breaks with us in hopes of going on quick walks around the block. And 2021’s SRQ Pets We Love audition calling saw a surplus of canine colleagues clawing their way to the top (alongside one standout horse). Check out the winners of the year’s cutest competition. Produced by SRQ Magazine in partnership with the Humane Society of Manatee County.
breakfast diaries
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No one peaks before noon without a proper first meal. When it comes to the most important one of the day, we want plenty of options. SRQ editors map out your morning meals Monday through Sunday–from the kitchen countertop to neighborhood hotspots. Written by Brittany Mattie and Ariel Chates | Photography by Wyatt Kostygan
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contents
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MARKETING FEATURES 32
DONOR’S GUIDE TO GIVING Wish lists and mission moments from our incredible nonprofit organizations.
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TOP REAL ESTATE AGENTS Sarasota, Venice, Siesta Key, Longboat Key and Lakewood Ranch.
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Lakewood Ranchers can look forward to New England-style hard ice cream at Wicked Awesome Ice Cream Emporium. Highschool techie Tom McCracken masters the inner workings of a guitar using a Co2 laser-cutting machine. Shark tooth hunter Zach Frignoca’s day-to-day is a high-risk, high-reward scavenger hunt. Filmmaker Ray Dillman schooled Ringling College film students on the industry and the importance of chasing happiness.
cargo
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A symbiotic pairing of our editors’ favorite hats and shoes to take us through the summer. Learning about fabric sustainability with sea sisters and makers of Mer Soeur swimwear.
families
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Mining in the Gap- Schools faced challenges this year unlike anything that has ever come before. Fortunately, philanthropy groups in the region offered the
ROCKETKIDS INSERT GUIDE TO SUMMER CAMPS 2021 Our editors present this year’s Guide to Summer Camps for kids—chockfull of all-day and half-day camps for kids three-years-old to twelfth grade— arts, music, science, theater, technology, sports, nature and recreation.
time and treasure to help face the crisis. Bonding Time- Regional therapists employ child-parent psychotherapy.
forage
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Bistro at Sarasota Art Museum is not your average high school cafeteria. Lila’s Ryan Boeve is making his mother and grandmother proud with Lucile Pizza & Wine Bar. Sarasota spots are cranking out oodles of homemade pasta. Find local dishes that are gateways into the fabled fifth taste: umami. Cover: Zach Frignoca dives the deep for prehistoric treasure (also this page), photo by Wyatt Kostygan. Previous page: Bailey Ouellette and Blue from the Pets We Love, photo by Wes Roberts. This page: Shadow play with our favorite hats and shoe trends; fresh-squeezed lemonade from Bistro at SAM, photoby Wyatt Kostygan.
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M AY/J U N E 2 0 2 1 CEO / PRESIDENT / EDITOR IN CHIEF
LISL LIANG
ART DIRECTOR / PHOTOGRAPHER
Wyatt Kostygan
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Brittany Mattie
SRQ MEDIA ADVERTISING GROWMYBUSINESS@SRQME.COM 941-365-7702 x1 SUBSCRIPTIONS SUBSCRIBE@SRQME.COM 941-365-7702 x2
DIGITAL CONTENT AND EDITORIAL PROGRAMS ASSOCIATE
Ariel Chates
COPYEDITOR
Abby Weingarten CONTRIBUTING SENIOR EDITORS
Phil Lederer, Jacob Ogles CONTRIBUTING EDITORS AND ARTISTS
Andrew Fabian, Chris Leverett, Olivia Liang, Abby Weingarten, Woody Woodman DESIGN CONTRIBUTOR Winona Nasser EDITORIAL INTERN Grace Castilow EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER
WES ROBERTS
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND ENGAGEMENT
Ashley Grant ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Ashley Ryan Cannon CLIENT SERVICES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR
Ashley Jimenez
SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVES
Suzanne Munroe Julie Mayer Magnifico Rob Wardlaw
GET SRQ DAILY The magazine in your hands offers enormous insight into our community, but the most informed in our community follow our constant coverage of Sarasota and the Bradenton Area in SRQ Daily. The electronic newsletter is a must-read in thousands of inboxes. Check our special editions: the Monday Business Edition, the Wednesday Philanthropy Edition, the Friday Weekend Edition and the much-discussed Saturday Perspectives Edition, featuring a diverse range of opinions from the region’s top pundits and newsmakers. SIGN UP ONLINE AT SRQMAG.COM/SRQDAILY
ORIGINS OF “SRQ” The “SRQ” in SRQ magazine originates from the designated call letters for the local Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. “SR” was the original abbreviation for the airport before the growth in total number of airports required the use of a three-letter code. Letters like “X” and “Q” were used as filler, thus the original “SR” was revised to “SRQ,” much as the Los Angeles airport became “LAX.” As a regional publication committed to the residents of and visitors to both Sarasota and Manatee counties, SRQ captures the place that we call home.
LOCAL PUBLISHERS OF SRQ MAGAZINE, LIVING LAKEWOOD MAGAZINE, ROCKETKIDS MAGAZINE, LIVING BRADENTON AREA, SRQ TOP DOCTORS MEDICAL RESOURCE GUIDE , SRQ ELITE TOP ATTORNEYS PROGRAM, SRQ HOME & DESIGN MAGAZINE, SHE ROARS MAGAZINE, LOVE LOCAL GUIDEBOOK AND SRQ DAILY. 331 South Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, FL 34236 | Phone 941-365-7702 SRQMAG.COM / @SRQMAG
SUBSCRIBE TO THE PRINT AND DIGITAL EDITION Join our readers in the pleasurable experience of receiving SRQ magazine in your mailbox every month during season and bimonthly during the summer. To reserve your subscription, provide your information and payment online. You can set up multiple addresses, renewals and special instructions directly through your online account. When you subscribe online, your first print issue will arrive in your mailbox in 4–6 weeks. Subscribe online at SRQMAG.COM/SUBSCRIBE. Contact us via email at subscribe@srqme.com Vol. 24, Issue 235 Copyright © 2021 SRQ MEDIA. SRQ: Live Local | Love Locall. Sarasota and Bradenton Area is published 10 times a year. IMPORTANT NOTICE: The entire contents of SRQ are copyrighted by Trafalger Communications, Inc. Column and department names are property of Trafalger Communications, Inc. and may not be used or reproduced without express written permission of the publisher. SUBSCRIPTION: Subscriptions to SRQ are $36 for 20 issues. Single copies are $4 at area newsstands.
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STORIES ABOUT THE LOCAL PEOPLE, PLACES AND EXPERIENCES THAT DEFINE OUR HOMETOWN
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GUITAR HERO TINKERER Tom McCracken makes music at Fab Lab. Brittany Mattie
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WHILE OTHER ANGSTY HIGH SCHOOLERS jam out in the grungy garage with their bandmates, Tom McCracken makes music with Fab Lab’s fancy Co2 laser-cutting machine. If you ask the Suncoast Polytechnical High School senior what he wants to pursue in college, he’s still just as unsure as the next 17-year-old. But, there is one thing he has figured out: how to design and manufacture an acoustic guitar from scratch. After a few trips to Home Depot for plywood, and figuring out how to tune the Trotec Speedy 400 Laser Engraver at Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab, nothing was stopping the tenacious teen from borrowing his next-door neighbor’s guitar for reference and getting to work. The new infrared CNC lasercutting machine uses Co2 lasers to slice at 400 inches per second, generating 80 watts of energy for every 1,000 nanometers. A lot of numbers to comprehend, we know. But that’s nothing for McCracken—an analytical thinker and mathematical tinkerer, with a desire to tap into the more right-sided parts of his brain (to perhaps learn some chords to his favorite poop-rocksongs). “I specifically wanted to explore the living hinge technique for this project, which laser cuts the wood in a manner that gives it flexibility,” McCracken says. “It was perfect for making a guitar body.” McCracken spent 36 hours on CorelDRAW (professional graphic design software), creating several
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iterations, and playing around with various schematic guitar models and measurements of the parts. After advanced modifications and enhancements, he traced 150 parametric pieces with intense precision. Dimensions had to be exact, with little to no tolerance (an allowable amount of variation of a specified quantity)— so that once the Trotec engraved and cut each piece of wood, McCracken was able to assemble and fit each piece together perfectly in Lego-like construction. “It’s like building a jigsaw puzzle in reverse, building something off of itself and of itself,” McCracken says. After gluing the seams and sealing the base of the body with oil to protect the exterior and prevent warping, he taught himself how to engrave and place metal wire for the frets of the fretboard. He then taught himself how to weigh the strings at the recommended tension and fasten them in the correct order to correspond to the traditional chords of a guitar. Having now crafted seven custom guitars by hand, all with a slightly different nuance in design, McCracken’s brain juices are flowing with potential new projects to try with the machine. He’s considering crafting a pair of eyeglasses for his friend to match his own prescription, or maybe making a skateboard to skoot around the University of Central Florida campus (where he’ll be attending in the fall). The jury is still out on whether or not he’ll be starting his own band. SRQ
This page: Tom McCracken shares the intricacies of his handcrafted guitar at Suncoast Science Center Fab Lab, where he volunteers and retreats most days after school.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.
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V OT E D O N E O F “S A R A S O TA’S T O P 12 D E N T I S T S” BY SRQ MAGAZINE READERS
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Above, from left to right: Jensen Bouton DMD | Michelle Scala DMD | Brandy Rubinski DMD)
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MANIFEST DESTINY
Michelle Noel of Wicked Awesome Ice Cream Emporium sees her foreordained plans through. Brittany Mattie
UNBEKNOWNST TO HER AT THE TIME, the empty space where Michelle Noel had her heart set on opening Wicked Awesome Ice Cream Emporium had plans to be an ice cream shop already. Early on in her scouting, Noel learned that the previous owner of the brandnew commercial space on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard was a young man who sadly lost his life last year to COVID-19. “Once I knew the circumstances of the space, I thought it was definitely the universe lining up for me,” she says. “I love ice cream, but to hear of the previous owner just made it all the more meaningful to carry it through.” Through serendipitous timing, and a sense to carry on the concept that brings just about everybody joy, Noel opened the doors to Wicked Awesome early this year. And though Noel didn’t know the man who shared the same dream as her, she says, “It means a lot to me that this all still came together after hearing of his passing.” After being downsized last June from her director of national accounts sales position due to the pandemic, the former New Englander had to reevaluate what she truly wanted to do—the legacy she wanted to leave behind. She took all of her savings, her
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30-plus years of experience in selling a variety of consumer products manufacturers to major U.S. retailers, and took a hard left turn on her career path. “It wasn’t as much a choice as it was a turning point in my life and career,” Noel says. “It seemed time to put all I learned in my career into something that was mine.” Lakewood Ranch ice cream lovers can now look forward to the small-batch scoops of New England-style hard ice cream— including flavors honoring her roots, like Boston Tea Party, Vermont Maple Walnut, New Hampshire Wicked “Scorcha,” Maine Moose Tracks, Connecticut Mocha Chip and Rocky Rhode Island. The dense, chewy, hard-serve goodness in every bite is an earnest reminder of how sweet and short the happiest things in life can be—especially in a cone. “I felt called to this location,” Noel says, “and know it will bring a lot of joy and fun with so much family growth and activity happening in this area.” SRQ Above: Owner Michelle Noel sprinkling on a smile with her New England-style hard ice cream. Wicked Awesome Ice Cream Emporium, 4122 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, 941-345-4755, wickedawesomeicecream.com, @waice4122
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.
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CHASING HAPPY
Whether for commercials or films, Ray Dillman follows his heart. Andrew Fabian
WHEN RAY DILLMAN GRADUATED FROM RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN IN 1976 with a degree in design and illustration, he went on to rise
through the ranks of the cutthroat world of advertising by following his heart. After stints as a creative and artistic director for several big-name agencies, he eventually got behind a camera to direct commercials. He leveraged his refined artistic sensibilities—and sensitivities—to create touching moments in which to couch his clients’ products. His heartfelt work would earn him an Emmy Award and make him one of the most highly sought-after directors in the world of advertising. Now a documentarian and filmmaker, he stands as one of the most distinguished Ringling College alumni to have graced its storied campus. In late February, Dillman returned to the Ringling campus to see what was new, and to share some wisdom with students (and SRQ) about how his experience at Ringling College helped shape his career. 16 | srq magazine_ MAY/JUNE21 live local
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SRQ: What was it like growing up as an aspiring artist with military parents? Dillman: I was always kind of an emotional kid, and my mother was an emotional, sweet person. But the funny thing is my father was a drill instructor, very strict; I call him The Great Santini. Both grandfathers were in the military, too. But my decision to not join the military, like my three siblings did, wasn’t met with resistance—they just didn’t understand it. They still supported it and paid for my education here, though my dad had a pejorative term for what I was doing. I just always knew art was my thing and I wanted to do something in the creative arena. I spent all my time in high school in the art room. When I came to Ringling, I felt like I found my people. It was the first time ever that I felt like it was where I needed to be. I had such a good time here, and it was one of the most deIMAGES COURTESY OF RICH SCHINELLER.
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a skill you cultivated, or is it something for which you just had a knack? I feel like it’s something that’s just in me. The skill of getting it out of an actor and crafting it is almost on autopilot for me. If you watch me direct an actor, it would look like I’m not listening to anyone around me; I’m so absorbed in it. So that, for me, is automatic. Growing up, I witnessed a lot of the emotional breadth of life and was affected by it. So, being able to get a couple of actors to have an emotional moment and get it to where it rings true, that’s delicious for me.
Left to right: Ray Dillman chats with SRQ from inside a Ringling College soundstage. For Ringling College film students, Dillman proved to be a trove of wisdom.
pressing nights of my life when I was about to graduate. I had such good friendships here. I think it makes a huge difference to have that commonality. But, you know, we were such art snobs. My mother liked to joke, “I sent an innocent kid off to art school and got back an art snob.”
How did your design and illustration background prepare you for your diverse career? It pays to know a little about everything. The reason I chose Ringling College over Parsons or Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) or Pratt was that Ringling was a traditional art school first, which gave a good base in painting and drawing and sculpture. When I graduated as a design major, I went into advertising, but I found that foundation really helped me with my work as a creative director where I was judging other people’s work. I also work with a lot of people lately who don’t have that foundation. If you think of Ridley Scott, he was an animator. James Cameron was a draftsman. I still draw storyboards. I cut some of my own material. I’ve done the title sequences for both features my wife directed. Even in crafting a crane, that’s art; you’re dealing with composition. That whole sensibility as a designer comes in handy. In your television commercial work, you have a knack for finding a way to couch the product or service int a distinctly human moment. Was that
What was the transition like from television commercials to featurelength films? It would’ve been easier if I was 25! For one thing, the feature film world doesn’t understand that television work is already at their level. [In advertising] I worked with four Academy Award-winning cinematographers, great crews, etc. But the hardest part is getting a production company to trust you with a huge amount of money. Even with commercials, I was spending $225,000 to $275,000 a day. Other than the money, the main difference in film is that you’re always trying to cut 10 minutes out; and, in commercials, it’s just a few seconds. From a storytelling perspective, commercials are like little three-act plays—you have to communicate a really good setup, a nice transition and then a really good payoff. The difference is,o you have 30 seconds to do that in a commercial, whereas, in film, you have an hour and a half. What’s your advice to current students at Ringling College as they prepare for lives outside of a college campus? When I think of my early career, the number one piece of advice is: Don’t stay at something too long that you hate. It’s easy to think it’s going to get better if you’re at an ad agency you don’t like, for example, but keep it moving and take chances. I can think of agencies where I stayed a year or two too long. Another piece of advice is to think beyond the moment. I’m rarely terse with someone because it means a loss of future work. A producer I had years ago, when everything would get dicey, he’d say, “Give me your hand,” and he’d write how much I’d be making on the project. It was snarky, sure, but in the end, you’re not Gaugin painting nudes, you’re trying to sell soap. Lastly, I’d tell students that you’re not going to get work without having work. You just have to make stuff. Write, shoot, film. SRQ
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Left to right: Zach Frignoca, professional shark tooth hunter and owner of Primitive Past, dives for fossilized shark teeth along the coast of Venice. Frignoca cradles a five-inch megalodon tooth, discovered right off Venice Beach. Primitive Past, primitivepast.com
Zach Frignoca brings the prehistoric past back to life as a professional shark tooth hunter. Written by Olivia Liang | Photography by Wyatt Kostygan
ONTHE HUNT
IN THE DARK HOURS OF THE MORNING, after a cup of coffee and a hot shower, Zach Frignoca squirms and stretches into a wetsuit still cold and damp from the day before. Soon he will drive a boat off the Venice shore and dive down into the depths—not dredging or digging, but scanning and surveying the ocean floor for prehistoric prizes peeking up and out into the modern world. Frignoca is a shark tooth hunter. He is an adventurer in a most perilous scavenger hunt—a high-risk, high-reward game of hide-and-seek. “If you’re somebody who has a deep understanding of natural history,” he says, “and you’re interested in where you come from, where the earth has been and where it’s going, these teeth tell a big story.”
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A diver for more than 30 years, Frignoca began his fossil-hunting expeditions even earlier at age six, when he strapped on a snorkel and joined his dad and the boys at the Peace River. He unearthed Ice Age fossils from megalodons, sharks, mastodons and extinct species of horse. While learning about the shy nature of venomous snakes and how to swim feet from alligators without getting eaten, Frignoca watched his dad catch water snakes with his bare hands and toss snapping turtles at friends. “To me, he was Indiana Jones,” Frignoca says, thinking back to the nights his dad would come home with stories of run-ins with sharks
“To me, he was Indiana Jones, I wanted to do the same thing. I watned to have those adventures and I wanted it to be part of my job description.” — Zach Frignoca and alligators before giving him a box of found fossils to bring to school the next day—a tradition Frignoca has continued with his own two children. “I wanted to do the same thing,” he says. “I wanted to have those adventures and I wanted it to be part of my job description.” For more than 20 years, Frignoca has merged his personal passion with his profession—first supplying other dealers with his own fossil finds as a wholesaler, and now as the owner of Primitive Past, an online dealer of museum-quality fossils from around the world. Recent gems include a Peruvian Chubutensis shark tooth, a Chilean Great White tooth, a Belemnite fossil from Australia, megalodon teeth from Indonesia and red fossil horse teeth from North Florida. In many ways, the fossilized shark teeth market resembles that of any other collector’s items: coins, baseball cards or antique PEZ dispensers. But there’s a reason why people spend hundreds of hours hunting, hundreds of dollars buying, and thousands of hours traveling the world to experience this commodity firsthand. On a primal level, as Frignoca calls it, the aesthetic of any one shark tooth has a strong enough appeal—something to capture everyone’s sense of wonder. Each tooth is distinct in color, texture and shape, in accordance with its fossilization process. But more than that, each tooth
encapsulates millions of years of natural history that can sit in the palm of one’s hand. As a businessman, Frignoca sits at his desk, answers emails and scours the internet for more great finds, but he is really an adventurer at heart. He craves a different kind of blue light—a softer shade with streams of sun located a few miles off the coast, where the waters churn and history emerges. For 24 million years, Florida has wavered in a constant state of existing above and below the water’s surface, where the cold-blooded fish--whose existence has outlived dinosaurs—swam and hunted. There are more than 500 species of shark, and each one can lose 30,000 or more teeth in a lifetime due to having multiple rows of replenishable teeth. In the proper conditions, the enamel allows the teeth to fossilize—a process that requires a minimum of 10,000 years to complete. And Venice, known as “The Shark Tooth Capital of the World,” is prime real estate for hunting and harvesting these millions of fossilized teeth. Venice’s fossil layers lay just beneath the surface due to millions of years of warm, shallow bays that were perfect for breeding. The layers are then constantly exposed and turned over by wind and waves, slowly eroding fossils from the Gulf Coast. Smaller tiger, bull or lemon shark teeth interweave with the sand on Caspersen Beach. But, as you venture further out into the surf, the prizes only grow. “You’re the first person to hold these things that were lost millions of years ago,” Frignoca says. “And when you really think about that, it’s incredible.” Sinking below the surface, shark tooth diving is first and foremost a process of trial and error. “The Gulf of Mexico on the bottom is a lot like a washing machine with each storm,” Frignoca explains. The ocean floor shuffles and shakes after a cold front or hurricane, eroding new fossils and pushing them up into view in the sand below, leaving it littered with fossils. But finding a fruitful site means traveling one quarter to two miles off shore, then continuously diving down and returning to air until discovering a fossil-rich area. If whale bones or dugong rib cages appear (the past meals of megalodons), then the modern hunt begins. Descending with an extra-large oxygen tank and four empty pouches strapped to his chest—some filled with bubble-wrap sleeves for the more precious prizes—Frignoca assesses the surrounding currents, winds and sea life. His surroundings often include clouds of stinging jellyfish, manatee, guitarfish, loggerhead sea turtles and sharks politely coming
Top to bottom: Fossilized shark tooth coloration depends on the sediment it has been resting in for thousands or millions of years, making each fossil distinct.
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and going, sharing their space with a fellow hunter. While some divers diligently swim back and forth like a lawnmower across a fossil-rich patch, Frignoca zigzags from above, entering a kind of meditative state while covering as much ground as possible. A predator in his own way, half relaxed and half on high alert, Frignoca is on the hunt. His prize? megalodon teeth— bigger and better than before. “Every time you go diving, you’re hoping to find your next biggest tooth,” he says. For this highly experienced diver, the prize is quality, not quantity because a daily haul will include a megalodon tooth for Frignoca, every time, usually ranging from two to four inches. A recent find that still has him beaming with pride and wonder came a few months ago. Having already dived one tank, Frignoca sat on the boat with a dive partner, honing an inkling that something great was concealed just 30 feet below. Into the ice-cold water and floating high off the ocean floor, he spotted a whale rib on a reef and, below it, a lump in the sand. Reaching down and scooping with his fingers, he lifted a six-and-a-half-inch marbled black-and-brown tooth from the upper jaw of a massive megalodon—every square inch of it distinct from the next. “When you have a tooth of that size in your hand, it looks all of 10 million years old,” he says. Megalodon teeth express the most diversity of color, ranging from marbled blacks, greys, blues and greens—all depending on the sediment they have resided in for tens of thousands of years. These teeth can be found anywhere the earth has been disturbed, sending Frignoca to land sites, creeks, and coastal and inland rivers. “They’re located in the last true pieces of Florida,” he says. “And you’re getting a taste of what Florida was like thousands, if not millions, of years ago.” In true wild Florida style, those areas are populated with rattlesnakes, bull sharks and snapping turtles—even big bull alligators in coffee-colored waters, looking aggressive, unwilling to share their swimming holes. Frignoca is an adventurer and an explorer, searching for fossils that allow worlds to collide. A solitary diver, he swims along a limestone reef on the Venice coast, pouches full with the teeth of jaws past. Then, in a moment of historic serendipity, the shape of a large creature emerges from the dark—intimidating but docile and calm. A nurse shark. It stops, pausing just beneath the diver’s legs. “The only thing I could think to do,” says Frignoca, “was gently pet its head. And I did. Then he just swam off.” And so it goes for the life of a shark tooth hunter. SRQ srq magazine_ MAy/JUNE21 live local | 21
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PETS WE LOVE A WOOFING WAGGLE OF THE FURRY FINALISTS IN THE 2021 COMPETITION.
This past year, pets were promoted from sidekicks to co-workers and we loved them all the more for it. They kept our workfrom-home couches warm with their fluffy faces and took lunch breaks with us in hopes of going for quick walks around the block. This year’s SRQ Pets We Love audition calling saw a surplus of canine colleagues clawing their way to the top (alongside one standout horse). Check out the winners of the year’s cutest competition.
SENNA A RAY OF AUSSIE SUNSHINE, SIX-MONTH-OLD AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD MIX
“Senna has captured our hearts since she entered our home,” says owner Aurelie Vandenbroek. “She has been a ray of sunshine for our 13-year-old Aussie, Rocket, who is having difficulties walking.” IF YOUR PET
coordinated by ariel chates studio photography by wyatt kostygan environmental portraits by wes roberts
HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HER IT WOULD BE: Sweet Senna YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? Hugs, kisses and plenty of walks. SENNA’S DREAM WOULD BE TO become
friends with our cat, Nico.
PROGRAM PARTNER
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HUGO
BLUE
THE DREAMING DACHSHUND, EIGHT-MONTH-OLD DACHSHUND MIX
19-YEAR-OLD PIEBALD PAINT HORSE
“Hugo sleeps wherever and whenever. He gives the best snuggles and has to be touching one of us at all times. When he’s excited, he prances like a horse,” says owner Rachel Brummer. “Nothing makes him happier than chasing tennis balls at the dog park, or any snack you give him. He’s extremely fast! For a little dog, he has a big bark, too. We found him in a small St. Petersburg shelter and he’s changed our lives for the better. We had been searching for a rescue for so long and had even tried to adopt one, but it didn’t work out. We had almost given up hope, then came across sweet Hugo. We have so much love for him and we know it’s reciprocated! Every day is a new adventure with our little nugget.”
“I’ve always had a special spot in my heart for horses. I’ve been riding since I was five. My mom took me to look at some horses and I didn’t like any of them until Blue,” recalls owner Bailey Ouellette. “When I saw him for the first time, just looking at him brought me so much joy and that’s what made me fall in love with him. Even more is his personality. He had the goofiest personality. He would constantly give you kisses and nod his head if he thought you had treats. I would love nothing more than to show him off to the world because that’s what he deserves: the world.”
IF YOUR PET HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER THEM IT WOULD BE: Snoozin’ with Sleepy Hugo Slogan: First Barks, Then Naps. YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? Barks, naps, foods (especially chicken), chasing tennis balls at the
park with daddy and snuggle time with mommy while she taps on her laptop. HUGO’S PERFECT DREAM? Follow daddy wherever he goes and nap around the world in mommy’s lap. HIS SLOGAN? “First barks, then naps.”
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YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? Wake up,
eat breakfast, take a nap, and then he would go out to pasture and eat grass. Then he would be brushed while taking a nap. I would tack him up and we would go move cows, since that’s his favorite job, and then we would come back. I would untack him, hose him off, feed him and then he would go back to sleep. BLUE’S PERFECT DREAM? To be the best ranch horse ever.
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DHARMA THE UPLIFTING DOWNWARD DOG, ONE-YEAR-OLD ENGLISH BULLDOG
“Dharma came into our lives in March 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic. We were struggling emotionally and felt scared about the future. Quickly, Dharma became part of the yoga studio and greeted everyone when they arrived for a healing yoga practice,” shares owner Claudia Baeza, shown above. “Dharma’s love and affection is felt the moment you meet her. I think she knows how much she was needed—she doesn’t hold back her love of other furry friends and children. She is part of the yoga community at Pineapple Yoga + Cycling Studio, and we are so grateful for her presence every single day. She keeps us focused on always following our Dharma and sharing our love and truth!” YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? On a perfect day, Dharma is energized to greet everyone that arrives at the studio with wiggles and licks!
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ELLIE THE ESCAPE ARTIST ESKIMO, THREE-YEAR-OLD MINIATURE AMERICAN ESKIMO
“One time, she was staying with a dog sitter who lived in the country club golf course in Lakewood Ranch, and she decided to play Houdini and escape from her leash,” says owner Sejal Patel, shown to the right. “She was seen by several golfers running across the golf course, exploring the ‘wild.’ It took about four hours, a community and some police work only to find her sitting back at the doorstep of her sitter’s house post-exploration!” IF YOUR PET HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HER IT WOULD BE: Ellie Diaries: A Tail of Stories About Daily Life as a Dog Pretending to be Human YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? A day at the park followed by lots of cookie treats and belly rubs, and then cuddling on the cold tile floor sideways for a long nap.
KONA THE TUG-O-WAR CHAMPION, SIX-YEAR-OLD WHITE ALASKAN HUSKY
“Her favorite game is tug-o-war, but she will only play on our area rugs. She realizes she can’t get a good enough grip on tile or hardwood. If her rope is thrown onto a hard surface, she stops at the edge of the carpet, pauses and evaluates,” says owner Jacob Roberie, shown below left. “She then either grabs the rope and backpedals as fast as possible to a rug, or goes as fast as possible from rug to rug to get the rope (as if the hard floor were lava).” IF YOUR PET HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HER IT WOULD BE It is My World So Love Me and Give Me All the Petss YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? Snow day! KONA’S DREAM WOULD BE TO chase
and actually catch a squirrel.
STEWIE AND BUCK RELAXED AND RETIRED CHEER-UP PUPS, 14-YEAR-OLD BUFF COCKER SPANIEL AND 12-YEAR-OLD TRI-COLOR COLLIE
“Stewie is a rescued pup whose family abandoned him at seven, wanting the vet to put him to sleep so they could travel and not worry about him,” says owner Theresa Mattis, shown left. “He is sweet and gentle and the master of begging. Stewie also visited long-term care and hospitals before retiring two years ago and was a real favorite of the ladies! Buck is retired now, but he has visited long-term care facilities and hospitals in the past, cheering up patients and workers at those facilities. He also gave comfort to traumatized rescued dogs. The dogs just seem to find comfort lying next to him in his bed. Buck loves running around after the little dogs in the park, separating them if they ever get too rough but never ever hurting them.” IF YOUR PETS HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER THEM, IT WOULD BE (Stewie) How to Make Your Master Feel Guilty and Give Treats! (Buck) Bucktastic!
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BUDDY THE ULTIMATE WEEKEND TRIP BUDDY, TWO-YEAR-OLD KEESHOND
“It took a year and a half for me to find the perfect breed to replace my boyfriend’s dog, Bear—a chow mix who we put down when his cancer started causing him to suffer. My boyfriend was suffering from failed back surgery syndrome and was home alone much of the day on most days. A friend had done a DNA test to discover her dog’s breed and posted the results online; among them was Keeshond, whose chow-like fluff and smile were reminiscent of Bear’s but who had a friendly temperament. They’re known as ‘velcro dogs,’ sticking by their owner’s side,” says owner Krystle Harvey, shown right. “After a little more research, this breed sounded perfect for my boyfriend. I found a reputable breeder out of state and began an email conversation with her. I was in luck! The waiting list for her next litter was mostly for females, but we liked male dogs. I placed a deposit and kept it a secret until the puppies were born, and then let my boyfriend know so he could get excited as the puppy photos came out. This was the first purebred dog I’ve ever sought out (I’m a huge proponent of rescues and had a Humane Society rescue dog to greet Buddy when we brought him home). Buddy has brought life and laughter into our home when sometimes my boyfriend’s situation gets one or both of us down. He makes great noises, has comedic timing and loves the attention of other people. He expects to go somewhere on the weekend, so we plan our weekends around getting Buddy to the Sarasota or Lakewood Ranch Farmers’ Market (which we call the “Buddy parade”) or at least getting him to DOGPerfect to see the staff (his friends). He is our unofficial therapy dog, and we try to get him out about town in hopes that he’ll bring smiles to others’ faces, too.”
Buddy Rabbit: Velcro Dog Extraordinaire. YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? Sunrise four-mile walk, chasing squirrels in the backyard, a very long afternoon nap, and a huge dinner of kibble and flavored “magic dust” sprinkled on top. To end the day, I watch over my humans while they stare at the big box on the wall. I wonder what is so interesting? YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? Showing off at the Sarasota Farmers Market, visiting my DogPerfect friends, treats and naps. BUDDY’S PERFECT DREAM? Be invited to a buffet dinner. He’s very food-motivated. IF YOUR PET HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER THEM, IT WOULD BE
BOWIE THE SUNKISSED SAINT, TWO-YEAR-OLD ST. BERNARD
“Bowie is a rescue from the Buffalo, NY area. I like to say that “he found us” and not the other way around,” recalls owner Leslie Ohl. “We had recently lost our Great Pyrenees to cancer, and we were heartbroken and had such a void in our life without a furry friend around. And then came Bowie! He has become a fixture in our neighborhood since we moved down to Sarasota this past fall. He’s a “city dog” that previously had no backyard to run in and down here he has lots of running room. I don’t think he’s missing the snow any more than we are!” IF YOUR PET HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER THEM, IT WOULD BE The Great Adventures of Bowie the Bernard (from Buffalo!) YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? Sunrise four-mile walk,
chasing squirrels in the backyard, a very long afternoon nap, and a huge dinner of kibble and flavored “magic dust” sprinkled on top. To end the day, I watch over my humans while they stare at the big box on the wall. I wonder what is so interesting? BOWIE’S PERFECT DREAM? Have a backyard filled with other furry four-legged friends to play with every day! 88 | srq magazine_ SUMMER20 live local
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HUCKLEBERRY THE WATERPROOF PUP, FOUR-MONTH-OLD SHIH TZU
“The very first time we took Huck to a dog-friendly beach in the area, he charged confidently ahead of us and directly into the ocean! He had never seen the water before and didn’t realize it wasn’t dry ground. He made a quick u-turn and paddled his way back to shore,” laughs owner Laura Castro. “Undeterred from his day of fun, he shook himself off, rolled around in the sand and galloped to the nearest human for a few ‘good boy’ pets.” IF YOUR PET HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE Sweet as Huckleberry Pie: A Little Pup with a Big Sense of Adventure YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? He would love to spend all day
outside, finding the very best sticks, smelling new smells and finding new friends. HUCKLEBERRY’S DREAM WOULD BE TO have his humans quit their jobs and embark on full-time adventures with him.
MAX THE BOOKISH BARKER, FIVE-YEAR-OLD SHELTIE MIX
“Max has perfected the art of sleeping in a bookstore (his day job). He has also trained people to make him homemade organic dog biscuits, rub his belly and scratch his ears, all without lifting a paw,” says owner Barbara Barone. “He will occasionally do yoga. He can hold the ‘downward dog’ pose all day long. While other dogs may run circles around him, literally, we think he is the best boy ever. And I know my bookstore customers agree.” IF YOUR PET HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE My Chair is My Throne (A.K.A.
I Love to Sleep in My Chair While Getting Belly Rubs and Treats, Since I Have Trained People to Come to Me) YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? Resting while being scratched and loved on, round it off with his favorite treat. MAX’S DREAM WOULD BE TO chase squirrels all day— in his dreams, so he can still sleep.
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WRIGLEY THE DOGGIE-PADDLE PROFESSIONAL, WRIGLEY BEAR (WRIGGLES, DOC MCWRIGGLES), TWO-YEAR-OLD MAJESTIC GOLDEN RETRIEVER
“Wrigley Bear is extremely empathetic and provides great comfort to his mommy, who has a rare neurological condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome,” says owner Kim Welch. “He can sense when his mom is having a pain flare and puts his head across her legs when she is in too much pain to move from bed. He provides great comfort, companionship, and a distraction with his dopey smile and puppy snuggles on days when it feels like you don’t have the strength to push through the pain.” IF YOUR PET HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE Aquapuppy- The Pool is Calling! YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY? Wrigley is a natural in the pool, who learned
how to swim when he was just six-weeks-old. Wrigley would swim all day if he could, gliding through the water and using his tail to steer. After swimming back and forth fetching water balls, Wrigley just hangs out on the step soaking in the sunshine. Then it’s bath time. He also gets a special blueberry facial. After his bath, it’s towel time. He loves to roll around in warm towels straight from the dryer. WRIGLEY’S DREAM WOULD BE TO have an endless supply of bacon and live in a pool.
DUEY THE INTERGALACTIC MONK, 10-YEAR-OLD FULL BREED LHASA APSO
“Duey is such a calm, contemplative dog that people often say they’ve never seen a dog like him. He likes to go everywhere with his mom, and sits and looks around very calmly like a Tibetan monk!” laughs owner Bia Antunes. “The Lhasa Apso comes from Tibet and is one of the oldest dog breeds. It was bred to be a monk’s lapdog and a sentinel of the monastery. Duey, like his monk ancestral family, loves to sit around and look at trees, birds and appreciate nature. He makes mom slow down and appreciate nature’s gifts.” IF YOUR PET HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE Meditations with Duey YOUR PET’S PERFECT DAY?
Wake up late, eat natural food made by mom, go to the park to smell all the bushes, and mainly watch the other dogs play. I’d rather chill and look at the trees. But I always greet the big girls. I especially like pit-girls. Then I go to work with mom, where I sleep until mom is ready to go back home. I eat my dinner and then mom and I go to sleep in my king-size bed. I sleep right in the middle, of course. DUEY’S DREAM WOULD BE TO star as an Ewok in Star Wars. srq magazine_ MAY/JUNE21 live local | 31
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PHILANTHROPY SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION :: DONOR GUIDE TO GIVING
GivingHearts DONOR'S GUIDE TO GIVING ON THE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA
YOUR GUIDE TO GIVING OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL IMPACT THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WORKING IN THE REGION. BECOME A PART OF THE LOCAL PHILANTHROPIC STORY BY FULFILLING THEIR GIVING BACK WISH LISTS!
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Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties SEE YOURSELF HERE. The leaders of tomorrow are at Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and
DeSoto Counties today. Over the past 50 years, we’ve witnessed thousands of youth, especially those who need us most, discover their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. People who walk through our doors and meet our Club members are amazed by what they find – children and teens not unlike their younger selves full of hope, optimism and potential. Youth ages 6 to 18 are accessing enriching programs tailored to meet their needs and achieve their future goals. At Boys & Girls Clubs, youth can focus on building a greater, brighter future. Your interest in helping our community’s future leaders allows you to support the types of activities you believe in such as arts, academics, health, leadership and entrepreneurship. We invite you to See Yourself Here and recognize the significant impact your support can have on a child’s life. There are several ways to become a part of the Boys & Girls Clubs’ work in shaping the leaders of tomorrow. Visit bgcsdc.org/seeyourselfhere to learn more or call 941-366-3911 to schedule a tour.
Our WishList Donations for a child to obtain a one-year Boys & Girls Clubs membership Support for programs in Character and Leadership Development, Education and Career Development, Health and Life Skills, the Arts, and Sports, Fitness and Recreation Funds for curriculum supplies for teens in leadership, service, entrepreneurial, vocational and college and career prep programs Gifts to increase our safety and COVID-19 relief efforts Capital support for the renovation and expansion of our new Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club in Arcadia Gifts for our endowment so we can continue empowering local youth for years to come.
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES 3130 FRUITVILLE RD. SARASOTA, FL 34237 941-366-3911 | BGCSDC.ORG
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Our WishList Scholarships
for circus summer camp students Scholarships for Sailor Circus Academy students Funds for new training equipment Funds for virtual meeting equipment Supplies for Circus Science Machine classroom projects
Circus Arts Conservatory THE MISSION OF The Circus Arts Conservatory is to engage and educate students using
innovative learning programs; to measurably improve the quality of life for individuals in care facilities; and to advance the extraordinary legacy of the circus. This mission underscores The CAC’s commitment to sharing the entertainment, education, and enrichment that Circus Arts provide. As part of its mission, The CAC is a generous community partner, donating over 5,000 tickets to non-profit agencies and those in need annually. CAC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is home to Circus Sarasota, the Sailor Circus Academy and the nation’s first Circus Arts School Magnet Programs. It is recognized for incredible performances and vital community outreach services in Southwest FL and beyond. Showcased in a one-ring, European-style Big Top, Circus Sarasota features international circus artists acclaimed for world-class performances. Each year, thousands of students excel after participating in our circus arts science programs. And our Circus Arts in Healthcare program brings smiles to isolated seniors in care communities. The Sailor Circus Academy is the nation’s longest running youth circus, providing rigorous athletic training and life skills for area youth producing annual holiday and spring shows.
THE CIRCUS ARTS CONSERVATORY | 941-355-9335 ZOLTAN@CIRCUSARTS.ORG | KARENM@CIRCUSARTS.ORG
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Humane Society of Manatee County
Our WishList Angel Fund
Veterinary Clinic fund that is used to provide treatment for animals when their families can not afford the cost of needed medical services. Spay & Neuter funding to provide these surgeries at low cost / no cost for low income residents
PHILANTHROPY ABOUNDS IN MANATEE COUNTY and Sarasota County year after year as
donors, supporters and the business community continue to support hundreds of area non-profits. This support has not only allowed the Humane Society of Manatee County to continue our life saving mission based work on behalf of the animals, but has allowed for an expansion of our veterinary clinic services. Our communities have a large financially challenged population who own animals and these individuals and families struggle to provide veterinary care for their animals. Humane Society of Manatee County continues to provide much needed low-to-moderate cost veterinary services and low cost / no cost spay and neuter surgeries, microchips and vaccines. Two great programs that need your support are the Angel Fund, which provides funding to help financially challenged owners get their animals the veterinary care they deserve and need for emergency cases. A new fund, the Animal Cruelty Victims Fund, has been established to fund care needed for animals who have suffered from neglect or cruelty and are being cared for by our medical team. Online donations can be made by going to www.humanemanatee.org and donations can also be mailed to 2515 14th Street W. Bradenton, Florida 34205.
Shelter Operating funding to provide medical care for animals in our Second Chance Adoption Program. Educational Outreach funding for our school age children outreach programs. Spay & Neuter funding for our TNR (Trap, neuter, release) program for Feral and free roaming community cats.
Images courtesy of Dani Zeris Photography.
HUMANE SOCIETY OF MANATEE COUNTY 2515 14TH STREET W, BRADENTON, FL | HUMANEMANATEE.ORG 941-747-8808 | INFO@HUMANESOCIETYMANATEE.ORG
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Our WishList Grow to at least 500 members in 2022 so that we can fund at least one grant in each of our five focus areas.
Broaden and deepen our membership base to continue to reach women from all walks of life. Maintain 100% volunteer organization by accepting Corporate Sponsorships for our 3 signature events each year
IMPACT100 SRQ IMPACT100 SRQ empowers women to collectively fund transformational grants to local non-
profits. Together, we make a sustainable impact in Sarasota and Manatee Counties one grant at a time. In three short years, we will have awarded $974,000 to local nonprofits right here in our community. One Woman – One Vote – One Mission.
Accept invitations to address clubs, organizations, and groups to tell the story of who we are and what we do. Showcase and support our Award Recipients’ transformational initiatives throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties.
MEMBERSHIPRECRUITING@IMPACT100SRQ.ORG | IMPACT100SRQ.ORG
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Manatee Community Foundation WHEN YOU KNOW YOUR GIVING is making a difference, you feel good about your
contributions. Our community grows as a caring, supported place. And inclusion becomes a natural way to work together. As a trusted partner in charitable giving, we love to see the power of people who truly care. Our donors create new possibilities—uplifting nonprofits during COVID-19, supporting students with scholarships that will change their lives through education, and investing year-round in real results for real people. What a wonderful world indeed. Visit us online to learn how people like you partner with Manatee Community Foundation for their charitable giving.
Our WishList Thriving children and families Increased opportunity through education Compassion in animal welfare Civic engagement in downtown Bradenton Diversity, equity, access and inclusion Widespread participation in local charitable giving
MANATEE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SUSIE BOWIE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2820 MANATEE AVE. W BRADENTON, FL 34205 | MANATEECF.ORG 941-747-7765 | SBOWIE@MANATEECF.ORG
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About Us
Receives no federal funding and has maximum flexibility to serve all those in need, including the mentally and physically impaired. Helps those in need plus those affected by unemployment due to COVID-19.
Meals on Wheels Sarasota CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SAYING "YES" When other agencies say, “we can’t do more to
help,” Meals On Wheels of Sarasota says YES. They say YES to veterans. YES to pregnant women and new moms. YES to the mentally impaired, seniors and families in need throughout our community. Meals On Wheels of Sarasota says, “YES, we will provide healthy meals, boxes of essential supplies, fresh fruits and vegetables, and more to those who are unable to plan, shop, or prepare meals for themselves.” Even in the grip of a pandemic, Meals On Wheels of Sarasota found a way to make a difference… because of your help in donating and volunteering. With no federal funding and the nonprofit charging members $6 per 1,000-calorie meal, Meals On Wheels of Sarasota depends on the generous support of our community to help "keep the wheels turning." Donations help provide approximately 250,000 meals yearly on 38 routes covering 600 to 800 square miles a day. And Meals On Wheels of Sarasota drivers don’t just provide food. During drop-off, they also check the safety and cleanliness of clients’ homes and provide a point of human contact for people who may be isolated, a pressing need in the era of social distancing. To learn more about donating or volunteering your time to help local people in need, visit MealsOnWheelsOfSarasota.org.
Our WishList Volunteers needed—delivery assistance only takes 1 to 1½ hours. Dry dog and cat food donations support the PetLove program, providing food for the beloved pets of lowincome seniors and disabled Sarasotans.
MEALS ON WHEELS OF SARASOTA, INC. 421 N. LIME AVE., SARASOTA, FL 34237 | 941-366-6693 | MEALSONWHEELSOFSARASOTA.ORG SRQ MAGAZINE
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Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium
Our WishList Continuing to protect sea turtles in Southwest Florida.
Ensuring the survival of Florida's Coral Reef for generations to come. Constructing the Mote Science Education Aquarium to improve our community’s ocean literacy.
MOTE MARINE LABORATORY & AQUARIUM is a world class nonprofit marine research institution committed to the belief that the conservation and sustainable use of our oceans begins with research and education. What started as a tiny, one-room laboratory has grown over the years to include more than 20 diverse marine research programs and a public Aquarium that serves as a gateway to our oceans. Thanks to generous philanthropy, Mote has been at the forefront of groundbreaking research and discoveries that have advanced marine science as we know it. We’ve seen sea turtle nesting numbers grow under our watchful eye, released tens of thousands of baby snook into local waterways, tracked great white sharks from Nova Scotia to Florida, and so much more. As we continue to expand our capabilities for excellent marine research and education, we’re creating a brand new, state of the art International Coral Gene Bank to save our treasured coral from extinction, and a new Mote Science Education Aquarium that will inspire current and future generations to
protect and conserve our oceans. The future of our oceans' health sure is looking bright!
Supporting research programs through philanthropy. Inspiring each guest to take action on behalf of our oceans.
MOTE MARINE LABORATORY & AQUARIUM | 1600 KEN THOMPSON PKWY, SARASOTA, FL, 34236 | 941-388-4441 | MOTE.ORG
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Fearless Learning. Forward Thinking.
Our WishList Student Scholarships
Scholarship support is the highest priority for New College. By investing in a student’s education, you can change a life forever. Preserving the Pei Legacy
The vision of I.M. Pei is inseparable from New College’s architectural identity and the highly prized Pei buildings need significant restoration. Help preserve the I.M. Pei legacy on the New College campus.
DONOR'S GUIDE TO GIVING
New College Foundation BRILLIANT FUTURES BEGIN HERE.
New College of Florida prepares intellectually curious students for lives of great achievement. Through close interaction with faculty, rigorous academics, and a highly personalized learning experience, every student receives an honors-level education. Students also benefit from individualized career coaching, internship opportunities, and professional mentoring to guide them in their career preparation. This fall, New College will introduce new majors in emerging fields like global health and quantitative social sciences, expand its well-respected data science program, and offer certificates in technology, business and finance. The New College Foundation raises funds to support the students and faculty of New College. The Foundation relies on gifts from generous donors to provide funding for student scholarships, faculty and student research, academic excellence, and campus improvements. Together, we prepare intellectually curious students for lives of great achievement.
NEW COLLEGE FOUNDATION, INC. | 5800 BAY SHORE ROAD, SARASOTA, FL NCF.EDU/ FOUNDATION | 941-487-4800
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Our WishList Invest in further "stocking our flock". We have an aging population of flamingos and would like to introduce new ones for breeding, conservation and exhibition purposes. Add a sun cover to our playground area allowing year round use. Replace our reptile house building and expand facilities to incorporate summer camp opportunities and other covered area needs including weddings. Invest in infrastructure and more interspecies exhibits for animal enrichment and guest appreciation. Invest in upgrades to our Birds of Prey exhibits
Sarasota Jungle Gardens OUR MISSION is to educate and inspire our community through interactive experiences with
animals and nature supported by unmatched customer service. SARASOTA JUNGLE GARDENS | 3701 BAY SHORE RD., SARASOTA FL, 34234 MARKETING@SARASOTAJUNGLEGARDENS.COM | SARASOTAJUNGLEGARDENS.COM NANCY LAVICK: NANCYLAVICK@SARASOTAJUNGLEGARDENS.COM
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Our WishList Gifts to the Healthcare Foundation provide critical resources in the following areas: Patient Care Maintaining the highest standards in patient care is the cornerstone of our hospital. Education Continuing education guarantees healthcare providers receive the most current information available. Technology Staying on the leading edge of today’s technology means patients benefit from the latest advances.
Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation
DONOR'S GUIDE TO GIVING
SARASOTA MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION IS THE PHILANTHROPIC PARTNER THAT HELPS SARASOTA MEMORIAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM BRING WORLD-CLASS CARE TO OUR COMMUNITY. SINCE 1976, GRANTS FROM THE HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION, funded by the
generosity of our donors, have been strengthening healthcare in our community. Most recently, the Healthcare Foundation has been helping support two important healthcare initiatives for Sarasota Memorial. Bringing hope to patients and families facing cancer: Our Leading with Care campaign is generating support for the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute so that cancer patients in our community won’t need to leave home to receive comprehensive care. The first phase is complete; the new Radiation Oncology Center at University Parkway opened in August 2020. The Oncology Tower on the main campus is on track to open Fall of 2021. Helping SMH manage the COVID-19 pandemic: At its onset, the Healthcare Foundation immediately provided critical resources to the hospital that included funding for infection control robots, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), specialized staff for COVID-19 Clinical Research Trials, enhanced testing, and employee assistance for frontline healthcare workers. For over 45 years, the Healthcare Foundation has worked together with Sarasota Memorial Health Care System to ensure a healthy future for our community and to help SMH maintain its ranking as one of the nation’s top performing hospitals.
Research Ongoing clinical research is integral in offering lifesaving and life-improving advances. Facilities First-rate facilities are fundamental to the delivery of quality care and medical services
SARASOTA MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION 1515 S. OSPREY AVE., SUITE B4 SARASOTA, FL 34239 | 941-917-1286 | SMHF.ORG SRQ MAGAZINE
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Our WishList Thrive By Five
needs $75,541 to help 40 students over eight weeks prepare for kindergarten. Maintain an attendance goal of 80% for children and parents in the program. Increase Achievement in Five Areas: literacy, social and emotional development, cognitive learning, approaches to learning and physical development. Survey for parents and teachers to measure the impact of the program. Assessments to measure school readiness goals, including a 90% attainment expectation.
Step Up Suncoast THRIVE BY FIVE: GIVING CHILDREN THE EARLY LEARNING BOOST THEY NEED TO EXCEL IN KINDERGARTEN. The coronavirus outbreak undoubtedly disrupted education across the
country for children – particularly, five-year-olds swiftly approaching kindergarten – whose crucial learning, like being taught to grip a pencil or recite the alphabet, fell to the wayside amid an ongoing pandemic. It was enough for Step Up Suncoast to create Thrive By Five, an extended summer preschool program for rising kindergarten students deemed unready to advance to elementary education or at risk of summer learning loss, in Manatee County. Evidence suggests children who enter kindergarten unprepared remain behind for years to come – both in education and adulthood. Thrive By Five looks to provide 40 five-year-olds, during an eight-week span in the summer, the boost they need to succeed prior to kindergarten’s start in August. The early learning initiative focuses on literacy, science, technology, engineering and math while providing small class sizes and a personalized curriculum to fit the needs of each child. Thrive By Five was designed to assess a child’s physical, social and emotional health in addition to education for the entire family. And it’s just one of several ways Step Up Suncoast, a nonprofit servicing west central Florida, hopes to help the community continue to thrive. During an unprecedented time, there is an unprecedented need. Please consider a donation today to Thrive By Five or one of the other fifteen programs focused on breaking the cycle of multigenerational poverty one family at a time.
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STEP UP SUNCOAST | 941-554-7021 | DONATE@STEPUPSUNCOAST.ORG
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The Community Foundation of Sarasota County COMMUNITY IMPACT POWERED BY PHILANTHROPY. Each one of us has the potential to
impact a person, a cause, a community. For more than 40 years, this belief has empowered the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to build the community we all want to live in, one that inspires us to bridge differences—across age, race, gender, ethnicity, family, experience, perspective—and build transformative solutions. Creating lasting impact across generations starts with all of us and grows donor by donor, cause by cause. As a convener and connector, the Community Foundation represents our community’s dreams and aspirations, connecting individuals and families with causes to create cycles of opportunity. With the trust of our community, we have grown to be one of the largest community foundations in Florida, with $421 million in assets and more than 1,500 charitable funds that enable us to award millions of dollars in grants and scholarships to local students and families in collaboration with our nonprofit partners each year. As a community foundation, we exist first and foremost to serve our entire community. Each of us together – one person, cause, community at a time – can make a lasting difference. How will you Be The One?
Our WishList Support a Cause Donate to trusted organizations that can use your gift to respond with local knowledge to support causes you care about. Begin your search at TheGivingPartner.org. Volunteer for a Nonprofit Reach out to help address critical needs. Search for volunteer opportunities on TheGivingPartner.org. Build A Community Embracing All Voices & People Foster a culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion so everyone can achieve their full potential.
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA COUNTY | 941-955-3000 | CFSARASOTA.ORG 2635 FRUITVILLE RD. SARASOTA, FL 34237
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Our WishList Underwrite
a Virtual Schooltime Performance Sponsor a Teaching Artist’s Online Lessons Support a Virtual Bilingual Family Engagement Night Fund Activity Kits and Books for Students and Families for At-Home Reading
Van Wezel Foundation THE VAN WEZEL FOUNDATION’S MISSION is to create a world-class performing arts center
that enriches the community, supports arts education and inspires young minds. The Foundation has partnered with the City of Sarasota since 1987 to support arts education throughout our region, serving more than 40,000 students with enriching arts-based education opportunities and professional development for more than 400 teachers across five counties. Although the pandemic has made in-person access to arts programs not possible, philanthropic support has allowed the Van Wezel Hall Arts Education programs to thrive. Thanks to generous donors, innovative new partnerships and virtual programs have been developed around diversity and inclusion. Important work is being done with the Early Learning Coalition to provide kindergarten readiness. Trained teaching artists are meeting the demand for social emotional learning for students, professional development for educators, as well as using the arts as a therapeutic mental health tool for families. For more information on the Foundation and its mission, visit vwfoundation.org, or join us on Facebook (@VanWezelFoundation) and Instagram (@VanWezelFound).
VAN WEZEL FOUNDATION SASHA HAUSMAN, CFRE, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 941-271-4176 X107 | SHAUSMAN@VWFOUNDATION.ORG
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Our WishList Expand free grief
services for children and families Support specialty training for nurses and home health aides Expand music therapy services Provide charity care for those too young for Medicare
Tidewell Foundation THE TIDEWELL FOUNDATION provides perpetual philanthropic support to sustain and grow
the critically important programs and services provided through the not-for-profit mission of Tidewell Hospice and its family of companies. One relationship at a time, we connect our donors’ passions with our mission. We facilitate the magic of donors’ visions and legacies by creating life-changing opportunities to invest with us. As the only not-forprofit hospice serving Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties, the success of Tidewell’s 40+ year mission depends on the support of Tidewell Foundation donors. Through your generosity, the Tidewell Foundation is advancing care and compassion for all. Our services go far beyond hospice, extending to grief counseling for children, music therapy, professional development for nurses, special programs for veterans, and so much more. Driven by compassion, we care for those who need it most. We lift people up, no matter how challenging, one visit, one patient, one family at a time.
Expand
unique services for Veterans
Connect with us and discover how your donation brightens lives in our community.
TIDEWELL FOUNDATION 5955 RAND BLVD., SARASOTA, FL 34238 941-552-7546 | TIDEWELLFOUNDATION.ORG GIVING@TIDEWELLFOUNDATION.ORG | EIN 85-0729071
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Our WishList
All Faiths Food Bank
DONOR'S GUIDE TO GIVING
ALL FAITHS FOOD BANK is the only food bank
and largest hunger relief organization in Sarasota and DeSoto counties. In addition to food distribution, All Faiths presents innovative direct service programs that not only solve the immediate problem of hunger but also strive to end hunger by helping families and individuals gain long-term food security, enjoy better health outcomes, and achieve self-sufficiency. As the summer approaches, our focus turns toward feeding children in need through the Campaign Against Summer Hunger. Nearly half of all Sarasota County students are on free and reduced lunch; when school lets out for the summer, hunger begins.
Support for the Campaign Against Summer Hunger, which feeds hungry children over the summer. The gift of time: Volunteers help to sort and pack food, distribute food at pantries, lending a hand at events, and more. Support for our Mobile Pantries, which provide fresh produce, meats and groceries to thousands of people at sites throughout the region
8171 BLAIKIE CT., SARASOTA, FL 34240 941-379-6333 | ALLFAITHSFOODBANK.ORG
Art Center Sarasota ART CENTER SARASOTA'S MISSION is
to inspire individual creative expression, nurture artistic talent and provide the community with accessible and diverse visual art opportunities. It is the oldest arts and cultural institution in Sarasota. Art Center Sarasota is a membership-based organization that offers curated and juried exhibitions free and open to the public, adult and youth education programs, outreach initiatives for underserved youth, and culturally significant public programming. This year marks the Art Center’s 95th year serving the Sarasota community. Visit artsarasota.org.
Our WishList
Scholarships for Summer Art Camp for youth and adult art education. Lower Art Center Sarasota’s carbon footprint by updating older lighting and electrical devices.
707 N. TAMIAMI TRL, SARASOTA, FL 34236 | 941-365-2032 | ARTSARASOTA.ORG GALLERY HOURS: MONDAY – FRIDAY, 10-4PM; SATURDAY 12-4PM. SRQ MAGAZINE
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Support for Art Center Sarasota’s continuing virtual programing
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DONOR'S GUIDE TO GIVING
Cat Depot
Our WishList
a non-profit, free-roaming adoption center and rescue, is recognized for its progressive design and commitment to helping homeless, abandoned and injured animals. Cat Depot’s mission is to save lives, find loving homes, and provide the resources and education needed to improve the destiny of homeless cats. Cat Depot supports more than 130 cats and kittens on any given day.
CAT DEPOT,
Community Food Bank: Wet & Dry Cat Food (all types)
Veterinary Assistance Fund Funding to assist pet parents with medical care for the feline family members Shelter Medical Funding to benefit the health and well-being of the cats entrusted to our care.
2542 17TH ST, SARASOTA, FL 34234 | 941-366-2404 | INFO@CATDEPOT.ORG | CATDEPOT.ORG
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Our WishList Donate your gently used items
Goodwill Manasota
DONOR'S GUIDE TO GIVING
of “changing lives through the power of work” continues Goodwill’s 119-year-old commitment to provide employment and training opportunities for individuals facing significant barriers to self-sufficiency. Among these obstacles are disadvantaging conditions that range from having a criminal record, being an older worker, or lacking a GED to more disabling conditions, like veterans struggling with PTSD, or individuals with severe physical or learning disabilities.
GOODWILL MANASOTA'S MISSION
Shop in our retail stores Contribute through the Louis & Gloria Flanzer Matching Gift Program
2705 51ST AVE. E. BRADENTON, FL 34203 941-355-2721 EXPERIENCEGOODWILL.ORG
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Our WishList
Financial support for the following programs
JFCS of the Suncoast as one of the area’s leading mental health and human services agencies, JFCS of the Suncoast provides support to community members in need. Services are delivered on a non-denominational basis and are inspired by the Jewish tradition of helping all people with the goal to empower individuals to self-sufficiency and stability. Services address the needs of youth, families, seniors and veterans. For more information, visit http://www.jfcs-cares.org/ or call (941) 366-2224.
CELEBRATING ITS 35TH YEAR
Counseling services for at-risk youth, seniors and veterans Employment and financial assistance for those who fall between the cracks (ALICE population) Camp Mariposa Aging Services Corporate Partners for special events and programs
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2688 FRUITVILLE RD., SARASOTA, FL 34237 | JFCS-CARES.ORG CHRISTA MANNARINO, CDO | 941-302-7544 | CMANNARINO@JFCS-CARES.ORG
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The Twig
Our WishList Volunteers for our new Lakewood Ranch/Bradenton location opening summer 2021! Monthly donors to help us maintain our mission.
in Florida in foster care. Every day in Sarasota County, two children on average, will enter the foster care system. These children have been abused, neglected, and/or abandoned by the adults in their lives and removed from their homes for their own safety. When this happens a child’s whole world is turned upside down with a moment’s notice. They go into their new foster home with very little, and many times only the clothes on their backs. We are here to meet this need for these children and to be a resource for the foster families that care for them. The Twig is here to provide children with much needed clothing items, but it is so much more than that. We are here to provide them with love, with encouragement and to help them have hope for their future. The Twig serves around 300 children every single month from newborns through teenagers. Each of these children are able to choose 7 items of clothing and shoes as well as be provided with socks and underwear and choose an accessory and a book. The Twig’s boutique is only open to children in foster care where they can shop with dignity completely free of charge.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY OVER 20,000 CHILDREN
Collections of new socks, shoes and underwear.
826 PINEBROOK RD. VENICE, FL 34285 941-220-7958 INFO@THETWIGCARES.COM
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BOUTIQUE SHOPPING, HOME DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE AND TRENDS
POLO CLUB SUNDAYS Jules Braided Floppy Sun Hat in Tan, $34; Refresh Kite Slingback Platform Wedges in Tan, $49, Pineapple Lain Boutique.
HEAD OVER HEELS
Sensational head toppers and toe stoppers to take you out and about all summer long. Brittany Mattie Photography by Wyatt Kostygan
PHOTOGRAPHY BV WYATT KOSTYGAN.
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SHAMELESS SOCIALITE Mychale Mauve Flat Brim Ribbon Fedora, $58, Pineapple Lain Boutique, 407 South Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, 941-330-8771, pineapplelain.com, @ pineapplelainboutique; Steve Madden Erin Heels in Neon Yellow, $80, T.Georgiano’s Boutique, 1409-B First St., Sarasota, 941-870-3727, tgeorgianos.com, @tgeorgianos.
SUN & SURF SEEKER Hemlock Grandview Surfer Print UPF50 Straw Hat, $34, Marmalade Surfside Boutique; Reef Cushion Muse Strappy Sandal in Cloud, $50, Fin Island Co.
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FITNESS WAYFARER Roxy Next Level Wave Baseball Cap in Indigo, $28, Fin Island Co., 1250 Stickney Point Rd., Siesta Key, 941-349-3600, @finislandco; ON Cloud X Black/Pearl Running Sneaker, $140, Fleet Feet Sarasota, 711 South Osprey Ave. #1, Sarasota, 941-8943338, fleetfeet. com/sarasota, @ fleetfeetsrq.
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SAHARA STUNNER Ivory Braided Wide Brim Summer Hat, $34, Marmalade Surfside Boutique, 5129 Ocean Blvd., Siesta Key, 941-346-7263, @marmaladesurfside; Dolce Vita Izabel Studded Crystal Sandal, $80, Modern Soul, 59 South Boulevard of the Presidents, Sarasota, 941-650-6808, modernsoulboutique.com, @modernsoul_boutique.
DECKHAND DARLING Salty Crew Hook Boonie Drawstring Bucket Hat in Navy, $40; OluKai Pehuea Tapa Slip-On Sneaker, $85, CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, 1249 Stickney Point Rd., Siesta Key, 941-3494400, cbsoutfitters. com, @cbsoutfitters.
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FARMERS’ MARKET MAVEN Kooringal Bahama Tea Elastic Visor, $30, Modern Soul; Naked Feet Koda Platform Wedge in Animal Print Leather, $119, T.Georgiano’s Boutique.
FUNEMPLOYED BEACH BUM Roxy Dancing Shoes Short Brim Bucket Hat, $26; Roxy Slippy Jute Sandal in Nude, $26, Fin Island Co.
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FRENCH LESSONS BY THE SEA
Learning about fabric sustainability with the sea sisters and makers of Mer Soeur swimwear. Brittany Mattie IF YOU’VE FORGOTTEN ALL THE FRENCH YOU LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL, or retained only “bonjour” and “champagne,” Courtney Coats and Celia Siegelare here to remind you of the translation for “sea” and “sister.” Mer Soeur. The Siesta Key-born sisters recall days on end spent in their bikinis and wading in the waters. Their bond with the blue and with each other is tight, and the French interpretation seemed fitting—inspired by the minimal, effortless design of French fashion labels. Diving in, the sisters did their research and set up an in-person meeting in the United States with an eco-friendly manufacturing company based out of Bali for sustainable, ethically made fabrics. “We knew right away it was the right fit for us,” they say. “Getting a chance to see and feel their product quality in person really solidified the deal.” They say that recycled fabrics not only help reduce ocean waste but are also the most durable—and some of the softest— in the industry. “We want to help slow down today’s trend of ‘fast fashion’ by choosing recycled fabrics that will last throughout the years,” they say. Recycled materials, such as ocean waste and plastic bottles, are 62 | srq magazine_ MAY/JUNE21 live local
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melted down to create flakes. The flakes are then made into nylon and plastic chips, and then into fabric fibers. The fibers are transformed into a recycled nylon fabric that can be recreated into sustainable swimwear. “We love the ocean and all of the life it provides us with,” they say. “We are happy to be able to create a product that brings us joy to the beach and also helps to keep it clean.” Mer Souer’s new mini-resort collection, Ethereal, goes back to the basics with delicate design details such as ruching and neutral florals, classic silhouettes and soft textures. From the Tiger Lily string bikini to the Sage Ruched one-piece suit and Honeycomb High Triangle top with matching V bottoms, the spring/ summer 2021 collection channels longer days of sun, warm and airy beach walks, wildflowers and the seagreen shimmer of the Gulf. “No matter how far away from home we go, we’re always seeking that same passion we feel in our small coast of Florida paradise,” they say. “We want to give our sea sisters all across the world that same joy we’ve experienced by loving and living in our bikini.” C’est une belle vie. If you don’t know, that’s French for “It’s a beautiful life.” SRQ
Above: Courtney Coats and Celia Siegel sport their Spring/ Summer Ethereal/Resort 2021 Collection in the waters where they grew up in and learned to love the sea.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.
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MINING IN THE GAP THE PANDEMIC CHALLENGED SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND EDUCATORS LIKE NEVER BEFORE. FOUNDATIONS AND NONPROFITS STEPPED UP TO HELP.
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FROM SHUTTING DOWN SCHOOLS IN 2020 FOR A SPRING BREAK THAT NEVER ENDED, to challenging teachers and students statewide with remote learning, the COVID-19 pandemic presented challenges largely unimagined for education. Teachers struggled to find ways to make sure students did not fall behind in their studies, all while combating the normal social problems that contribute to low performance and dropout rates in schools. But they didn’t have to plot this course alone. A variety of nonprofits and foundations in the region worked harder than ever to keep exceptional educational programs running and rise to the demands created by an expansive, unpredictable crisis. The Sarasota-Manatee region’s rich history of philanthropy and community support kicked in to help teachers and students navigate the challenges of the pandemic.
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LAUNCHPAD4U
The in-person counseling available to high school students hasn’t been a guaranteed service throughout the past year. That’s a big part of why the Education Foundation of Sarasota County set up a physical space in which students, whether enrolled in in-person or remote learning, can visit and prepare for their future. “We opened LaunchPad4U in the Rosemary District specifically to help provide a safe space for the high school students and parents,” says Jennifer Vigne, executive director of the Education Foundation. “It’s a place where they can find scholarship information, mentoring and even Wi-Fi access.” Following an interstellar theme, the locale also serves as a home for PLANit Sarasota—a collective group of teaching and youth service organizations dedicated to pointing students down the pathway to post-secondary education.
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M I N I NG I N TH E GAP
“A LOT OF OUR DONORS are passionate about education,” says Joan McCaw, the grants and scholarships manager for the Manatee Community Foundation. “We have the privilege of letting them know all the opportunities to invest in and get the best results for the students.” Those opportunities weren’t always clear, as leaders had to navigate unprecedented challenges—like aiding the infrastructure to ensure that all students could participate in remote learning, regardless of access to computers and reliable internet service at home. Programs set out to close the digital divide for foreign communities, including those in which many parents don’t speak English (and sometimes lack accessible gateways to speak with school officials). All the while, ongoing programs—such as a nationally recognized effort in Sarasota to simultaneously provide job training to parents and school support to students—continued moving forward.
Reading campaigns found ways to deliver books to children. Nonprofit workers fought multifront wars against hunger, school absenteeism and the heightened stress and grief that a deadly airborne virus introduced to children’s lives.
Connecting Online At the Education Foundation of Sarasota County, the focus of philanthropic efforts has always been on helping teachers serve students—by providing resources that school districts can’t supply on their own or can’t experiment with due to strict state curricula. But direct partnerships with the schools make the mission easier by providing direct access to students through their campuses. Success centers set up at local high schools provided a direct way for foundation officials to reach out to students with scholarship opportunities, and to press them to take advantage of
financial aid opportunities by filling out FAFSA requests. That option vanished last spring when students moved to at-home learning. Even when schools reopened in the fall, many did not allow visitors other than essential school personnel. “When COVID hit us, we had to accelerate our community outreach,” says Vigne. “We weren’t sure, at first, if schools would open or be subject to closures.” The Education Foundation set up its own shop to help students. The district established a physical center where high school students could find mentors. These mentors kept students on track to pursue higher education options, even while campus tours were shut down and the intervention of in-school guidance counselors moved out of reach. The LaunchPad4U center also provided a spot where mentors could connect directly with students. Manatee Community Foundation program organizers, meanwhile, worked overtime to get internet hotspots into rural homes.
[HERE4YOU]TH Surviving life as a teenager in normal times (even without a pandemic) can try the mental health of students. The [Here4You]th initiative makes sure students have the resources they need to survive their high school years intact. Unfortunately, there has been a rise in substance abuse and reported suicidal thoughts, both in this region and beyond, and all of that comes with a certain social stigma that makes matters worse. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation joined forces to fund research on the scope of the problem and to develop an action plan for early intervention and crisis response. The focus is on keeping costs low for families that are in need of the services. A pilot program was launched at Sarasota High School and it has since grown to serve 10 schools in the region. “For a lot of students, what they really need is emotional support,” says Jennifer Johnston, the senior community investment officer at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
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EAGLE ACADEMY / PARENT UNIVERSITY The TwoGen philosophy
promoted through a variety of Community Foundation of Sarasota County programs may best be illustrated by the successful Eagle Academy and Parent University offerings in Sarasota (above left and right images). For school-aged students, the focus is on avoiding any setbacks in learning, like the dreaded summer slump. But, while young learners focus on keeping literacy and math skills up year-round, parents can attend classes at the same time on English as a second language, financial literacy and building social capital—or even participate in book clubs, yoga classes and art lessons. Some classes put a special focus on introducing or advancing parents down career paths in nursing, construction, occupational therapy or other high-demand fields. The idea is to couple philanthropic efforts aimed at helping working families with improving educational resources for low-income students.
SOAR IN 4 Educational institutions frequently talk up the need to have students reading at grade level by the time they finish third grade (center left image). That’s no arbitrary deadline. Starting in fourth grade, book learning becomes a fundamental means for teaching science, social studies and, really, every subject. The Soar In 4 program, funded by the Manatee Community Foundation, introduces a curriculum developed— in part—with The Roskamp Institute to intervene with students as early as preschool. With outreach to 15 economically disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout the county, the effort targets students headed to Title I schools, engaging them through a monthly activity. In the time of COVID-19, events like drive-in storytelling times and video chats have made sure students can still benefit from resources while remaining socially distanced. Left: Luis Hernandez holding a Pete the Cat book as part of the Suncoast Summer Reading. Right: Carolina Franco of Patterson Foundation packs books.
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SUNCOAST SUMMER READING CHALLENGE Nothing gets kids en-
gaged in an activity quite like competition. Not only does the chance to “race” against peers to finish a certain amount of learning provide motivation to young students, but it reminds youngsters that their peers care about their own education as well. Considering how the challenge helps shed the bookworm stigma, it feels appropriate that the Suncoast Campaign For Grade-Level Reading is launching “This Book Is Cool”--a web series with 100 episodes cut to inspire a love of reading. Students involved in the campaign will receive free books, purchased through the generosity of the Patterson Foundation. In Sarasota County, the program will be administered by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, while the United Way chapters will oversee efforts in Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. Right: Volunteer
Jannette Rodriguez helps the Patterson Foundation sort and pack books. Photo by Wes Roberts. Below: LaunchPad4U mentorship meeting.
The effort provided access to remote work options for families while keeping students digitally connected to teachers. McCaw says the Foundation also partnered with the school district to set up a Spanish-language information hotline—geared toward families in which the head of household does not speak English as a first language. Philanthropic leaders worked to ensure that families had the technological resources in their homes to succeed during the pandemic, as well as the ability to make choices about remote or inclassroom instruction based on their needs. The hope, McCaw says, is that efforts to improve education prospects for students linger well after the virus diminishes. “These programs were COVID-related, but it was also related to the digital divide we are talking about right now,” she says. “Not everyone has computers or access to broadband that gets you on your computer effectively so you are able to work.” CARES money helped school districts deal with such challenges, and foundation support aided efforts to reach directly into neighborhoods—which sometimes involved driving buses into economically disadvantaged areas to make sure those in need received help.
Lifetime of Learning Geri Chaffee, a longtime volunteer in Manatee and Sarasota schools, has devoted herself to improving education—specifically for students in Spanish-speaking homes—for half a decade. A bilingual Hispanic woman, Chaffee helped establish and operate the hotline system in Manatee, and has spent years improving bilingual teaching instruction in schools. After her own children were grown, Chaffee started volunteering her time to students and families at Tuttle Elementary School. She was stunned to realize that more than half of the students at the school come from homes in which the parents don’t speak English. Many of the parents immigrated to the United States specifically so that their children would receive a better education and learn fluent English. Yet, many students still fall behind in grade-level reading. Chaffee points to statistics from the 2018-2019 school year, which showed that 55 percent of Spanish-speaking students in Sarasota County schools were two or more grade levels behind in reading ability. “When that’s the situation, they are not doing well in math or algebra either,” Chaffee says. “About 20 percent of 44,000 children in Sarasota schools are Hispanic, as are more than 30 percent of the 50,000 students in Manatee
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schools. That’s not an insignificant number.” Chaffee has become a regional expert on improving resources for bilingual students. She introduced regional studies showing that, if lessons in all subjects (including math) are given to Spanish native students in both Spanish and English, it can actually accelerate the learning rate for children and push them a grade level ahead of their singlelanguage peers. Over the course of five years, Chaffee wrote a thesis on this topic for her master’s degree in education administration. In Sarasota, she is now moving ahead in launching Dreamers Academy—a charter school that will offer the first 100 percent bilingual education curriculum for a public school in the region. That’s just part of the effort to focus philanthropic efforts in the world of education on long-term learning. Kirsten Russell, the vice president of community impact for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, says the mission for many dedicated grants and long-term funds remains on investing in education. Throughout the pandemic, officials at the Community Foundation resiliently continued a TwoGen program. This initiative was aimed at both improving the financial opportunities for working families and helping children in those households fight a summer slump in learning, which was potentially worsened as students prematurely left campus well before the end of the school year. Born from work with the Aspen Institute, the program started by combining some of its own efforts toward grade-level reading with simultaneous desires to improve the lives of working families in the region, often called a dual-generation or TwoGen approach. Years ago, the Community Foundation identified several schools with a high percentage of students who were on free and reduced lunch programs, and launched the lauded Eagle Academy program. “A lot of parents haven’t had the opportunity to pursue their own hopes and dreams,” Russell says. “We work very closely with four schools through our parent-education navigators and help parents as they realize those dreams.” In doing so, the Community Foundation also helps provide educational support to students year-round to make sure they achieve their educational goals. With occupational training provided through this program, the Community Foundation has documented increases in family annual incomes by an average of $5,000.
“We’ve basically looked to really reignite the spark in the parents so they have aspirations for themselves and their kids,” Russell says, “and they are excited to be working alongside their kids. It kind of creates a spark in the child as well.” And that’s just one facet of the work being done to help education in Sarasota County. The Community Foundation also serves as the local leader for the Patterson Foundation. That county effort is part of a regional initiative headed up by the Patterson Foundation, which coordinates with United Way chapters in Manatee, DeSoto and Charlotte counties as well. Whether community leaders are hosting a poster-creation contest, which engaged 50,000 students in the spring, or providing free books to families in the region during the summer, their campaigns continue to focus on improving basic reading ability for students. Because of the chronic absenteeism brought on by the pandemic, the effort to make sure students keep reading has become more challenging than ever. But, to make sure the consequences of this crazy year don’t set students back forever, it makes the mission all the more important. Beth Duda, the director of the Patterson Foundation’s Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, says it is critical that students complete third grade with the capacity to keep up in reading with their peers nationally, it provides a foundation upon which all other learning builds. “Especially this year, we understand the critical need to have children in school. But when students aren’t in school, it’s critical they continue to read in their free time,” Duda says. “The greatest reason for that is that children are in school for 14 percent of their year, if you look at 180 school days and 6½ hours of instruction they get, and hopefully they are asleep 33 percent of the time. That means they are awake and living about 50 percent of the time they are not in school. If our children are not succeeding, we have the opportunity to come around to children and their families and try and make a difference, not by squeezing one more thing beyond the 14 percent of their year, but by making their full life rich and literacy-filled.”
Nimble and Free Even before the pandemic, educators had renewed a focus on mental health for students, realizing that the stability of young minds needed to be as high a priority as the knowledge crammed inside of them. The stress from the
pandemic has only increased the need for that mission, education supporters say. Students struggle with the changes in education curricula, the isolation of missing friends they no longer see each day in class, or even the unexpected loss of loved ones to COVID-19. Jennifer Johnston, the senior community investment officer for the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, says this is an area where nonprofit organizations and local philanthropists can step in to provide needed assets to the schools. The Foundation has helped fund the [Here4You]th program to ensure that the support systems students need are readily available. The effort, which sends mental health professionals into schools, is a great example, she says, of how the nimbleness of the nonprofit world can address a need. “The power of philanthropy,” she says, “is being able to scale.” When demand for a service rose faster than a government fiscal year, foundations were able to both fund immediate research into the appropriate response and deliver resources immediately to launch a pilot program. And the programs can also change to address shifts in the circumstances around them. [Here4You]th started with and maintains expertise in intervention for students dealing with substance abuse problems or having suicidal thoughts. It has grown to provide a number of different types of emotional support to students—a sort of mental health first aid service. Initiatives like The Civility Squad, an animated program that teaches children how to treat one another, lives off of private donations funneled through the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. It is a critical resource for teaching students life lessons that are not included in textbooks. The hope with many programs like this is proof of concept. Whether it’s the mental health intervention service from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, success centers at the Education Foundation, or the two-generational approach at Eagle Academy, philanthropists hope to verify a need for the school district or state legislature to address in the future on a wider scale. Taking programs districtwide requires the deep pockets of the government. However, because of the cost, those who are spending public resources often need data to make the case that a program will produce results. “It’s about taking a multi-million investment from donors,” says Johnson, “and then working to institutionalize that.” SRQ
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BONDING TIME
A GROWING NUMBER OF GULF COAST THERAPISTS HAVE STARTED EMPLOYING CHILD-PARENT PSYCHOTHERAPY. BUT CAN IT POSITIVELY TRANSFORM FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS DAMAGED BY YEARS OF TRAUMA?
WRITTEN BY JACOB OGLES | PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN
UNDER THE BEST OF CIRCUMSTANCES, child-rearing proves more stressful than expected. But Amy Aschliman admits that life as a single mother of a child with special needs has tested her in new ways, and she frequently did not pass. The Sarasota mother thought she understood the challenges of parenthood from raising two other girls, but a variety of circumstances made life with the third daughter more challenging than ever.
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IN MARCH 2015, AUBREY ASCHLIMAN WAS BORN PREMATURE. Her father, addicted to drugs, vanished
from the picture immediately, serving more as a threat Amy Aschliman had to keep away than a support system on which she could rely. Emotional and demanding from a young age, Aubrey would ultimately be diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a sensory processing disorder and an oppositional defiant disorder—any one of which could fray a parent’s nerves. “I had such resentment,” Amy confesses, “toward her, toward her bio-dad, and the fact I was doing it all myself. I was constantly frustrated. I didn’t like being around her, which I know is a terrible thing to say about one of your children. But I couldn’t stand the sound of her voice, and it shouldn’t ever be like that.” Amy turned to The Florida Center for Early Childhood to help with therapy for Aubrey. And there, mental health therapist Jeanie DeLa, LMHC, offered a suggestion. Would the mother and daughter like to participate in a new treatment known as Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)? At that point, Amy felt ready to try anything and signed up. In a few short months, she says her relationship to her now six-yearold daughter has transformed. The story of the Aschlimans is one example of how the new therapy has changed the quality of life for families in the region (and far beyond). The mother and daughter go to weekly meetings with therapists, and devote a minimum of one hour per week to focusing only on their parent-child bond (one too often brushed aside for reasons such as picking up a shift at work). “It’s done wonders, and really makes me sit back and enjoy being with just her,” Amy Aschliman says. “She and I enjoy our Wednesdays, where there’s just an hour of the two of us playing together. My parents never played with me, and we never had that time before. In the crucial years of her growing up, we never got that bonding time. Instead, it was just me stressing out and figuring how to pay my bills.” Amy Aschliman is not alone. Therapists say too many families, even when they recognize the damage a traumatic event could cause a child, fail to recognize how something as simple as a positive relationship with a parent will help. That’s exactly what CPP aims to restore. That’s why, for the past one-and-a-half years, the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation has provided a $300,000 grant to the Florida State University Center for Prevention and Early Intervention to help train a Sarasota cohort of mental health clinicians in the practice of CPP. To make sure every family that needs it can find ready access to CCP, a cohort of regional licensed therapists formed last year, and
This page: Jeanie DeLa works with Amy and Audrey aschliman doing CPP. Photographed at the Early Steps building.
prepared to teach others about the effectiveness of the practice. A final session for the group convened in January, and professionals trumpeted the value of “the power of a parent to heal their child.” Kristie Skoglund, the chief operating officer for The Florida Center for Early Childhood, says the therapy has been deployed in childhood court to great success in the 12th Judicial Circuit. “The child welfare system has been a big referral source,” she says. Programs like Healthy Family and Healthy Start often serve families with a child exposed to trauma, or expectant mothers exposed to trauma. There has actually been enough demand for service that there is a bottleneck of clients waiting, according to the Barancik Foundation. That is why it is so important that therapists learn not just how to lead the therapy but also how to teach it. Heidy Garcia, one of the cohort’s experts in psychotherapy training, says the use of CPP has been especially important lately—as courts try to keep families together, and as loved ones spend so much more time each day together due to remote work and virtual education. “We all get hurt in relationships and we all get healed in relationships,” she says. “That’s the reality.” It’s easy, she says, for parents to underestimate the role every little action they play in a child’s life can impact them. But a bad relationship between a mother or father with a young child can diminish self-worth throughout a lifetime. “Helping understand the power of that relationship is what we, as clinicians, aim for,” Garcia says. “If I’m the mother of a five-year-old child, if I tell my daughter srq magazine_ MAY/JUNE21 live local | 73
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BON DI NG TI M E
that Santa is coming on Christmas Eve, she believes me. If I tell her the Tooth Fairy is coming to put money under her pillow, she believes me. If I tell her there is a treasure at the end of a rainbow, she believes me. By the same token, if I tell mean things to my daughter, if I say, ‘You are stupid’ or ‘not worth it,’ if I say, ‘You are a monster’ or ‘You are as horrible as your dad who used to beat me,’ she would believe me.” This makes CPP especially valuable in helping a child cope with a variety of family problems. If the state removes a child from an abusive home but still wants to reunify the parent and child, the therapy can help restore the family dynamic to make a physically and emotionally safer environment. But it can prove valuable in helping small children deal with a variety of traumas, of which the world has plenty to shovel. The pandemic has introduced tragedy into the lives of many children, whether directly from the death of a family member or indirectly by exposing children at home all day to domestic abuse. But whatever the cause, therapists see family relationships as one of the greatest tools in allowing children to cope. Joy Osofsky, PhD, a professor in Louisiana State University’s Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, was among the leaders for the sessions. She says the entire mental health field has been impacted by the pandemic. That could be seen clearly in the fact that the cohort, which convened its first gathering in person, has had to work almost entirely on Zoom. “The trainees in the Sarasota cohort have been phenomenal. And I will tell you I had a lot of nervousness and apprehension,” Osofsky says. “But you could hear the confidence starting to build. It proved to be a shining moment, and that has helped pull us together as a group.”
There was some practical benefit as well. Therapists, often for the first time last year, had to provide therapy through video-conferencing rather than personal sessions. That has started to ease up, but it has raised confidence all the more in the power of the therapy (even when overseen through webcams and monitors). As for Amy and Aubrey Aschliman, their bond has continued to grow. Recently, following the death of Aubrey Aschliman’s paternal grandmother, the child’s now-sober father has started to slowly reenter her life. Amy Aschliman holds some trepidation about how that process will proceed, but she appreciates more than ever the value a solid relationship with a parent can be for her daughter. “We’re seeing a therapist together and connect once every other week, and we will talk about how things are going from home,” Amy says. Amy Aschliman is in a new relationship and has a fourth child with her partner. Life goes on, hopefully to a brighter and emotionally healthier future. To that end, she feels blessed to continue CPP with Aubrey. “If I wasn’t doing this course, I would be flipping out and ripping my hair out, not knowing what to do,” she says. “When you become a parent, nobody tells you what to do or how to do things. You just go based on your instincts and how you were parented.” She is careful not to criticize her own parents, who she says were great but made mistakes and could make her feel forgotten at times. There are ways to improve your own parenting style, Amy says. Children have no life experience to draw upon and cannot be the guides to a better parent-child relationship; that’s up to the adults in the family. “We have got to do better now,” Amy says. “The cycle of parenting from what our parents show us has to end with us.” SRQ
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S R Q M A G A Z I N E | S P E C I A L C O N T E N T M A R K E T I N G F E AT U R E | M AY/ J U N E 2 0 2 1
2021 SRQ MAGAZINE
TOP AGENTS I N R E A L E S TAT E N I K K I B E T Z , S A R A S O TA H O M E S P E C I A L I S T S | K E L L E R W I L L I A M S O N T H E W AT E R D A V I D H A L L I G A N , S A R A S O TA H O M E S P E C I A L I S T S , K E L L E R W I L L I A M S O N T H E W AT E R T R A C Y J O N E S , R E / M A X P L AT I N U M R E A LT Y M E L I S S A K O B I E L N I K , L U X E R E A LT Y + J O S H N AY L O R , T H E N AY L O R G R O U P S A R A S O TA G U L F C O A S T R E A LT O R S , K E L L E R W I L L I A M S O N T H E W AT E R , S A R A S o TA J U D I TA U L B E E , F I N E P R O P E R T I E S W A R R E N G R O U P S A R A S O TA , C O L D W E L L B A N K E R R E A LT Y
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2021 TOP AGENTS
LISTING OF AGENTS | SUMMER 2021
NIKKI BETZ Sarasota Home Specialists Keller Williams On The Water 5101 Fruitville Rd. Ste. 102 Sarasota, 34232 | c 941.468.9551 sarasotahomespecialists.com
DAVID HALLIGAN Sarasota Home Specialists Keller Williams On the Water david.halligan@kw.com c 941.815.6690 sarasotahomespecialists.com
Tracy Jones RE/MAX Platinum Realty 1500 State St. Ste. 101 Sarasota, 34236 | c 941.376.3405
Melissa Kobielnik + JOSH NAYLOR MELISSA: Luxe Realty, SL3484497 230 S Tamiami Trail | Venice, Fl 34285 o 941.621.3078 c 941-928-9067 ClosingDealsinHeelswithMelissa.Realtor
JOSH: The Naylor Group 441 33rd St. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33713 jnaylor@usa-mortgage.com c 727-482-6093 thenaylorgroup.com
JUDI TAULBEE Fine Properties 5224 Paylor Ln.Sarasota, FL 34240 c 941.544.6227 juditaulbee@gmail.com
Sarasota Gulf Coast Realtors Keller Williams on the Water Sarasota Sandy Mazzarantani, Matt and Laura Rode, Molly Laramie and Melissa Sherk 1549 Ringling Blvd. #600, Sarasota, FL Matt Rode c 941.241.7949 Sarasotagulfcoastrealtors.com
WARREN GROUP SARASOTA Coldwell Banker Realty Pat Warren c 941.350.7044 Julie Warren c 941.350.7439 Meredith Van Vaalz c 612.716.4784 warrengroupsarasota.com
sarasotaluxurybroker.com
SARASOTA GULF COAST REALTORS Laura and Matt began their career selling real estate in Sarasota, FL in 2013. In 2018, they joined Keller Williams on the Water Sarasota and established their team, Sarasota Gulf Coast Realtors. This elite group of professionals are proud members of Keller Williams Luxury International and are your market experts for all things real estate in both Sarasota and Manatee counties. Left: Sandy Mazzarantani, Matt and Laura Rode, Molly Laramie and Melissa Sherk.
THE MISSION OF SARASOTA GULF COAST REALTORS is to deliver excellence and aim to exceed expectations in everything we do. For the majority of people, the purchase or sale of a home is their largest single investment. Our goal is to guide you successfully and easily through the contractual investment and emotional decisions involved in the real estate process. We are committed to providing you, your friends and family with superior service and expertise. The team’s commitment to their clients shows as the Sarasota Gulf Coast Realtors quickly became one of Sarasota’s top producing teams in just two years. In 2020, the team sold over $70 million worth of real estate and helped over 180 families with their real estate transactions. This full-service team strives to modernize the experience of buying and selling real estate while serving their clients at the highest level.
Keller Williams on the Water Sarasota | 1549 Ringling Blvd #600, Sarasota Matt Rode c 941.241.7949 | SarasotaGulfCoastRealtors.com
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“A home exudes energy, personality and character. It is a place where life happens and memories are made. It’s not just a house to us. It is YOUR home.” —srq premier realty
2021 TOP AGENTS
NIKKI BETZ Meet Nikki Betz, founder, and owner of Sarasota Home Specialists. Betz and her team not only sell homes, they value the opportunity to build a relationship with their clients so they reach their ultimate Florida goal whether it be buying, selling, or investing.
Growing up in the midwest, Nikki brought her strong work ethic and vibrant personality to the Florida real estate market. After 7 years in corporate America, Nikki decided it was finally time for her to jump all in with real estate and go after her greater purpose of leading area agents with one goal in mind...”Best interest of the client at all times”. Nikki found her marketing degree and relationship skills were an ideal fit for not only specializing in listings, but also growing a successful office...awarded #1 Keller Williams Team in the area for 2018 - 2020. With over $83 million on sales in 2020, she is now leading a growing team of 20 who specialize from golf course community homes to luxury homes on Casey Key to the new build process of our ever growing builder community. Leverage and attention to the clients needs thru what can be a complex process has been the main focus of their culture in growth. Aside from real estate, Nikki also is the creator of local #Ladyboss Events. The passion to help area women business owners be successful is evident in any conversation you have with Nikki. The past year has been challenging not being able to network face to face, but Nikki is ecstatic to be bringing events back May 2021 partnering with Fixation Boutique for a VIP #Ladyboss Fashion Show. About Sarasota Home Specialists Nikki and
her team value their relationship with their clients. Sarasota Home Specialists can guarantee you’ll have the premier customer service at any level when working with our team. You won’t just see this when working with Sarasota Home Specialists, our team additionally strives to partner with the top vendors and service providers to provide that same customer service they would expect.
Sarasota Home Specialists | Keller Williams On The Water c 941.468.9551 | 5101 Fruitville Rd. Ste 102, Sarasota, 34232 sarasotahomespecialists.com
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2021 TOP AGENTS
TRACY JONES Tracy Jones is a dedicated and established real estate professional who is intensely engaged with each client as if they were her first. Known to be very prompt, ethical and accommodating, her knowledge is unmatched as she is always relevant on local residential and luxury housing combined with her extensive experience gives her the expertise and skills required to navigate clients through the intricacies of the industry.
Her ability to go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure her clients desired outcomes which is how she earned the title of Managing Broker with the #1 Century 21 Company in the world to manage one of their top office which she successfully led to acquiring Centurion, Quality Service Pinnacle and Presidents Awards in 2019! A perfect blend of passion, capabilities and drive, she was distinguished as a 2018 Quality Service Producer in her office by being accorded the coveted Centurion Award in 2018 &2019 and was on 2019 & 2020 Real Trends America’s Best List. She also achieved the Lifetime Achievement Award at an impressive age of 39. In addition to being a contributor to several real estate-related publications such as Realtor.com Magazine, apartmenttheraphy.com, and others, She recently published her own series of books aimed at helping sellers get the most out of their home.
Charitable and kind-hearted, Tracy is a respected and heavily involved member of the community who enjoys supporting various causes including volunteering as an ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce, 100 Women Who Care, Habitat for Humanity among others. She also enjoys traveling the world together with her husband and daughter, Isabella (12). About RE/MAX RE/MAX Platinum Realty is an industry
leader in providing “Boutique Service with Global Connections” to their clients and customers. The company was founded by President Bryan L. Guentner, with over two decades of real estate experience and is a proud member of the RE/MAX Family of over 6900 offices in 67 countries.
Tracy Jones Remax Platinum Realty 1500 State St. Ste 101 Sarasota, FL 34236 c: 941.376.3405 sarasotaluxurybroker.com
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2021 TOP AGENTS
While Melissa fiercely negotiates for you throughout
Josh Naylor Melissa Kobielnik Finding that perfect property you’ve been dreaming of is only half the battle of closing on your new investment, and that’s why rising star realtor Melissa Kobielnik of Luxe Realty teams up with expert mortgage broker Josh Naylor of The Naylor Group. Melissa Kobielnik SL3484497 | Luxe Realty 230 S Tamiami Trail | Venice, Fl 34285 o 941.621.3078 c 941.928.9067 ClosingDealsinHeelswithMelissa.Realtor Josh Naylor | The Naylor Group 441 33rd St. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33713 jnaylor@usa-mortgage.com | c 727-482-6093 thenaylorgroup.com
the home buying process, Josh and his team are working hard to find you the absolute best mortgage rate possible. Between this real estate power team watching for new listings and last-second rate changes, they won’t let you miss an opportunity to make an offer when timing is everything. Today’s uncertain real estate market requires a dedicated team of experts who have your back and best interest in mind at every step. Josh and Melissa ensure the entire home buying process is stress-free and that you’re comfortable with your decisions. From finding your dream home to securing financing that fits your individual needs, these two have the skills, knowledge and experience to make sure every detail is handled. Josh and Melissa will help you realize your dreams with superior customer service and unique solutions to custom fit a contract that works for you. Whether you are looking for a Conventional Loan or qualify for FHA, VA, or renovation loan, this real estate power team can manage your first home purchase flawlessly and be there for future refinancing or investment opportunities as your needs change. Josh and his team at The Naylor Group, powered by USA Mortgages, can get you qualified for a home loan in just 15 minutes! Using state-of-the-art technology, The Naylor Group makes finding a loan easy and painless. Josh will get you pre-approved so when Melissa finds you that perfect home, you’ll be closing in no time. Let them work for you today.
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2021
JUDI TAULBEE
TOP AGENTS
Judi Taulbee is genuinely passionate about bringing her client’s dreams to life! As a distinguished recipient of the Five Star Agent Award 3 years in a row, and recognized in Forbes Magazine March 2020, she is truly committed to serving each client with exceptional personal, first class service. Highly skilled in the Acquisition and Marketing of Residential, Luxury and Investment Properties, Judi offers exceptional representation and is dedicated to providing crucial, in-depth local market knowledge. She caringly provides each client with individual attention, enthusiasm and her intimate knowledge into the Greater Sarasota real estate market. From Sarasota to Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Parrish, Venice and across to The Islands, her love for the coastal lifestyle is very present as she caringly serves her client’s specific real estate goals
At every interaction, Judi’s proficient counsel, trusted insights and deep commitment are clearly demonstrated. She is very creative, strategic and offers a smart, solution-oriented and responsive approach. When working with sellers, she designs a highlighted and impactful listing presentation that skillfully leverages each listing’s visibility. She accurately addresses each critical issue to clearly accentuate each property’s specific features and stand out in the marketplace by incorporating professionally produced photography and a presentation in print and on numerous websites. In working with buyers, Judi diligently aligns and applies herself so that she may clearly understand his client’s specific priorities and locate a residence and distinguished setting that meets their lifestyle requirements. She delivers impressive results by covering and clearly anticipating every angle found in the multitude of details in each transaction Judi’s clients enjoy her personal touches and heartfelt care and it is truly her joy to ultimately fulfill their request throughout the transaction and graciously serve them. Her immediate accessibility, answers to timely questions and trusted guidance makes her invaluable to her clients. She is masterful at finding creative and equitable solutions to make each transaction come together with a positive result. Her dedication to providing an unprecedented depth of real estate expertise is all part of the design that allows Judi to always accomplish truly elevated achievements for her clients. Contact Judi to serve you and your personal real estate interests. Fine Properties is a full service Brokerage with over 250 agents
selling over 2200 homes per year in the Manatee/Sarasota area.
Judi Taulbee | Fine Properties 5224 Paylor Ln. Sarasota, FL 34240 c: 941.544.6227 juditaulbee@gmail.com
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2021 TOP AGENTS
Pat Warren, CPA and Entrepreneur, relocated along with his wife Julie, and their three kids from Vail, Colorado to Lakewood Ranch nearly 20 years ago. Julie Warren, a seasoned pharmaceutical sales professional turned successful interior design consultant, brings dynamic energy, professionalism, marketing and staging expertise to the team. Pat’s financial experience, local market knowledge, and negotiating acumen, combined with Julie’s marketing and design passion, make Warren Group Sarasota a powerful team for both buyers and sellers. Together, Pat and Julie are dedicated to having their clients realize their real estate dreams.
WARREN GROUP SARASOTA Warren Group Sarasota consists of a team of long-time local professionals committed to delivering unsurpassed service for the real estate needs of their clients—serving Sarasota, Bradenton, and Lakewood Ranch—with a recent expansion into Vail, Colorado. Coldwell Banker Realty Warren Group Sarasota Pat Warren c: 941-350 -7044 Julie Warren c: 941-350-7439 Meredith Van Vaals c: 612-716-4784 warrengroupsarasota.com
Warren Group Sarasota recently announced its newest member, Meredith Van Vaals. Meredith sold multi-million-dollar capital equipment in her previous work life. Meredith’s extensive corporate background entailed managing complex situations where she offered powerful client representation. Further, Meredith holds a Master’s degree in Marketing which provides her with a deep understanding of contract language, market trends, and financial negotiation. Meredith is a proud Mid-Western girl whose love of Southwest Florida began in the1970s when her Grandfather became the Mayor of Naples. Polished, professional photography and videography is a critical component to marketing luxury properties. Warren Group Sarasota is pleased to provide the very best with its own staff photographer, Dr. Joop Van Vaals. Joop is an FAA licensed and insured drone pilot and brings photography and videography services of exceptional quality, unmatched by other teams. Joop and Meredith have lived in the Lakewood Ranch Country Club community for more than 14 years. MISSION STATEMENT Warren Group Sarasota prioritizes quality of relationships over quantity of transactions This ensures a personalized client experience that instills confidence and promised results. Warren Group Sarasota prides itself on more than 18 years of dedicated service to the Sarasota, Bradenton, and Lakewood Ranch Communities. Our sincere desire is for all our clients to love where they live.
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forage LOCAL EPICUREAN ADVENTURES AT THE TABLE
Below: Bistro’s resident “lunch lady,” Kaytlin Dangaran, puts together dishes of simple beauty.
CRAFTY CAFETERIA
Bistro at Sarasota Art Museum reinvents school lunch. Andrew Fabian
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forage EVEN TODAY, THE HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA SERVES AS THE STAGE upon which the insecurities of a generation play out in melodramatic fashion. The “in crowd” feigns laughter, the misfits stare in impotent rage and they all stuff their underdeveloped bodies with lunches that likely include utilitarian vegetable slop and processed carbs. But, located across a sunlit courtyard from the lovingly restored former Sarasota High School, is a cafeteria for second chances—an inviting place where the confused and angsty teen inside us all can be rehabilitated with honest food.
Called Bistro, the restaurant takes its aesthetic cues from the modern-yet-familiar design elements of the Sarasota Art Museum. Brightly lit with natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows, and decked out with peach-colored No. 14 bistro chairs, the wide-open space recalls the sprawling lunchrooms of our glory days (but the décor is elevated to new heights). Bistro’s lead “lunch lady” is Kaytlin Dangaran, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City. Upbeat, highly skilled and welltraveled, Dangaran’s ability to read the room stands as her greatest feat. Rather than fill the menu with avant-garde concepts, she infuses the food with the spirit of simpler times and adds modest touches of panache. It begins with the two soups on the menu: a matzo ball soup and tomato bisque. For the 84 | srq magazine_ MAY/JUNE21 live local
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matzo ball soup, Dangaran opted to go with a “floater” for the matzo ball, which means exactly what it sounds like. “I’m not Jewish, but I learned in NYC that, when it comes to floaters versus sinkers, you just make the one you’re taught how to make first,” she says of the hot-button issue. Fluffy, savory and unmistakably eggy, the matzo ball sits in the unctuous broth like a nourishing iceberg surrounded by crispy slices of celery. The bisque, similarly simple and comforting, achieves a nice balance between the light, sweet acid of the San Marzano tomatoes and the cream that mellows and thickens the soup. For sandwiches, few things pair as well with a tomato bisque than a grilled cheese. In the case of Bistro, the “griddled cheese” comes decadently filled with a fontina
mornay sauce, sharp white cheddar and tomato jam, griddle-toasted between two slices of a Pullman loaf. The square shape offers the timeless appeal of a timeless sandwich. What the griddled cheese lacks in cafeteria nostalgia (how were we supposed to toast a sandwich at school anyhow?), the house-brined turkey sandwich has in spades. Dangaran brines the bird for three whole days before roasting it, resulting in thick slices of turkey that outpace the blandness of the papery deli meat that mom and dad used to buy. The nutty multigrain bread comes smeared with smashed avocado, while sprouts and a broad slice of heirloom tomato fight for space between the bread. Served with potato chips and housemade pickles, the sandwich evokes the deepest sense of nostalgia on the PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.
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Left to right: House-brined turkey is stacked high in this hefty classic sandwich. Fluffy, eggy “floaters” take center stage in the Matzo Ball Soup. The Lyonnaise Salad will not leave you hungry. The dining area is way more stylish than the average mop-water cafeteria. Bistro at Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 South Tamiami Trl., Sarasota, 941-309-7662, sarasotaartmuseum.org/ bistro, @sambistro
menu while still exuding a touch of gourmet. But, should a food fight break out, the greatest tragedy would be for the roasted mushroom tartine to wind up splattered on someone’s backpack. This exquisite and filling openfaced affair comes with more savoriness than any cafeteria lunch. A thick slice of sourdough from a local Bavarian bakery provides a sturdy foundation for a paté made of maitake and crimini mushrooms. “The mushroom paté is based on a mushroom ragú I used to make,” says Dangaran, who mostly lets the spread speak for itself. Shredded parmesan cheese, a six-minute egg and a garnish of diced chives top this tankiest of toasts, but the drizzle of truffle oil sees the dish cross a line into a mature and epicurean bistro item. If any dish warrants the “signature dish” label, it is the roasted mushroom tartine.
The Lyonnaisewatercress salad makes for a hefty lunch of greens—with citrus, roasted beets, avocado, pistachios and smoked blue cheese piled on top of a bed of watercress that is lightly coated in a citrus vinaigrette. Make no mistake, this salad is as big as today’s shorts are small, and it will likely lead to leftovers. For the good boys and girls, Bistro offers a head-scratchingly delightful corn cookie. It has a taste somewhere between cornbread and a sugar cookie, with a crispy underside supporting a soft, buttery inside and a dash of sea salt on top. Arrive before the bell to get these cookies hot out of the oven and, just maybe, prevent an emotional meltdown beneath the crushing weight of pubescent insecurity. SRQ
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LASTING IMPRESSIONS
Pizza is good. Plant-based, wood-fired pizzas at Lucile are better.
Brittany Mattie
MATERNAL FIGURES INDELIBLY MAKE A CULINARY IMPACT on our younger, impressionable selves—imprints like fingertip folds in a ball of freshly kneaded dough, memories around a kitchen counter or dining room table. Lucile certainly made an impression on her grandson Ryan Boeve, the owner of Lila and co-owner of its newly-opened sister restaurant, Lucile. “When I was a teenager growing up working in kitchens, she was always supportive of me by buying food like lobster, and challenging me, saying, ‘Here, cook for me,’” Boeve recalls. “It was great one-on-one time with her.” Boeve has leaned toward a vegan lifestyle for most of his life, experimenting as a young lad to find creative ways to utilize vegetables, nuts and grains for mainstream dishes. “My grandmother must have inspired something in me in those formative teenage years, with her big garden of vegetables and herbs every summer and a pantry full of canned vegetables,” he says. And when it came to pizza, going out to pizza shops, “No cheese, please” was a common ordering tagline for him. “I’ve always had a hard time finding pizza I can eat, or I always have to just order a slice of marinara,” Boeve says. “So I thought, let’s see if I can do this. My mother always talked about having a little pizza place for herself, so that’s always been in the back of my mind.”
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Left to right: A fleet of natty wines line the shelves of Lucile’s cozy, intimate, adult-night-out hideaway. Here’s hoping your date will share with you when they order the Truffled Mushroom and you get the Pesto Heirloom Tomato. Lucile Pizza & Wine Bar, 1660 Main St., Sarasota, 941-330-0101, lucilesrq.com, @lucilesrq
Call it another impression—one that would inspire a modern pizza place where vegans wouldn’t have to make menu adjustments, where the food would actually excel at catering to their eating habits. Boeve found culinary recognition and a loyal following at his first vegan-focused restaurant, Lila, and hopes Lucile will satisfy the same clean-eating customers— the ones looking to pack a party of antioxidants and nutrients into their daily dishes. The menu offers a variety of plant-based and glutenfree pizzas, pastas like fava bean tortellini and cauliflower rigatoni, and desserts like vegan tiramisu. Boeve doesn’t dish up anything he can’t make from scratch either. The pasta, pizza dough, sauces, “cheeses” and “meats” are all made entirely in-house daily—with locallysourced ingredients and organic produce from area farms such as Worden and Honeyside. “A lot of people want to eat cleaner today, so we’ve gotten pretty creative in the meats you usually find on pizzas,” Boeve says. “Our sausage is made of 100 percent sunflower seed protein and fennel. It actually tastes like sausage, but a lot cleaner with no animal fat coating or synthetic casing.” But, for those who crave that grease variable that makes it so
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sinfully satisfying, Boeve created a vegan fat from coconut oil to give a “greasy fill” to the sausage (and he will even drizzle it on top of the pizzas). Marinated, smoked mushrooms play an alias for bacon, while the “pepperoni” is made from a tofu mix (baked and dehydrated so it becomes a meaty crumble, as opposed to classic pepperoni circles). Meanwhile, cashews are the champion nut to cultivate the creamy, cheesy taste that acts as a substitute for common mozzarella. Create your own pizza or order the Mushroom Walnut “Meatball” pizza—smothered in a flavorful tomato sauce, almond ricotta, fresh-picked basil and meatballs (made of grounded walnuts and mushrooms); or the Spicy Peppers pizza—encrusted with heat from shishito peppers, Calabrian chilies, red bell peppers and fermented jalapenos, baked with cashew black garlic cream and cashew mozzarella. The wine list, curated by Boeve, is almost all organic, with a focus on natural wines. The bottles are lined up along the main wall in a library-like bookshelf unit, backlit in cobalt blue. “I have always tried to promote organic and biodynamic farming, whether it’s food or wine. It’s something I truly believe in,” Boeve
forage says. “I choose wines based on this principle but also consider what the guest would want to drink and ultimately enjoy. The challenge is finding wines from other wine regions besides Italy that work with what our menu is and still pair well with the food. I have been supporting Jolie-Laide lately, which is a great natural producer from California.” As the wood-fired, plant-based pizzas do their thing in the blue mosaic-tiled Forno brick oven— situated in the dining portion of the restaurant instead of the kitchen—customers can longingly admire the chef making magic as they lighten a bottle of Dough pinot noir. The 800-square-foot space intimately seats 25 people at sleek woodtop tables. Brass pendant light fixtures hang from above, with white porcelain octagonal floor tiling below. “We didn’t want the design of the restaurant to compete with the food,” says Mark Baldwin, the co-owner of Lucile, as well as the designer and builder of both Lucile and Lila. Baldwin integrated an upscale yet comfortable vibe for a not-your-average pizza shop. “We took time in making sure the food colors were not in the design,” he says. “We wanted to create an adult pizza place—a place where you want to be and have food that you love.” SRQ
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Andrea’s With hints of curry powder and coconut milk, Andrea’s Black Ink Tagliolini is a global gastronomic feat. Tossed with crab meat and shrimp, dyed pasta combines with these complex flavors to create a culinary adventure. Andrea’s, 2085 Siesta Dr. #1, Sarasota, 941-951-9200, andreasrestaurantsrq.com
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PASTAMONIUM
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Hand-kneaded and crafted into silky strands or stuffed pockets, scratch-made pasta will make any dish feel royal. Ariel Chates | Photography by Wyatt Kostygan PASTA—a seemingly simple combination of just eggs, flour, olive oil and a pinch of salt—is a creation much bigger than the sum of its parts. Once reserved only for the plates of Italian nobility, this spectacular starch has now become synonymous with the culture itself, and a box of one of the 350 different shapes can be found in almost any pantry. We find five handmade pasta dishes crafted by the deft hands of many Italian-born chefs.
Clockwise this page: Chianti: When the ingredients are fresh and the pasta is homemade, simple is best. Chianti’s Aglio Olio e Peperoncino with spaghetti humbly combines garlic roasted in olive oil with red chili flakes, fresh basil and cherry tomatoes for a bright and fresh dish. Also pictured is their scratch-made tagliatelle. Chianti, 3900 Clark Rd., Sarasota, 941-952-3186, chiantisarasota.com, @chiantisarasota. La Dolce Vita: This isn’t your mom’s mac and cheese. La Dolce Vita’s Maccheroni alla Catanese tosses housemade maccheroni pasta with fried eggplants, mouthwatering Sicilian tomato sauce and grated ricotta salata. La Dolce Vita, 2704 Stickney Point Rd., Sarasota, 941-210-3631, ladolcevitasarasota.com, @ ladolcevitasarasota. Tortellino Bistrot: If the menu item is in the restaurant’s name, it’s probably a safe bet. At Tortellino Bistrot, fittingly, the hand-stuffed and sealed tortellini is a must. The Tortellini Carbonara is a traditional dish featuring parma prosciutto and parmesan-filled pasta, tossed with egg, parmesan and crispy pancetta to make the silky cream sauce. Tortellino Bistrot, 6584 Superior Ave., Sarasota, 941-388-7174, @tortellino_bistro. Vino Vino: Native to the Puglia region of Italy, Vino Vino restaurant is famous for its handmade orecchiette pasta (meaning “little ears”). This classic Apulia dish is called Orecchiette ‘Cime De Rep,’ and features olive oil, garlic, anchovies and broccoli rabe. Also pictured are the handrolled cavatelli pasta shells. Vino Vino Restaurant, 2063 Siesta Dr., Sarasota, 941-330-9684, vinovinorestaurant.com, @vinovinoristorante.
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THE FIFTH TASTE
To understand umami, one must first cease trying to understand umami.
Andrew Fabian
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DESCRIBE UMAMI, Pam Smith can’t quite put her finger on it. Even as a registered dietitian nutritionist, the cofounder of Gumpel’s Searing Spices, and a former lecturer at the Culinary Institute of America, she too must employ half measures to pin down the word—dancing around the definition with synonyms that come close but ultimately fall short. “There’s really not a suitable word for it in the English language,” she says, “but it’s an unctuousness or craveability in a dish.” The elusive essence of umami manages to coexist right alongside the peer-reviewed science that helps explain it—another indication of its confounding nature. “There’s a nucleopeptide called glutamate that’s at the heart of umami,” says Smith, referring to the protein first isolated by Japanese chemist and foodie Kikunae Ikeda in 1908. Smith continues her TED Talk with the physiology of taste using technical jargon about neuroreceptors on the lips and tongue—“the idea of taste regions in the mouth is not true, by the way,” she says. Still, the way she tells it, umami is understood more by its anecdotal effects than by any clear, explicit quality. As the Umami Information Center (a nonprofit organization that studies and compiles the science behind umami) asserts, the close association of the taste with Japanese cuisine likely stems from its unadulterated existence in many Japanese dishes. Umami is also studied primarily by Japanese scientists. The Center corroborates Smith’s quick list of glutamaterich foods like seaweed, soy sauce, miso, dried bonito flakes, shiitake mushrooms, green tea and cooked meat. These ingredients all contribute to essential Japanese staples like dashi soup base, teriyaki and sushi. “A ramen noodle soup is definitely the pinnacle of umami, especially a really authentic one that’s been simmering for a long time,” Smith says. But, as she moves beyond Japanese cuisine in her pontifications, she reveals that umami hides in unsuspecting places. “Tomatoes have the essential nucleopeptides too, so think about a pasta dish with bolognese sauce,” she says, “then maybe add mushrooms and some grated parmesan (both high in glutamates)—that’s definitely an umami bomb.” Considering how quickly Napulé became a Sarasota staple for Southern Italian food, the restaurant’s Gnocchi Bolognese seems like a good dish in which to start hunting for umami’s essence. Without any special requests, the dish already educes that savory mouthfeel to which Smith refers; but, since Napulé’s food is all made from scratch, ample room is afforded to experiment. At Smith’s insistence, a handful of 90 | srq magazine_ MAY/JUNE21 live local
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diced porcini mushrooms or perhaps a drizzle of truffle oil (or both) would take the dish to new umami heights—or depths?—but it’s the freshly grated parmesan cheese that brings the greatest concentration of glutamates. “The aging process releases even more glutamates,” Smith says— so much so that aged parmesan cheese has as high a concentration as many of the seaweeds commonly known for their umami-like kombu.
So, when the server arrives with a cheese grater to top off the Gnocchi Bolognese, the search for umami requires that the server grate until the cheese spills over the edge of the plate. The experience of umami is there—the salivating, the way the taste makes you eat more than you should—but the line between the Gnocchi Bolognese and soy sauce, for example, seems speculative. How can Smith or any other food expert explain the existence of such a line? “If you look at all the dishes people tend to salivate over, it’s oftentimes comfort food,” says Smith, “so think of a hamburger too, or better yet, a hamburger with mushrooms and ketchup.” The beef in a burger seems obvious, as do mushrooms with their savory funkiness. But regular store-bought ketchup? The red, gooey, processed condiment that comes in a packet? The tomatoes would certainly help ketchup achieve its umami attributes much like the bolognese sauce, but the real gateway comes from the “natural flavors”— an alternative name for an ingredient that continues to be misunderstood in 2021: monosodium glutamate, or MSG. The misunderstanding around MSG stems from a letter published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 1968. Its author correlated a set of symptoms like brain fog, headaches and nausea with the consumption of MSG. He called this set of symptoms “Chinese restaurant syndrome” after purporting, with no evidence, that Chinese food contained high levels of the flavor enhancer. The subsequent media frenzy spawned the misinformed attitudes toward MSG today. “Chinese restaurant syndrome has been largely disproven,” Smith says, “but it still has the poison mark attached to it. ” Returning to less controversial topics like ketchup and burgers, Shakespeare’s English Pub offers a suitable entry into umami nirvana. A whopper-ing four burgers on the menu come with mushrooms, but the Garlicky Mushroom Burger seems like the most straightforward combination of beef and fungi that would lead to high glutamate numbers. Garlic also has its fair share of the compound to pair with the mushrooms and beef, and that’s before adding the aforementioned ketchup. The resulting explosion of savoriness is undeniable, as is the mouthwatering silkiness that makes it slide down the gullet with gusto. “With umami, what you want is to mix and match so you get a lifting up of the whole experience,” Smith says. No matter how lofty the umami, the massive halfpound burger inspires sitting, and plenty of it.
And the dark-walled, dimly lit interior of the pub encourages a certain meditative state that might help uncover that fabled line between a gnocchi bolognese, a burger with mushrooms and Japanese staples. But, like Smith said, the essence of umami is less a quantifiable throughline and more a collection of feelings and impressions. Both dishes are meaty and savory, sure, but otherwise, it’s the salivating and deep contentment that unite the two meals. A clear connection can also not be made between the burger and the dish many assert defines umami itself: a bowl of tonkotsu ramen noodle soup. For this transformative experience, the Tonkotsu Ramen Soup from Fushipoké is rumored to be the best in town. “Tonkotsu” means “pork bones” and, unsurprisingly, pork bones form the base of the broth (along with more than five pounds of shiitake mushrooms), according to Fushipoké Owner and Operator Tyler Fushikoshi. The resulting stock gets skimmed and strained for silkiness but still achieves an opacity from the rich particles that survive the straining process. Its savoriness is also bolstered by the marrow and collagen of the bones rendered into liquid. This is a potion of immense complexity, delicate yet accessible despite the mysterious chemistry that compounds the flavors. When served, the ramen noodles are added along with a soy-marinated and poached egg, garlic and chili oils, slivers of shiitake mushrooms, diced scallions, sesame seeds, bean sprouts and a whimsical little slice of narutomaki (a cured fish cake with a pink swirl in its center). In the rich opacity of the tonkotsu exists a more developed iteration of what Smith referred to as a “lifting up” of the experience. Every ingredient seems to multiply the dichotomous silkiness and heft that umami evokes. With the option of adding thick slices of pork belly, the bowl eats with all the appetizing appeal of a grilled steak. But the mix of textures, and the fact that so much of the umami is concentrated in the broth itself, takes it far beyond the reach of all seared meats (with the exception of maybe smoked brisket). After the tonkotsu, the bolognese and the burger, umami has revealed itself without revealing itself. Smith’s need to resort to synonyms and half measures like “savory” (which comes close) or “unctuous” (which comes a little closer) rings true. Ultimately, umami is a set of feelings: full, happy and wanting more. “When it’s layered just right, it’s more than just one plus one equals two,” Smith says. “It’s truly memorable. That’s why I call umami the fifth experience in food.” SRQ
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LOCALLY SOURCED
ALWAYS IN SEASON
GROVE 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch, 941-893-4321. CONTEMPORARY GOURMET DINING GROVE Restaurant, Patio and Ballroom is the newest offshoot of PIER 22, the award-winning waterfront destination headed by restaurateurs Hugh Miller and Greg Campbell. A full-service restaurant and events venue offering contemporary gourmet dining. The menu is elevated yet approachable and locally inspired. Housemade dishes emphasize fresh seasonal ingredients as well as innovative cooking methods, and with 27,000 square feet of dining space including an elegant 400 person ballroom there’s room for everyone at the table! M-Th 11:30am-10pm, F-Sa 11:30am-12am, Sun 11am-10pm.
MARINA JACK 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota, 941-365-4232. SEAFOOD, STEAKS AND PASTA The Sarasota landmark offers its customers exceptional food and great atmosphere while dining on the water. Come to the dining room on the second floor and try some new items on the dinner menu. Start with braised mussels in a chorizo broth or short rib tostadas, which feature Gouda cheese and pulled slow-braised short rib. Open daily for lunch and dinner. M–Su 11:15am–11pm. MORTON’S GOURMET MARKET 1924 South Osprey Ave., Sarasota, 941955-9856. GOURMET GROCER It’s the place where you can spend a lazy Sunday morning sipping coffee and breaking off pieces of a scone, a frenetic Friday evening collecting rare cheeses, meat and wine for Saturday’s soiree or a quick lunchtime bite to go. For the latter, Morton’s freshmade sushi, salad bar or ready-to-go tea sandwiches are longstanding local faves. M–Sa 7am–8pm. Su 9am–6pm. PIER 22 1200 1st Ave W, Bradenton, 941-748-8087. CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN Pier 22 takes waterfront dining to a new level. On the mouth of the Manatee River, the picturesque setting is relaxing and the perfect back-
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drop for any outing. With over 26,000 square feet of space, Pier 22 also offers catering and space for events. They focus on fresh, homemade fare and unique twists on everyday dishes. For lunch, try their soft-shell crab sandwich with jalapeno tartar sauce, with a side of poutine. While watching the sunset on the patio, dine on their fresh game of the day, sourced from around the world and always a surprise. M-Th 11:30am – 10pm. F-Sa 11:30am-10:30pm. Su 11am-10pm. Happy hour daily 3pm-7pm and Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm. TSUNAMI SUSHI & HIBACHI GRILL 100 Central Ave, Suite 1022, Sarasota, 941-366-1033. ASIAN FUSION In the heart of downtown Sarasota Florida, Tsunami Sushi and Hibachi Grill stands alone for creative sushi, fresh sashimi and a new spin on asian fusion--all at remarkable prices. FRESH SUSHI- Made fresh before your eyes by their talented chefs. FULL BAR- They feature a full bar, with specialty cocktails like the Hibiscus Rose, Japanese Julep and Shinsu Sour. ASIAN ENTREESFresh and flavorful with the unique taste of Japan. M-F 11am-Close; Sat/ Sun 12pm-Close; Closed Daily 2:30-4:30pm. SHARKY’S ON THE PIER 1600 Harbour Dr. S, Venice, 941-488-1456. SEAFOOD After just one visit to Sharky’s On the Pier, Fins at Sharky’s or Snook Haven, you’ll understand why all three restaurants have become Venice-area landmarks, smack-dab on the water. Boasting unparalleled views of the 720-foot long Venice Fishing Pier and Gulf of Mexico for over 30 years, Sharky’s has made a name for itself as Florida’s No. 1 Beach Bar with complimentary live music and entertainment, family friendly fun and a whole lot of ocean. M– Th 11:30am–10pm. F–Sa 11:30am–12am. Sun 11:30am–10pm.
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from the time-crunched, grab-and-go brekkie to a casual mid-week sit-down and the bougie weekend brunch, we ventured to as many a.m. “open” signs as there are eggs in a carton and bagels in a bag to ensure you plenty of places to fill every box of your weekly planner. and for the days it’s best to fuel up and cook from home, we’ve include a few chef-inspired recipes as well as dish ideas to break the fast of any given week.
BREAKFAST DIARIES What’s on Your Agenda?
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If it’s just another manic Monday, quick-and-easy counter service is the way to go. Make it a point to make a pit stop for some of these handheld breakfast items made and wrapped for easy carryout. And where they also offer plenty of coffee, tea and latte options to charge you up and take on the day.
WRITTEN BY BRITTANY
THESE FAST-CASUAL CAFES get the job done so you can kickstart the workweek. Grab a breakfast sandwich, along with a caffeinated beverage at Main Street’s Michelle’s Brown Bag Cafe. The Full Monty promises to indeed leave you full for the day—or at least until your lunch break. Wake up hungry and look forward to the stacked sandwich filled with sweet ham, smoked turkey breast, white cheddar, provolone and bacon, smeared with house aioli on French bread— then dipped in a sweet egg mixture, grilled and served with berry jam. The Brown Bag Burrito— made with three scrambled eggs, grilled sausage, seasoned chicken or bacon, fresh salsa and shredded jack cheese all in a warm wheat wrap—is a satisfying option wrapped in tinfoil to chow down on in the car on your way into the office. From one beach town to the other, Anna Maria islanders flock to North Shore Cafe for acai bowls and breakfast smoothies, while Venice natives get their fruitful fixings from downtown’s Island Organics. Both locales provide laid-back but efficient counter service and carryout containers to take with you on the road. The Acai Hemp Bowl at North Shore comes freshly blended with acai, banana, strawberry, hemp protein, cacao and almond milk, and is topped with strawberries, bananas, homemade granola, Florida honey, coconut flakes, and a choice of almond or peanut butter. At Island Organics, catch the wave with a smoothie bowl like the Pura Vida—mixed with pitaya, yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, mango, avocado and dates topped with granola and all the tropical fruit fixings. If you have the luxury of working remotely, you couldn’t ask for a more chill, relaxing “office” setting. Giddy about the promise of a high-quality biscuit, run over to Buttermilk Handcrafted Food for a fresh-baked biscuit with a sidekick of house-made condiments (thickly spread them around to make each bite as satisfactory as the first). The biscuits are the real deal—crispy, golden and flaky on the outside, and light, warm and airy on the inside. And to boot, there are about six different fresh jams of pureed fruit, including apricot, blueberry and strawberry, as well as Buttermilk’s own cultured butter. Instead of grabbing donuts for everyone in the office, become the employee of the month by bringing in a bag of biscuits and a flight of jams.
MATTIE + ARIEL CHATES PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN
Left to right: Island Organics blends up a rainbow of refreshingly tropical acai and healthful smoothie bowls. An on-the-go burrito wrapped up from Michelle’s Brown Bag for the Mondays when we’re slipping through yellow lights and fixing our bed heads in the rearview mirror. Michelle’s Brown Bag Cafe, 1819 Main St., Sarasota, 941365-5858, michellesbrownbagcafe.com, @michellesbrownbagcafe; Island Organics, 231 Miami Ave. W., Venice, 941-484-3565, islandorganicssmoothie.com, @islandorganics; North Shore Cafe, 304 Pine Ave., Anna Maria, 941-900-2671, northshorecafe. net, @northshorecafe_ami; Buttermilk Handcrafted Food, 5520 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota, 941-487-8949, @buttermilksrq.
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RECIPE FROM THE SPICE BOYS
Pistachio-Crusted Banana, Nutella and Tahini French Toast with Orange Blossom Syrup and Smoked Bacon
Tuesday
Take today to cook up a little something from home. Wake up just 15 to 20 minutes earlier than usual and treat yourself, or your family or roommates, to an extra-special midweek breakfast before leaving for work or school.
We enlisted Chefs Carl Kolber and Steven Schmitt of the Spice Boys food truck to create an extravagant breakfast item to experiment with at home. Fair warning: This is not your mother’s French toast. Eggs Heavy cream Pistachios, toasted Banana, roughly chopped Tahini Mascarpone Nutella White bread Sunflower oil Unsalted butter Smoked bacon Orange blossom syrup (optional) Whisk eggs and cream together in a bowl. Mix pistachios, bananas, tahini, mascarpone and Nutella together in a separate bowl. Spread the mixture over two slices of bread, then dip the sandwich in the egg and cream mixture. Set frying pan to medium heat, melt oil and butter, add sandwiches and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from heat and brush on orange blossom syrup. Spice Boys Sarasota-based food truck, spice-boys.square.site, @spiceboyskitchen
PANCAKES ARE THE PERFECT TUESDAY TREAT to awaken your taste buds and get the day started. These familiar fluffy flapjacks take mere minutes to make but add a bit more pizzazz to your plate than boxed cereal. Grab your milk, flour and baking essentials from Detwiler’s, but instead of making plain, triedand-true pancakes, throw in some exploratory ingredients to jazz it up. Try some Honey
Cinnamon Blueberry or Lemon Ricotta pancakes. For plant-based versions, swap out regular milk for Sarasota-produced Totally Nuts, providing almond milk for delivery and pickup locally. Yoder’s Produce Market is a great local spot to get your bluebs and such, while there are plenty of area apiaries to fill up on your liquid sweetener, including Sarasota Honey Company’s Orange Blossom
or Blackbeard’s Ranch Myakka Prairie Honey. For an even more compulsory sweet ingredient to adorn your pancakes, grab a bottle of traditional open-kettle Pure Cane Sugar Syrup by Ambler Farms in Myakka City. You can grab these any time by ordering on Homestead Hydroponic Farm’s online store featuring all locally harvested products.
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Left to right: Spice Boys says bye to boring breakfast with their Pistachio-Crusted Banana, Nutella and Tahini French Toast with Orange Blossom Syrup and Smoked Bacon. Going international with The Big Ben Skillet at Simon’s Coffee House, the Shakshuka at Fresh Start Cafe and a Banana-Coconut Nutella Crepe from C’est La Vie.
Opposite page: Detwiler’s Farm Market, 6100 North Lockwood Ridge Rd., Sarasota; 2881 Clark Rd., Sarasota; 6000 Palmer Blvd., Sarasota, detwilermarket. com, @detwilersmarket; Yoder’s Produce Market, 3404 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota, 941-308-4448, yodersrestaurant.com; Homestead Hydroponic Farm, 31305 Clay Gully Rd., Myakka City, the-homesteadhydroponic-farm.square.site.
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Wednesday
Go on a global culinary journey to get over the hump and onto the better part of the week by mixing up the traditional American-style breakfast with some international specialties. BananaCoconut Nutella Crepe from C’est La Vie.
BREAK UP THE WORKWEEK by mixing up the traditional status quo with some foreign favorites and riffs on the classics. At Simon’s Coffee House, the owner’s British roots can be found throughout his extensive cafe menu blended with global cuisine and European recipes. From Big Ben Skillets—served sizzling hot with banger sausage, onions, mushrooms and home fries, sautéed together and topped with cheddar cheese and scrambled eggs to the Prince Phillip Plate—a Mediterranean spin on eggs scrambled with spinach, feta cheese and olives, served with sliced tomatoes and grilled spanakopita, Simon’s off-kilter menu items inspire you to spice up your every day with a culinary trip overseas. Right on the outskirts of downtown is a humble, underrated breakfast joint where you can find some authentic Israeli and Middle Eastern dishes. Warm the soul up with a steaming bowl of Shakshuka from Fresh Start Cafe. Enjoy soup-like spoonfuls of Israeli poached eggs in tomato sauce, served with grilled pita bread for dipping and a house-made schug (a fiery relish and a staple condiment in Israeli cuisine). Additionally, the Burekas come the traditional Israeli way—a flaky, fluffy pastry filled with salted cheese, topped with a hardboiled egg, tomato and black pepper. Downtown Sarasota’s French cafe C’est La Vie has no shortage of galletes, especially of the savory variety. The Norvegienne comes filled and folded over with smoked salmon in a bell-pepper-tomato-onion sauce and goat cheese, while the Normande plays with flavors like caramelized onion sauce, Brie, apple and walnut. And down in Venice, a family-owned Grecian spot called Joy’s Kouzine satisfies an early A.M. sweet tooth, once the toothpaste flavor dissipates, of course. Among them is the Marie Antoinette— creamy Nutella, banana, strawberries, powdered sugar and Bailey’s Irish Cream. Dessert for breakfast never felt more right. Left and previous page: Simon’s Coffee House, 5900 South Tamiami Trl., Sarasota, 941-926-7151, simonstogo.com, @simonscoffeehouse; Fresh Start Cafe, 630 South Orange Ave., Sarasota, 941-373-1242, freshstartcafesrq.com, @fresh_start_cafe; C’est La Vie, 1553 Main St., Sarasota, 941-906-9575, cestlaviesarasota. com; Joy’s Kouzine, Bird Bay Plaza, 539 US 41 Bypass North, Venice, 941-220-7294, @joyskouzine. Right: Atria Bread + Cafe, 4120 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Lakewood Ranch, 941-751-1016, atria.cafe.com, @atria.cafe; Glenn Family Market, 1979 Northgate Blvd., Sarasota, 941-275-6247, glennfamilybakery.com; Morton’s Gourmet Market, 1924 South Osprey Ave., Sarasota, 941-955-9856, mortonsmarket. com, @mortonsgourmetmarket.
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Throwing every seed in the cabinet and seasoning in the spice rack on an
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Thursday Oops, you snoozed through your alarm(s) and don’t have time to stop anywhere before work. What can you make or grab quickly to give you enough energy and brain fuel to sustain you until lunchtime?
FANCY UP YOUR AVOCADO TOAST We’re nostalgic for the good old days when avocado toast was something novel—a little breakfast secret of sorts that felt newfangled and hip. Avocado toast these days, well, it’s gone mainstream, and we’ve gotten a bit lazy with stepping it up. But that doesn’t mean we should take it for granted. Make that next avocado toast count by simply stocking up the spice rack with some more seasonings, the condiment collection with a couple more hot sauces, and the produce drawer or fruit basket with a few new superfood ingredients. Then, you can suddenly turn your mundane snack of a green shmear and a pinch of salt into an extra-special slice of nutritious elements. It takes only a few extra seconds to sprinkle on a few elevated additives to make it more of a substantial meal and still make it in time to jump on your Zoom call. To have it all easily accessible at your beckoning hands, first be sure to fill the pantry up with all your key ingredients and pull those out while the bread gets toasty in the sauna. We always prefer locally farmed or sourced ingredients to incorporate from your specialty mom-and-pop stores or local grocers/markets.
THE BREAD BASE Wonder Bread’s classic white bread may be back on the shelves in a surprising revival, but if you’re looking for a fresher loaf of artisanal bread—sans the extending shelf-life preservatives and unnecessary inclusion of sugar or artificial flavoring—make an extra errand run to the bakers who know best. With fresh-milled flour, sea salt and filtered water, Atria Bakery + Cafe in Lakewood Ranch offers different loaves—such as the soft and fluffy Hokkaido Milk Bread or the Rustic Loaf with a burnished, crispy crust and open crumb—to take home after being baked fresh every sunrise. Over in Hillview,
RECIPE FROM ZILDJIAN CATERING AND PEAK PERFORMANCE CATERING
No-Bake Granola Energy Bites Chef/Owner Alyson Zildjian of Zildjian Catering and Peak Performance Catering shares her personal recipe for peanut butter energy bars. The soft, chewy granola “bars” are a spin on the popular Clif Bar—but made with fresh, clean ingredients, and elevated with chia seeds and flax meal to fill the tummy and provide energy for hours. To make them is simple and they are finger-food compatible, so you can jump in the car and easily eat with one hand on the steering wheel sitting in A.M. traffic on 41. The key is in the prep the night before so you can grab them out of the fridge in the morning.
1 cup organic old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
or nut butter of choice 1/3 cup local honey 2 tbsp chia seeds 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1/4 cup flax meal or flax seeds 1/2 cup (optional) semisweet chocolate chips or vegan chocolate chips 1 tsp vanilla pure extract
in Morton’s little bakery section, head over to the metal rack to see what the day brings you—from Cranberry Walnut Sourdough and Rosemary Olive Focaccia to Parmesan Semolina and Black Forest Seeded Rye. Get in early to guarantee yourself every available base option for your avocado toast. And at Glenn Family Bakery, don’t feel guilty at all carbing up on the hand-kneaded, small-batch sprouted breads—including the Wheat/ Power Protein loaf, packed with sprouted red winter wheat berries, garbanzo, mung and green lentil, or the nutty Italian Ancient Grain, infused with single-sourced Kamut berries, spelt and semolina.
Zildjian’s Catering shares its house recipe for No-Bake Peanut-Butter and Granola Energy Squares to get through the slump of a Thursday. coconut on a sheet pan and bake until golden brown. Keep an eye on the coconut so it doesn’t burn. Cool oats and coconut. Stir all other ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once chilled, roll into balls or bars of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about one inch in diameter). Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to one week. Yields about 20 to 24 balls or squares. Zildjian’s peanut butter energy bars can also be found for sale at O&A Coffee and Supply, downtown Sarasota, or at zildjiancatering.com and peakperformancecatering.net, 941-363-1709.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Place oats on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes, or until they are slightly golden brown. Place the shredded
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Right: The Garden Frittata and Belgian Waffles at Max’s Table make Friday more of a Fri-yay kind of feeling. Grateful for the heavy-handed gravy pour on Sage Biscuit’s Sage Biscuit--a signature dish and restaurant namesake.
PRODUCE PICKING As stated in Tuesday’s synopsis, Yoder’s Produce Market and Detwiler’s are fantastic spots to grab fresh avocados, whole lemons, maybe some artisan-blend cherry tomatoes, D’Avignon radishes and broccoli microgreens. Your neighborhood’s weekend farmers market is also a good chance to gather the coming week’s provisions. Depending on your closest downtown market, look out for regional purveyors such as Blumenberry Farms, Honeyside Farms, Gamble Creek and Fresh Harvest Farm supplying the hyper-local and organic crops. If you can’t make it to the markets, don’t fret: You can find them at their designated farm stands or order your “veggies box” by signing up for their delivery options (which many offer through their website’s e-stores).
ACCOUTREMENTS + TOPPINGS Eat your greens and supergreens from Simply Organix, where the local grower and market vendor has organic sprouts/shoots, super microgreens and even plant-based cheeses. Grab a dozen or so free-range, pastured eggs from Grove Ladder Farm. If you’re extra hungry, throw a sunnyside egg on top for added protein. Add sunflower and chia seeds, “everything” seasoning and dried mushrooms from Verona’s Gourmet Market newly-opened on St. Armands. Table the table salt and go the extra mile for some gourmet Gulf Coast sea salts. Florida Sea Salt makes the salty touch even more interesting with flavor profiles such as black truffle, lime-infused, horseradish and Sriracha. At Ancient Olive Gourmet Store on St. Armands, find a vast selection of organic extra virgin olive oils to use as a substitute for butter when toasting your bread. Artisan flavor options run rampant, including blood orange, Persian lime-infused, Tuscan herb and basil-infused. Scoop up a bottle of one, or both, of Morton’s Gourmet Market hot sauces: Hell’s Habanero and Good & Evil. Drizzle with discretion if you like a little, or a lot, of heat in the morning. Morton’s is also a great spot to grab some red pepper flakes, turmeric, garlic powder, chives, oregano and more flavor-enhancing dressings for your avo toast from its spice rack and shelf of fresh herbs. srq magazine_ MAY/JUNE21 live local | 101
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Friday
These mornings call for chill, sit-down eateries before heading (maybe a little later than usual) into the office—wearing your casual Friday jeans. Whether you make it to happy hour later or not, your day at least has already started off in the right direction with some diner-like favorites and twists on the classics. CELEBRATE TGIF by heading to a local favorite in downtown Bradenton. Sage Biscuit Cafe remains an easygoing joint with a variety of homemade dishes that include vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, as well as more decadent items for the indulgent diner. Speaking of indulgent, scan the menu until you find the words Sage Biscuits & Gravy—a smattering of Chef Joe’s savory sausage gravy over the restaurant’s namesake, served with home-fry-style potatoes, cheesy grits or fruit. Meat lovers will love the Shrimp & Grits—topped with cheddar cheese and large shrimp, and sautéed with sugar-cured bacon, chopped tomatoes and scallions. All the while, vegans partake in a Tofu Scramble—a dish enveloped in sautéed vegetables and served with multigrain toast. Head south to Nokomis to check out the quaint modern diner setting at Max’s Table. Their generous stack of Belgian Waffles is topped with fresh berries and a house crème anglaise with a side of pure Vermont maple syrup to drizzle, dampen or drown the waffle pockets of your perfectly leavened grid pattern. For a lighter fix, the Garden Frittata comes as an open-faced egg white omelet with goat cheese, filled with all the backyard garden veggies (broccoli, fresh spinach, roasted cremini mushrooms, tomatoes and red onions), served with dressed greens and an English muffin. If you’ve got time to make it out to the Key before work, have yourself a sunny beverage and dish out on the patio of Sun Garden Cafe on Siesta, where the expansive menu pleases just about anyone who comes in for a morning meal. The Bikini Bagel comes out on a plate colorful and towering tall with wholesome ingredients, including sweet turkey sausage, avocado, dried figs, tomato and sprouts on a multigrain bagel with a basil pesto spread. For egg evangelists, the cafe plays around with flavors and the unexpected variations of the classics: Benedict and Omelet. Try the Cajun Benedict—sporting two poached eggs with blackened mahi-mahi, crawfish, Gulf shrimp and hollandaise on top—or the Med Revival omelet, with spinach, artichokes, feta and tomatoes, and fried to a glowy delight with a sun-dried-tomato-fused olive oil. Previous page: Sage Biscuit Cafe, 1401 Manatee Ave. W, Bradenton, 941-4054744, sagebiscuitbradenton.com, @sagebiscuitdowntown; Max’s Table, 115 South Tamiami Trl., Osprey, 941-220-7463, maxstablesrq.com, @maxs_table; Sun Garden Cafe, 210 Avenida Madera, Sarasota, 941-346-7170, sungardencafe. com, @sungardensafe.
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Left: Those who need s’more sweet loving on the weekends can indulge in the French Toast at Libby’s for a decadent twist on a classic breakfast.
Saturday
Friday’s happy hour may have you waking up slightly hungover and fiending for a feast to soak up the previous night’s liquidation. Satiate your weekend weakness in an indulgent brunch downtown. These weekend watering holes off Main Street offer a hair of the dog Bloody Mary as well as generous bottomless mimosa deals. MADE RESTAURANT HAS A MENU FOR SERIOUS BRUNCHERS. All of the classics are amped up to 100, like their aptly named Pork on Pork on Pork Benedict—featuring smoked and roasted pork shoulder, Billionaire’s bacon, pepper milk sausage gravy and chipotle hollandaise. Their Huevos Rancheros also gets kicked up a notch with charred jalapeño pesto and whipped cream cheese guac. For a sugary, saccharine Saturday, order The Elvis—brioche French toast stuffed with caramelized banana, strawberry preserves, peanut butter, billionaire’s bacon and fried egg. This over-the-top plate is truly fit for a king. Now for something savory, or perhaps lifesaving, Boca is serving up a sandwich cheekily dubbed The Hangover Panini. A kitchen-sinktype concoction of epic proportions, it features sausage and bacon, caramelized onions and scrambled eggs, and, to top it all off, Gruyère, potato hash and coffee-infused brown mustard. When managing a fork and knife proves too challenging after a big Friday night, Boca’s got you covered with the ultimate breakfast sammy. For an adventurous menu option not widely seen on brunch menus, go out on a limb and order the Staff Meal—an ingredient-driven chef’s creation with whatever is locally available at the time. Just order it. The chef says you’ll love it. 1592 Kitchen & Cocktails recently launched a weekend brunch, perfect for sharing amongst the table of your loved ones with salubrious, tapas-like spreads. If you’d rather keep it light and nutritious to save room for 1592’s different flavored mimosas, go with Greek Yogurt & Muesli—a beautiful bowl of oats, almond, coconut, sunflower seeds, dates, pomegranate seeds and orange slices, topped with pecan butter and Canadian maple syrup. If you just want to fill the hole in your stomach, and still have room for a boozy OJ, go all-in with the Lamb Burger—prime ground beef and lamb, enhanced with a hearty helping of baba ghanoush, feta, jalapeno, black garlic aioli, tomato and a fried egg. This page: MADE Restaurant, 1990 Main St. #112, Sarasota, 941-953-2900, maderestaurant. com, @made__srq; Boca, 19 South Lemon Ave., Sarasota, 941-256-3565, bocasarasota.com, @bocasarasota; 1592 Wood Fired Kitchen & Cocktails, 1592 Main St., Sarasota, 941-365-2234, 1592srq.com, @1592kitchen.
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Sunday
Brunch should be easy, like Sunday morning. That’s why these bougie brunch spots hit the mark every time with elevated creations that raise the bar on breakfast staples. Indulge in a treat yo’self and treat-your-loved-ones type of brunch that satisfies the heart and soul as much as the stomach.
The Pork on Pork on Pork Benedict and Huevos Rancheros at MADE make a hungover Saturday morning not only bearable but a bit more on the sunny side.
END A LONG WEEK by bringing high-end breakfast dishes to the table with as much style as flavor. Brunch is undeniably scrumptious but, for the indecisive, it can prove impossible. Two entire mealtime menus? The possibilities are frighteningly endless. Luckily, Shore has narrowed down the selection to a dozen delicious items. Sweet and savory, healthy or rich, there’s something for everyone. One table can easily hit all the right notes. An Acai Superfruit Bowl for the health-conscious diner. Lump Crab Cake “Benny” on a spinach English muffin served with smashed fingerlings for someone feeling classic but fancy. Or the Chicken N’ Waffle with spiced apple relish and tabasco honey for the eager glutton. An underrated truth of brunch food is that truly anything goes. Want a burger? Sure, throw a fried egg on top that will allow it for 10 a.m. The Brunch Burger at Libby’s Neighborhood Brasserie does it right with an over-easy egg, cayenne spiced Vermont maple syrup, applewood smoked bacon, Gruyere, a certified Angus beef patty, and spread of honey chipotle aioli and a homemade potato cake on a kaiser roll. If you’re craving a campfire dessert for breakfast, Libby’s makes it possible with its mouth-watering S’Mores French Toast. Nutella, marshmallow fluff and brioche bread form an unholy trinity of decadence served alongside your choice of applewood smoked bacon or a homemade potato cake. Meanwhile, at State Street Eating House + Cocktails, house creations shake things up with elevated and healthful components in a rustic-chic presentation. The saporific Sweet Potato Pancakes come with a delightful dollop of goat cheese butter and are garnished with sliced almonds, fresh nutmeg, blueberries and honey. The Olive Oil Poached Egg Whites is an even better carb-counting option, accompanied by crispy and flavor-packed shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado and basil, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a balsamic reduction. How loud is your stomach growing now? SRQ
This page: Shore , 800 Broadway St., Longboat Key, 941-259-4600; 465 John Ringling Blvd. #200, Sarasota, 941-296-0301, dineshore. com, @shorerestaurant; Libby’s Neighborhood Brasserie, 8445 Lorraine Rd., Sarasota, 941-357-1570; 1917 South Osprey Ave., Sarasota, 941-487-7300, libbysneighborhoodbrasserie.com, @ libbysbrasserie; State Street Eating House + Cocktails, 1533 State St., Sarasota, 941-951-1533, statestreetsrq.com, @statestreetsrq 104 | srq magazine_ MAY/JUNE21 live local
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BRADENTON AREA AND BEYOND | LIVE LOCAL, LOVE LOCAL
PUBLISHED BY SRQ MEDIA | 2021 SUMMER EDITION
LIVING BRADENTON AREA
TM
VILLAGE OF THE ARTS LEGACY FAMILIES SHARE THEIR STORIES OF THE AREA
THE ADAMS-BIVENS, BISHOP-PARKER, BLALOCK, CHILES, GLASS AND ROBINSON FAMILIES
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Summer 2021
Below: The biking and walking trails of Robinson Preserve in Bradenton, courtesy of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
LIVING BRADENTON AREA TM
Love It Like a Local
Authentic Living
Welcome to Living Bradenton Area! As the Bradenton Area’s tourism department, it is our job to share all that makes our home special. Fortunately for us (and readers like you), that list goes on and on. Our world-class beaches are found on the idyllic barrier islands of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key, offering 16 miles of sugarwhite sand and low surf. Here, cozy beachfront cottages, intimate resorts and smaller, low-rise condos dot the shores but never block the views. Just minutes away, the City of Bradenton provides a break from the beach, offering a vibrant arts and culture scene, award-winning dining options, nature preserves and more. Easy to get to (thanks, in part, to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport), but with an off-the-beaten-path feel and an unwavering commitment to preserving Real. Authentic. Florida, the Bradenton Area is worth discovering and exploring again and again. We hope you agree!
Bradenton is one of Florida’s best-loved hometowns, where people are welcoming and the authentic Florida experience wafts on the breeze in the form of salty sea air, sweet of night blooming jasmine, and the smokey “yum!” Of a road side BBQ shack. Bradenton (and all of Manatee County)has kept it’s charm as ever more people are attracted to the laid-back lifestyle that stretches from beaches to ranches and river to downtown. In this edition of SRQ we celebrate the uniqueness of Bradenton, and, especially, the people of Bradenton. Our community has grown under the caring watchful attention of local families with well-known names like Carty, and Blalock, Robinson and Glass, and others. We think you will appreciate the positivity and love that the families of our highlighted community leaders share. Once you get a sense of the warm heart that beats in these locals, your pride will grow, whether you are a true local, or just “local for as long as your vacation lasts.” It’s also a community that puts action behind words - most recently highlighted in the launch of the “Love It Like A Local” campaign, headed by the team at the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitor Bureau, the outreach is designed to welcome visitors, and inform then as to how to be great guests in our community, while accepting them with open arms. We know you will enjoy sending time reading about these great Bradenton families.
E L L I O T T FA L C I O N E
WES ROBERTS
Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director
SRQ MEDIA | Executive Publisher
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LIVING BRADENTON AREA
CONTENT Good Fortune Juicery, 4 Check out the creative-minded community at Bradenton’s new Good Fortune Juicery and Kitchen and Adobe Graffiti Lounge. Village of the Arts, 8 The boutiques, galleries and eateries of Village of the Arts. Bradenton Area Family Legacies, 12 For multiple generations, six local families have made their historic mark on Manatee County—leaving behind an honorable legacy that will continue to positively impact the area for years to come. Theirs are household names: Robinson, Chiles, Glass, Blalock, Parker and Bivens. And there is a rich history behind each and every one. This page: Dragon Fruit smoothie bowls at Good Fortune Juicery and K Mose drink from Adobe Graffiti Lounge & Kava Bar, photography by Wyatt Kostygan. The Blalock family, photography by Wes Roberts.
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A WHOLESOME, WHOLE-FOODS HANGOUT IN BRADENTON, GOOD FORTUNE IS SPREADING THE LOVE.
Good Fortune and Friendship
ZOOM SCRATCHES AN ITCH, but waving to a friend through a computer screen never quite takes the place
of a real-life hug. Good Fortune Juicery and Kitchen—an outdoor, fresh-air hub of hangouts and good vibes in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts—rebuilds that sense of in-person community. Bri Dine-Stisser, the owner and chef behind Good Fortune’s vegan eats, teamed up with Andrew Schroeder of Adobe Graffiti Lounge and Kava Bar to create this mindfulness mecca. “People tend to stick around all day and get to know each other,” Dine-Stisser says. “It’s an open-minded and open-conversation kind of place.” On any given day, you’ll find Schroeder serving his alcohol-alternative Kava cocktails to visitors in the cozy firepit surrounded by couches, and Dine-Stisser whipping up cult favorites like her Portobello Reuben—the plant-powered version of a classic deli sandwich, featuring grilled marinated mushrooms on classic rye with a house-made aioli and requisite sauerkraut. 4 | srq magazine_ LIVING BRADENTON AREA 2021 live local
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Above: Operating out of a kitchen shared with Adobe Graffiti Lounge and Kava Bar, Good Fortune visitors can sit in the open-air bar or fire-pit seats. Good Fortune owner chef Bri Dine-Stisser adds health-conscious food and feel-good juices to this creative atmosphere with her fully vegan menu. Good Fortune, 1302 13th Ave. W., Bradenton, 941-920-1556, weregoodfortune.com, @good_ fortune_kitchen
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.
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This page: Eclectic and eyecatching graffiti murals cover walls, fences and houses in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts. Dragon Fruit smoothie bowls and tofu stir-fry are popular picks for this plant-based haven.
Surrounded by commissioned graffiti and colorful pop art of local artists, patrons soak up the eclectic vibe—from tabletop game night to art markets and yoga accompanied by an ever-rotating schedule of live music. Saturday nights host DJs like Titus, who spins house music with beatboxing performances from local artist Karim Manning. Drop by for Freestyle Open Mic Night and you’ll catch a tight-knit group of traveling fire spinners twirl flaming ropes. For more mellow moments, enjoy acoustic open mic on Thursday nights, and holistic sound healing sessions or tarot card readings on Saturday afternoons. Dine-Stisser is close to seeing her all-vegan menu go completely local as well, mixing and matching produce from four different farms to fill her fruit and veg needs— one farm even has a dedicated plot of land to grow products just for Good Fortune. Aside from sitting down to eat in a cabbage patch, that’s about as farm-to-table as it gets, folks. The spiritual free thinkers who frequent this fortuitous destination know it’s a place serving much more than just food or drink. “People looking for a place to go have found a little bit of a home here,” Dine-Stisser says. SRQ —A. Chates 6 | srq magazine_ LIVING BRADENTON AREA 2021 live local
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WYATT KOSTYGAN.
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GET YOUR VILLAGE OF THE ARTS ON
DESTINATION | VILLAGE OF THE ARTS An eclectic live-work community of restaurants, studios, galleries, healing arts and specialty shops housed in colorful cottages that have been restored from the 1920s and 30s.
DINING Adobe Graffiti Lounge
Adobe Graffiti Lounge is Bradenton’s Premier Kava Lounge and Café serving tea, coffee and kava drinks at an outdoor bar. Featuring artwork painted and curated by Paulie Nassar. 1302 13th Ave. W, 941-708-0345
Arte Caffé
Village of the Arts has welcomed a taste of Italy. Remo and Meridith Mambelli opened Arte Caffe to offer true Italian flavors and a place to relax in the Village of the Arts. “I’m trying to bring the real deal,” Remo Mambelli said. “A simple taste of Italy.” He arrived in the United States in 1990 after years of watching his mother cook in Italy. Her techniques and recipes stuck with him through 15 years of restaurant management in Manhattan, where he met Meridith and he hired her as a bartender. 1302 13th Ave. W, 941-920-1556
Bird Rock Taco Shack
Florida’s hottest taco spot is in the Village of the Arts. Bird Rock has great food, cool people, and the tacos, oh my, the tacos. They’re open most days and are a great way to start the night off. Birdrock is located right behind Motorworks Brewing. Birdrock Taco Shack offers an outdoor patio, fun vibe and colorful, funky decor among the Mexican staples on its menu.
Shiplett puts his creative spin on southern classics and will change how you think of Bradenton Southern food. All in a 100-yearold cottage that doubles as an art gallery. 1114 12th St. W, 941-243-3735
Good Fortune Juicery and Vegan Kitchen Each time you choose
Good Fortune, you are not only supporting a small local business, but you are supporting a handful of surrounding farms and growers in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. The produce is the most important aspect of the work here, this is why they’ve chosen to make the commitment to source all of their produce locally. This ensures freshness, stimulates the local economy and makes the operation as sustainable as possible. 1302 13th Ave. W, 941-920-1556
serving southern soul cuisine and live music on a beautiful patio in the Village of the Arts. Dave Shiplett and crew are here to serve you a meal to remember, with seating inside and outside and art from local artists on display. Cottonmouth is the place to hang and feed your soul. The Southern Soul kitchen is known for eclectic southern dining. Chef Dave
Currently featuring 1800s to Mid Century items with re-purpose or up-cycling. Industrial as well as steampunk items. Whether it’s antiques, mid-century, flea market finds or re-purposed gems, they hunt for it all and bring it here. 1015 12th St. W, 941-565-8858
Jerk Dog Records
A small vinyl record shop focusing on the niche of garage/punk rock but not to the exclusion of other good music. Jerk Dog records is the way to go to spot for garage punk rock ‘n roll. They specialize in vinyl lps and 7in’s, while new record players are available for purchase as well. 1119 12th St. W, 941-243-7426
Joan Peters Gallery
Converting a charming cottage in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts into “Ortygia”. Here, Chef Gaetano serves up “Monzu” cuisine, a hybrid of Sicilian-French cooking that dates back to Napoleon’s time. Chef Gaetano embraces the diverse culinary influences found in Sicilian cuisine, including Arab, Greek, Spanish and North-African. 1418 13th St., W,
Paris born Joan Peters opened her Gallery in the Village of the Arts in 2002. Since then it has become a favorite for art lovers. Currently, Joan particularly enjoys Plein Air painting which is the art of painting on location, braving the elements and capturing the essence of the scene. An Art Walk occurs on the First Friday of the month from 6pm to 9:30pm and continues the following Saturday from 11am to 4pm. 1210
941-741-8646
11th Ave. W., 941-365-9960
Ortygia
BOUTIQUES + STUDIOS
1004 10th Ave. W., 941-545-9966
Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen Bradenton’s newest venue
Frank Peter Antiques
Bite Me Cookies by Cindy
Since 2015, Bite Me Cookies by Cindy has been delivering happiness one cookie at a time. The Cindy in Bite Me Cookies by Cindy is Cindy Unzicker, whose love for baking, specifically cookies, began Bite Me as a passion project with just a brochure and a ton of ambition. Bite Me’s business recipe is the perfect mix of passion, the finest ingredients and a whole lot of love. Mobile Cookie Van and Mail Order, 941-812-2238
Left of Center Gallery Left Of Center Gallery, the oldest continually open gallery, is celebrating its 16th year in the Village. Resident artist Randy Blahna is a contemporary, multi-media painter using unique canvas sizes and forms. Left Of Center represents three glass artists utilizing different methods. Patty Haeussler works in stained and slumped glass, Michael Hatch is a glassblower and the crew at Bottle Benders make chimes from recycled glass bottles. 1013 11th Ave. W, 941-518-3687
Monark Custom Framing and Art Gallery A custom rrame shop
and art gallery currently scheduling custom framing appointments. 1207 13th Ave. W, 941-216-9349
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ReWorked Creations ReWorked Creations is an interactive art gallery located in the Village of the Arts in Bradenton, Florida. ReWorked Creations specializes in offering art created from a wide variety of reclaimed and repurposed materials including many different types of papers, maps, sheet music, buttons, broken jewelry, pallet wood, mardi gras beads, scrap fabric, egg shells, found objects and much more. 1227 12th St. W., 919-306-5745 The Baobab Tree Gallery and Studios Christine and Gordon Turner,
the founders and owner/artists come from rich backgrounds in the arts and education. The Baobab Tree Gallery and Studios (name influenced by Antoine de Saint Exupery’s The Little Prince) opened its doors on First Friday, March 4, 2004, after a year of extensive renovations on their 1952 bungalow. Their philosophy in putting together our eclectic collection is threefold. First, both must like the
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work. Next, they believe their customers will like the work as well and finally, it must be affordable. They are drawn to unique, well-designed and crafted work with a leaning towards the colorful and whimsical. All media are represented. 1113 12th Street West,
and it worked. Now they have a little gallery and studio in the Village of the Arts. They want to show you something beautiful, pass along a great idea, clue you into some super cool music and invite you to do the same. 1414 11th St. W., 941-900-5503
941-744-7465
The Dancing Crane Gallery The
Dancing Crane Gallery is the place to shop for those artistic gifts for any occasion. From fine art to funky art. Many gift ideas under $50 including our famous dancing birds, jewelry, prints, soy candles, stained glass pyramids, crystal and so much more. 1019 10th
Avenue W., 941-744-1333
The Dude and Mary’s Life of Art and Music Art of life & music is
about living creatively, following your passion, and making it up as you go along. A while ago they bet everything on a house they’d never seen in a city they’d never been to
Yoga Arts An in-person and online yoga studio with a focus on people 50 years and over. In its membership offerings, detailed below, Yoga Arts is mindful of the characteristics that come with 50 years-plus life experience. The design of sessions is to build your strength, agility and balance within a context of mindfulness and breath. The goal of Yoga Arts is to offer clear, careful and compelling instruction in practices of yoga — alignment of posture, balance, agility and strengthening exercises, breath training, mindfulness and relaxation — that significantly enhance well being. 1122 12th Street W., 941-747-9397
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FAWLEY BRYANT ARCHITECTURE RICK FAWLEY AND MIKE BRYANT envisioned a long, thriving future for Manatee County
941-343-4070 (MAIN) BRADENTON 1001 MANATEE AVE. W. BRADENTON, FL 34205 LAKEWOOD RANCH 5391 LAKEWOOD RANCH BLVD. N., SUITE 300 SARASOTA, FL 34240 FAWLEYBRYANT.COM
COMPANY BIO Fawley Bryant Architecture is a full-service, integrated architecture and interior design firm that works together with a passion for bringing clients’ unique visions to life. Their partnership-driven approach fuels every relationship and truly sets them apart. Their process allows them to listen, learn and adapt to determine the needs of each client and create solutions through a culmination of conversations, creativity and care. The 19-person team takes pride in their reputation for results by innovating, iterating, and improving until, together, they reach the desired combination of smart, beautiful spaces. To learn more, visit www.FawleyBryant.com. shown left: stu henderson (left) and steve padgett.
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“We’re dedicated to help this area grow in a smart, sustainable way. This is our home – our roots are strong and we’re not going anywhere.” - STEVE PADGETT,
MANAGING PARTNER
BRADENTON AREA VISIONARIES
when they decided to form an architecture firm in May 1994. Since its inception, created over a beer at the Lost Kangaroo Pub, Fawley Bryant Architecture (FBA) has been immersed in designing Bradenton’s community and culture through lasting and strategic partnerships. Whether sketching on a napkin with local leaders or volunteering on a redevelopment committee, FBA’s team has been committed to the betterment of the Bradenton region for nearly 27 years. Rick Fawley once said, “If it’s good for the community, it’s good for Fawley Bryant.” The essence of those words is clear in the firm’s extensive list of non-profit partnerships, in-kind community contributions and a plethora of volunteer hours. With nearly 800 projects completed within Manatee County, the design team has helped bring some of the area’s most notable projects to life. FBA’s client collaboration has allowed the vision of Bradenton to truly evolve, from designing the Bradenton City Center project in 1996 to the recent completion of the Bradenton City Center Parking Garage and Manatee Chamber of Commerce in 2020. FBA bridges the past and future of Manatee County, evidenced in a 26-year partnership with the Pittsburgh Pirates, 15-year relationship with IMG Academy, a bevy of construction projects worth hundreds of millions within Bradenton and nearly 100 projects collaborating with the School District of Manatee County.
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WRITTEN BY ABBY WEINGARTEN AND BRITTANY MATTIE | PROFILE PHOTOS BY WES ROBERTS AND COURTESY OF THE FAMILIES
BUILDING A LEGACY OF PLACE For multiple generations, six local families have made their historic mark on Manatee County— leaving behind an honorable legacy that will continue to positively impact the area for years to come. Theirs are revered names in the region: Robinson, Chiles, Glass, Blalock, Bishop-Parker and Adams-Bivens. And there is a rich history behind each and every one.
The Robinson Family
AS TOLD BY WILL ROBINSON JR. AND PARKS ROBINSON THE WONDER OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS has captivated the Robinsons for
decades. And that love has run through every aspect of the family’s ventures— from opening sporting goods stores to designating nature preserves in Manatee County. It all began with H.L. “Robby” and Genevieve Robinson, who moved from Pikeville, Kentucky, to Southwest Florida in 1948. The couple wanted to escape coal country and settle in a healthier landscape, so they chose Sarasota (at first) over their second pick, Colorado. But Genevieve Robinson did not enjoy the taste of the water in Sarasota, so the couple decided to live in Bradenton instead, according to Will Robinson Jr. (their grandson). The couple’s son, Bill (Will Robinson’s late father), was born in 1949, and was one of four children, including John, Penny and Becky. Together, the two generations of Robinsons would make themselves known to the local community (and to the rest of the country) by one name: Robby’s.
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This page left to right: Genevieve Robinson, Parks Robinson, Kate Robinson, Parker Robinson, William C. Robinson, Jr., William Blaise Robinson, Peggy Robinson, Wesley Robinson
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“Robby (my grandfather) and Uncle Penny started a pop-and-son retail sporting goods store called Robby’s Sports (with fishing poles, golf clubs, tennis rackets, etc.),” Will Robinson Jr. says. “The first store they had was on Manatee Avenue in Bradenton, just west of 43rd Street, back in the 1960s.” Bill Robinson joined the company in the early 1970s after finishing college. He later married Peggy, who he met at the University of Alabama, and the couple moved back to Bradenton to make their home. “My dad and uncle grew Robby’s and, at one point, there were nearly 50 stores in the southeastern United States,” Will Robinson Jr. says. “They sold the company in 1988 to Woolworth Co., and Robby’s merged with Champs Sports, which had several locations in malls all over the country.” After the chain was sold in the late 1980s, Bill Robinson bought some land in Manatee County and became a tree farmer. This move would embed the Robinson name in the local landscape forever. “A lot of that land—about 1,000 acres or so, which was originally supposed to be a golf course and subdivision—was donated to Manatee County toward the Robinson Preserve,” Will Robinson Jr. says. “That preserve is very important to my parents. My dad had always been an environmentalist, and loved nature and being outside, and he passed that along to his boys.” Robinson Preserve in Northwest Bradenton currently consists of 682 acres of mangroves, tidal marshes and former agricultural lands that have been transformed into a coastal wetland habitat. The preserve protects the living space of 75 species of fish and marine invertebrates, as well as more than 100 species of birds. It was Bill Robinson’s tranquil sanctuary, especially in his later years. “My dad passed about one-and-a halfyears ago. He was going through some very serious cancer treatments, and he and my mom would walk Robinson Preserve,” Will Robinson Jr. says. “To his last dying days, he loved the outdoors. He was just very proud of his community and always tried to give back.” It was a way of life that his children have gone on to perpetuate. Will Robinson Jr. is now a real estate lawyer/partner at Blalock Walters Law Firm. He is also a Republican member of the Florida Legislature, representing the House of Representatives District 71 (which encompasses parts of Sarasota and Manatee counties). His brother, Wes Robinson, is a ticket marketer; and his other brother, Parks Robinson (who has three children with his wife, Kate: Parks Jr., Genevieve and William Blaise Robinson), is the owner of Fit2Run.
B U I L D I N G A L E G A C Y O F FA M I LY
Bill and Parks Robinson launched Fit2Run, a successful runner’s superstore, together in Manatee County in 2006. The company now has 15 stores (14 in Florida and one in Puerto Rico), and sells running shoes, accessories, apparel and gear. The concept carries on the Robby’s tradition—a family-run, father-and-son sporting goods retail empire. “I’m a third-generation retailer, and I couldn’t have wished for a better mentor than my dad to help me with understanding the retail world and the culture that is needed to run a company,” Parks Robinson says. “It was great learning from my dad and growing with him. It was always a friendship and partnership.” As a tribute to his father, Parks Robinson and his family started the Big Bill Foundation (named after the late Robinson patriarch)—a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships to cancer survivors who are on their way to college. Watching his father battle leukemia inspired Parks Robinson to launch the effort, he says. “We participate in a lot of community runs and events with Fit2Run, and our proceeds from our races go to scholarships for these awesome kids,” Parks Robinson says. “It is something that makes us very proud as a family—to hand out these scholarships— and to honor the memory of my dad and our family.” That memory is steeped in tradition. Will Robinson Jr. has beautiful recollections of his parents taking him to St. Joseph Catholic Church on Sundays. He even officiated as his parents renewed their vows at NotreDame Cathedral in France on their 40th wedding anniversary. “My parents are very Christian-based, so church is very important to us. And, to my mom, attendance on Sunday at church was not optional,” Will Robinson Jr. says. “My dad and mom passed on this love of Bradenton, and that was also why I ran for the Legislature, to make sure our legacy (and my home community) is well-represented in Tallahassee.” Robinson Preserve undoubtedly represents that legacy in Manatee County. “That was one of the greatest things my dad said he accomplished,” Parks Robinson says. The Robinsons have remained in this stretch of Florida for a reason. It will always be their home. And every corner of it is imbued with nostalgia and natural beauty.“This area is very special to me. It has a smalltown feel in a somewhat modern city,” Will Robinson Jr. says. “It’s a place where I can go into a restaurant and know several people, but it also has enormous beauty in our beaches, parks and preserves. It’s a very special jewel in Florida.” —A. Weingarten
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This page top to bottom: Bud and Ed Chiles; Ed Chiles and daughters Ashley and Chrstin.
The Chiles Family AS TOLD BY ED AND BUD CHILES
SUSTAINABILITY. SEAFOOD. Small-town solidarity. Civil service. These terms are all
synonymous with the Chiles family, which has made an indelible mark on Manatee County for generations. Restaurateur Ed Chiles has helped transform the landscape of Anna Maria Island—and its surrounding beachfront areas—into an eco-conscious stronghold. A commitment to locally sourced food, green buildings and a communitycentric economic model are all aspects of the Chiles family signature. And carving out the Chiles name locally began during some of the earliest days of Anna Maria Island. “My whole life, we always came to Anna Maria for the summers. Some of my relatives owned a bunch of property on the north end of the island,” Ed Chiles says. “And there was so much history here. The Anna Maria City Pier was built in 1911 and The Sandbar was built in 1912. People came in by steamer. They promenaded down Main Street (Pine Avenue), came straight across the island from the bay to the Gulf, and a bathhouse sat right there. My uncle, Alfred Chiles, had a house that was built in the 1940s. So, I don’t remember ever not being on Anna Maria. I guess I came in utero, even before I was born in 1955.” Ed Chiles’ grandfather, Lawton Mainor Chiles Sr. (a railroad worker from Polk County), vacationed in the area during the summers. He gave birth to a son: Lawton Chiles Jr. (later married to wife, Rhea), who served three terms as a Florida Democrat in the U.S. Senate and two terms as governor of Florida. He was known for being a champion of tax and health reform. Lawton Chiles Jr. also helped launch a father-and-son venture with Ed Chiles: The Sandbar Restaurant on Anna Maria Island, which the two opened in 1979. Ed Chiles went on to own two other waterfront eateries that continue to thrive: Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant on Longboat Key (opened in 1990) and The Beach House Waterfront Restaurant on Bradenton Beach (1993). Ed Chiles and his partners developed Anna Maria Island’s Pine Avenue into what has been dubbed “The Greenest Little Main Street in America.” The historic boutique business district (dating back more than a century) has been lovingly preserved but also modernized. Today, the buildings are all certifiably green. The same is true of Ed Chiles’ restaurants. The culinary hotspots carry items that make the local community proud. For example, the menus feature a sustainable delicacy that is sourced straight from the Cortez historic fishing village in Manatee County—grey striped mullet, dried and cured into a product called bottarga. Ed Chiles recognized that the processing of bottarga had been outsourced overseas, so he and island native Seth Cripe created the Anna Maria Fish Company to keep the production in the community. The company now produces more than 5,000 pounds of bottarga each year—a huge economic boon to Cortez. To further fortify the Manatee County economy, Ed Chiles owns Gamble Creek Farm in Parrish, which supplies fresh, organic produce to his restaurants. Composted material from the restaurant kitchens, and from the Anna Maria Fish Company, are returned to the farm to create fertilizer. “What we’ve done, in terms of working on sustainability and the environment, has been critical,” Ed Chiles says. “We have intrinsic resources here in Manatee County that we can utilize to hopefully turn back the clock on things we’re dealing with—like climate change—and feed people high-quality, sustainable seafood, too.” Ed Chiles had the foresight, long before many others in his industry, to go green locally. And that vision has had a domino effect for decades.
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B U I L D I N G A L E G A C Y O F FA M I LY
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Left to right: Gardner Sherrill, Dannie Blalock Sherrill, Bob Blalock, Marlene Blalock, Charlie Sherrill
“If we can be a model for sustainability, as big as we are as a restaurant group, then we can encourage others to do it,” Ed Chiles says. “If we can compost and create soil, then maybe we can even encourage Manatee County to get a composting project going (which is what we’re doing). We really better be doing everything we can, and we’re not shy in that regard.” Supporting sustainability is an ongoing family initiative (carried on by Ed Chiles’ two daughters, Ashley and Christin; as well as his wife, Tina). Ed Chiles’ brother, Bud Chiles, also runs an organic blueberry farm in Lakeland called Jubilee Orchards. “I’m happy to see that more and more people are caring about green issues. When you take that first step in sustainability—when you look at who is growing your food and where it’s coming from, it all just builds,” Ed Chiles says. “And that’s what happened with us when we got on the road to sustainability and understanding the economics of buying local.” This mission matters to Ed Chiles, both as a businessman and an Anna Maria Island resident. But he is also driven to preserve his childhood summertime memories— to cherish and protect the town his family has known and loved all his life (and longer). “I remember those days of being on the beach, getting coquinas, catching mackerel with my dad at the City Pier and fileting them when they were still flopping,” Ed Chiles says. “I remember the peppermint ice cream at Key Sundries. The smell of the salt. The side streets that were all shell. Just the way the salt felt when it baked your little body. You could go out all day and come in at 9 p.m., and your parents never had to worry about anything. The best thing we can do is have a light footprint and leave Anna Maria the way we found it.” Bud Chiles agrees, as he shares the same nostalgic memories with his brother. “My parents would bundle us up into the station wagon and take us there. We learned to cast mullet nets, and wade in the ocean at night to scoop up crabs in buckets,” Bud Chiles says. “My brother and I would explore the whole island during hot summer days, grabbing ice creams at the drug store. It’s truly a home away from home for all of us.” —A. Weingarten
The Blalock Family
AS TOLD BY BOB BLALOCK AND DANNIE SHERRILL BUILDING BRIDGES—ACROSS CITIES AND THROUGHOUT COMMUNITIES—has made the Blalock name well-known in the world of local philanthropy and history. Manatee County has grown in its capacity to help its residents and make their lives better, ever since attorney Robert “Bob” Blalock became a public fixture in Bradenton. He is a principal behind the full-service business law firm, Blalock Walters—a company that has thrived for more than 90 years. But his family’s impact on Manatee started long before he arrived. Bob Blalock’s maternal grandparents, E.P. and Gertrude Green, first came to Bradenton in 1906 from Marietta, Georgia. “They’d visit Cortez fishing village and decided to settle in downtown Bradenton (‘the center of the universe’),” Bob Blalock says. “My grandmother had double pneumonia and doctors said that, if she came to a warmer climate, she would have more time to live. So, to Florida they came.” E.P. Green started buying real estate—vacant land from 59th Street to the waterfront. He and his law partner, A.F. Wyman, helped develop Bradenton Country Club.“The governor appointed E.P. to the Road Board. He helped develop Tamiami Trail,” Bob Blalock says. “And the Green Bridge, from Bradenton to Palmetto, was named after him.”Bob Blalock’s paternal grandfather, A.O. Blalock, was a Georgia business phenom. With his wife, Danny, he had three children: Dan, Winter and Madelina (and Catherine from another marriage).“He was headed to Fort Myers, but a storm came in and he stopped at the Manatee River Hotel and just stayed,” Bob Blalock says. “He came to Bradenton with a shotgun, a dog and a Model A Ford.”
A.O. Blalock’s son, Dan Blalock Sr. (Bob Blalock’s father), joined Wyman, Green & Blalock Real Estate and Insurance in 1927 (the oldest company of its kind in Manatee County, originally established by E.P. Green and A.F. Wyman in 1908). The firm became a flourishing father-and-son operation, passed down through the Blalock generations—with the late Dan S. Blalock Jr. and William M. Blalock both eventually joining. Wyman, Green & Blalock Real Estate is known for its professional offices, industrial and medical parks, and shopping centers throughout Southwest Florida: The Fairway Center, the General Telephone Building, the Tanglewood Professional Complex, Beachway Plaza and Manasota Industrial Park, among others. The company has also reached further along Florida’s West Coast, handling agricultural, timber and development land tracts. Dan Blalock Jr.’s son, Bill Blalock, now runs the firm. While Bob Blalock’s father and brothers were changing the Manatee County landscape through real estate development, he was actively involved in numerous other aspects of community building. Bob Blalock, his grandfather and his father all served as presidents of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “Service to the community was instilled in me by my father,” Bob Blalock says. Bob Blalock entered the now-named Blalock Walters law firm in 1963, soon taking on the role of managing partner. He and his colleagues helped establish the Manatee Community Foundation—a public charity that enhances the lives of local citizens through philanthropy, education and service (as does the personal Marlene and Bob Blalock Fund, named for himself and his wife). Bob Blalock has devoted his time and career to numerous other nonprofit initiatives in Manatee County. He has served as chairman or president of such organizations as the Sarasota Orchestra, The Ringling Museum, the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, the United Way Suncoast Manatee and the New College Foundation. He was named a “Manatee Distinguished Citizen” in 2017; given the “Lifetime Spirit” award at the 2012 Manatee Community Foundation Spirit of Manatee Awards; deemed a 2017 “Good Scout” by the Southwest Florida Council Boy Scouts of America; and recognized as a “Legal Legend” by Legal Aid of Manasota. Bob Blalock’s professional and personal service ultimately evolved into overseeing the Bishop Foundation—a charitable organization with a vibrant backstory. The Bishop family is beloved for having founded the Bishop Animal Shelter, the Manatee
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Performing Arts Center and the Bishop Museum. Much like the Blalocks, the Bishops have put their charitable stamp on Manatee County—and the two families have come together as mutual champions of local causes. “Ned and Patty Bishop were active in the civic and cultural life of the Bradenton area. They made generous and impactful gifts, anonymously when possible, to many of the organizations and institutions in the area today,” Bob Blalock says. “The Bishops met Mary Parker (a graduate nurse) in New York in 1934 and invited her to be their nurse/companion—a role she had until the passing of Ned in 1962 and Patty in 1972.” The Bishops established the Edward E. and Lillian H. Bishop Foundation in 1953, and Parker established the Mary E. Parker Foundation with her own assets in 1986. Parker passed away last year at age 108, leaving behind an incredible track record of giving, and Bob Blalock serves as the administrative trustee of her estate and trust (along with four other trustees). “The trust assets all go to Manatee County nonprofit organizations (intended to last in perpetuity),” Bob Blalock says. Bob Blalock, in multiple ways, continues to give to the community. And Manatee County gives back to his family—with its charm, its bank of memories, and its historic places that bear the Green and Blalock names. “I can’t think of a better place to grow up, and for my husband and I to raise our family, than Bradenton. Although Manatee County has grown considerably over the last few decades, it still has a small-town feel to me,” says Dannie Sherrill, Bob Blalock’s daughter. “I loved my childhood here, and a large part of that was the beauty of this community that allowed me to grow up enjoying the beaches, the waterways and the neighborhoods (where I played until it was time for dinner). People who live in Manatee County truly embrace this community and support it.” —A. Weingarten
The AdamsBivens Family AS TOLD BY CHANDRA BIVENS CARTY ONE OF 12 SLAVES BROUGHT TO MANATEE COUNTY
in 1844 to build Gamble Plantation, Nelson Burton arrived from Leon County, FL with Major Robert Gamble. There was no “Bradenton” yet. Manatee was made up of dense hammock along the Manatee River, and Nelson was one of 181 slaves who helped
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construct Gamble Plantation in Ellenton. Following the Civil War and freedom, Nelson and his wife, Mariah Washington Burton, left the plantation to live in an area called Gates Creek (where they began purchasing property). The 1916 Bradenton City Directory had Mariah Washington Burton living with her daughter, Malissa, and her husband, Juneous (June) Adams, on Midway Avenue in Bradenton as shared owners of a rooming house. Mariah Washington Burton’s youngest, Bessie Adams Williams (Chandra Carty’s grandmother), lived with her husband, Cleveland Williams, on South Street (they are also listed in the city directory as owners of a “lunchroom”). “I have used the Sanborn Map Company’s maps to try to locate the area where my family lived,” Carty says. Between Malissa and Bessie and their husbands, the family bought up numerous properties in the area, adding to the family real estate. Bessie and Cleveland Williams’ children: Irma, Carl, Frances and Naomi, inherited the family properties and real estate. “My mother, Naomi Bivens, remembers her grandfather, Juneous Adams—describing that he came to Manatee County to pick the citrus fruit,” Carty says. “He worked on the Foster Plantation. Later, he worked in John Harlee’s store in Old Manatee, then for Major A.J. Adams.” June Adams, along with others, established St. Paul Baptist Church in 1886, located on Seventh Street near the old fire station. Later, in 1899, he established and helped build St. Stephen’s A.M.E. Church, at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Ninth Street. June Adams was also the first Black person to contribute money ($100) for the building of the new Manatee Hospital. “The registration Book of District Five, Manatee County, shows Juneous Adams registered and voted on Sept. 12, 1888,” Carty says. “He was most proud of his philanthropic support of Manatee County and helping to organize the churches—also where Black kids would attend classes, since there were no actual schools for them at the time.” Joseph Bivens (Carty’s father) was the principal at Bradenton Elementary School, 1st Street School, Lincoln High School and Lincoln Middle School. He served on numerous boards—including the Housing Board and Draft Board, and was a member of the Deacon Board at St. Stephens AME Church. “I remember my father assisting students in applying for community grants,” Carty says. “My mother, Naomi, also understood the importance of an education—taught by her parents and great grandparents before her to work hard, save her money and give back to her community. Through her careful planning and hard work, she has been able to leave a legacy that will live on through generations.” And, according to Carty, the education community of Bradenton has grown from one school for Blacks to more than 78 public schools serving the entire Manatee community. “She would be proud to know that Manatee has seven institutions of higher learning—including four private colleges and three public colleges,” Carty says. “The opportunity for advanced education is now available for those students who can demonstrate the ability to perform scholastically.” Revitalization of Carty’s old neighborhood, where she grew up on Ninth Avenue (now Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) had a variety of businesses—including a local grocery store, cleaners, a gas station and churches. “That area has such potential. I would love to see a multi-use business located on Third Street. The area is only blocks from the Bradenton Riverwalk and a beautiful community garden,” Carty says. “I am hopeful that I can make suggestions to the city planner for Third Street and Ninth Avenue. I would also like to see a monument recognizing the slaves who built Gamble Plantation, including my grandfather.”
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The Glass Family AS TOLD BY MARY AND DIANNE GLASS
Above: Chandra Bivens Carty, MMSC, Dietician, Nutritionist and Founder of Nutrition In The Now. Photo courtesy of Chandra Bivens Carty.
Aside from the visions of the aforementioned areas, Carty hopes that the legacies of her family will be recognized and remembered: Nelson and Mariah Burton, who overcame slavery and purchased real estate after freedom; Juneous and Malissa Adams, who helped to establish two churches and donated to Manatee Hospital; Bessie and Cleveland Williams, who were among the community to support the efforts to establish the first school for Blacks; their children, Irma and Carl Williams, who were teachers at the school; Naomi and Joseph Bivens, who were key educators in Manatee County, and whose strong leadership guided numerous students to pursue an education beyond Bradenton. “The Joseph T. and Naomi W. Bivens Scholarship Fund will continue their dream for minority students in Manatee County,” Carty says with familial pride. —B.Mattie
PUBLIC SERVICE AND EDUCATION have been longtime cornerstones of the Glass family—and the Manatee County community continues to thrive under their watch. Ever since Patricia “Pat” and Henry “Hank” Glass relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, to Siesta Key in 1955, the local landscape has shifted toward the greater good. The Glasses settled in Manatee County in 1960, owning homes in the Whitfield Estates neighborhood and on Snead Island. They had five children: Michael, Mary, Marty, Dianne, and the late Tom Glass—the siblings made their homes locally, too. Hank Glass was a World War II Navy veteran, a pioneer behind the Visioneering company, and the devoted husband of Pat Glass for 61 years until his death in 2010. Pat Glass, who passed away last year at age 93, was Manatee County’s first female county commissioner. Appointed in 1978, she served for more than 25 years, ultimately earning the “Distinguished Citizen of the Year” award in 2011. “Our family rallied around my mother’s campaigns and championed her causes. It was fun to help put up the signs, design the brochures, silk-screen the T-shirts and go to the rallies,” says Mary Glass, who has been the president of the Manatee Education Foundation since 2006. “My mother was a fighter for her constituency, and she was very popular for her advocacy and spirit of tenaciousness in getting things done.” To help provide the local homeless population with healthcare, Pat Glass helped bring about the sale of Manatee Memorial Hospital in the mid-1980s. The proceeds from the sale covered the costs of indigent healthcare for more than three decades. She also helped the mentally ill and those battling substance addiction by lobbying the Florida Legislature for funds to build a nonprofit hospital. This project would become Manatee Glens (later Centerstone), which assists thousands of residents with behavioral and mental health challenges. In the 1990s, Pat Glass worked to establish the Children’s Services dedicated millage—a special tax that would provide the most significant social service funding for children and families in the history of Manatee County. She was instrumental in building public facilities, such as the Manatee County Administration Building and the Manatee County Detention Center (the latter is bordered by her namesake, Pat Glass Boulevard). Pat Glass helped bring srq magazine_ LIVING BRADENTON AREA 2021 live local | 19
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about the acquisition and restoration of the Powel Crosley Estate—a seaside home built by American radio pioneer Powel Crosley Jr.—and negotiated the purchase for the county (Pat Glass’ celebration of life was held on the property).She retired as a county commissioner in 2006. And, in 2018, the Manatee County Commission named its meeting chambers in her honor: the Honorable Patricia M. Glass Chambers. “Our family has always supported my mother in her public service endeavors—affordable housing, the environment, water, social services and more,” Mary Glass says. “I have so much respect for how my mother worked with the community and made it a full-time commitment to make Manatee County a better place to live.” That compassion was felt equally in the family home in Whitfield Estates when the Glass children were growing up.“The Glass kitchen table was a hotspot for
people to sit, talk and share ideas. I think that’s where a lot of our real foundations started about politics and preserving the water (the things my mother believed in so much),” Mary Glass says. “We were water kids— skiing, going to the beach—and I wonder if that isn’t just a great introduction to how it shapes you later in life. You just appreciate the beauty of nature as a kid.” An appreciation of nature, and of learning and teaching, were upheld throughout the generations. Five members of the Glass family graduated from the University of South Florida (Pat Glass even earned a master’s degree in gerontology while her daughter, Dianne Glass, was still in grade school). Dianne Glass now does body rolling work (teaching and holding retreats), Michael Glass is a retired accountant, Marty Glass is a cartoonist and graphic designer, and Mary Glass supports teachers and students in the Manatee County School District.
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Left to right: Dianne Glass, Michael Glass, Mary Glass, Marty Glass
“I wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps, to help people, and to support our community,” Mary Glass says. “I remember, when they read her proclamation of accomplishments at the naming of the county chambers, the list was astonishing. At the dedication, the family was so happy to be together with her, just two years ago, before she passed. After she heard all the accolades, she said, ‘In the end, it’s all about love. I have all my children here with me today and that’s all I need.’” Her children share that sentiment about the profound importance of family, of home, and of the magic of a cherished hometown. The love of this landscape—and the memories made in Manatee County—has kept them here. “There’s something about living here in Manatee County, still, where we all grew up,” Mary Glass says. “And I think that’s why we’ve stayed. It’s a feeling you have—that there’s just no place like it.” For Dianne Glass, living in the family home in Whitfield Estates (a 100-year-old, Spanishstyle residence she has owned for 25 years) helps preserve the wonder of her childhood memories. “The Whitfield Estates neighborhood was magical when we were growing up—completely undeveloped, with white sand beaches along Bowles Creek, wooded fields where we had tree forts, and where our dogs ran free with no fences. It was a much simpler time,” Dianne Glass says. “I’ve always been a world traveler, but this is my home and the place where I find refuge. It was a great place to raise my daughter, Nikki. Even though there’s been explosive growth, it still feels like a smallish town and a place where I can connect with the people I’ve known all my life. To me, that’s something to be treasured.” —A.Weingarten
The BishopParker Family AS TOLD BY MARY JARRELL THE STORY BEGINS WITH AN ENGLISH IMMIGRANT NAMED JOHN HUNTINGTON.In 1854, at 22, he came
to Cleveland, OH, with his wife, Jane Beck. He began working as a contractor in slate roofing and, in 1863, he joined Clark, Payne & Co. (an oil refining firm). “During his time there, John developed and patented many inventions for improving furnaces, oil refining methods, and machinery used to produce barrels for storage and transportation of oil,” Mary Jarrell says. “In 1870, Clark, Payne & Co. was taken over by John D. Rockefeller’s original Standard Oil Company, and
John became very prominent in the business affairs of Cleveland’s oil industry.” He became part owner of a large fleet of lake vessels in 1886, and later vice president of Cleveland Stone Company. Huntington served for 13 years on Cleveland’s city council, supporting many significant and historical city improvements. On his 57th birthday, Huntington established a benevolent trust, based mostly on his 500 shares of Standard Oil stock, Jarrell says. “The fund provided charitable benefits to more than 40 cultural and educational institutions in the Cleveland area,” she says. He also recorded his will in 1889, establishing the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust with the goal of producing a “gallery and museum” and a “free evening polytechnical school.” Upon his death in 1893, the trustee of his estate, Henry Clay Ranney (who was also the trustee for the estates of Hinman Hurlbut and Horace Kelley) channeled bequests from all three estates toward the establishment of the Cleveland Museum of Art. “Today, the Cleveland Museum is internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art, and it provides general admission free to the public,” Jarrell says. “With a $755 million endowment, it is the fourth wealthiest art museum in the United States.” Huntington was survived by five children—one of whom was William Robert Huntington, a successful businessman and the commodore of the famous Put-in-Bay Yacht Club on Lake Erie. Lillian E. Huntington was the daughter of William and Marie Baldwin Huntington. “She and her mother, Marie, first visited Bradenton in 1904, where they stayed at the A.F. Wyman home,” Jarrell says. “She and her mother were later among the first guests to register in ‘Braidentown’s’ new Manavista Hotel— currently the site of the Courtyard retirement center in downtown Bradenton.” Marie and Lillian Huntington eventually moved to Bradenton permanently after William Huntington’s death. In 1914, Lillian Huntington married Edward Everson Bishop in her home in Ohio. “The newly-wedded couple built their honeymoon home on the Manatee River in Bradenton,” Jarrell says. After a few years, the Bishops built their lifelong residence, also on the Manatee River. The Bishops were active in civic and cultural life (in both Bradenton and Sarasota, as well as in various other communities along the east coast of the United States). The major turning point in this family history would be in 1934, when the Bishops met Mary Evelyn Parker, a recent graduate from the Metropolitan Hospital in New York City. Parker would come to be Mary Jarrell’s late aunt and namesake. “Due to the fragile nature of Edward’s health, the couple invited Mary to become their full-time nurse and companion--a position which Mary held throughout their lifetimes,” Jarrell says. “During the time Mary lived with the Bishops, their relationship evolved into deep-seated feelings between them.” So much so, the Bishops legally adopted Parker as their daughter. The Bishops had no children of their own, Jarrell explains, but Parker remained, at all times, close like family to the Bishops. The value of charitable contributions given during the Bishops’ lifetime, as well as Parker’s, is inestimable, and has had a profound impact on both Manatee and Sarasota counties. “Their philanthropic gifts have usually been made privately, often anonymously, and where possible (as was the case with John Huntington before them), accomplished on a person-to-person basis rather than through organizations,” Jarrell says. “Their giving reflected their personal interests in a variety of organizations and nonprofits working to build better communities. In fact, it would be hard to name worthy projects in the Manatee area that did not receive generous contributions from the Bishops and Mary—including the Conquistadores, the Pram Fleet, Boys Ranch and so many others.” The Bishops also worked directly with the community. Lillian Bishop developed srq magazine_ LIVING BRADENTON AREA 2021 live local | 21
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Left Mary. E. Jarrell, RN, BSN, HCRM, one of three trustees that help lead the newly-merged Bishop-Parker Foundation—formed in 2021 to strengthen the Manatee County community by providing financial support to nonprofits improving the lives of individuals and animals. Photo courtesy of Mary E. Jarrell and Cliff Roles.
an interest in nursing and, for several years, worked both day and night shifts as a volunteer operating room nurse in the Bradenton General and Manatee County hospitals. When these hospitals became overcrowded, the Bishops matched community donations and grants—creating a new wing for Manatee Veteran’s Memorial Hospital (now Manatee Memorial Hospital). This new two-story wing contained operating rooms, an orthopedic operating room, a tumor clinic and a recovery room suite. The Bishops provided surgeries for numerous patients at no cost, as well as other medical care for people who were indigent. They were interested in theatre and were among those who founded the Players Theatre in Sarasota. Lillian Bishop especially took an active interest in Bradenton’s Manatee Players Theatre– participating financially in the operation and construction of the original theater building (situated on 12th Street in downtown Bradenton), and serving for many years as chair of the theater’s properties committee. Another one of the Bishops’ contributions was the South Florida Museum, which originally began its operations in a warehouse located on Memorial Pier in downtown Bradenton. “The museum was able to remain solvent, largely as a result of anonymous gifts from the Bishops and Miss Parker. Lillian played a major role in the 1966 construction of the new museum and the subsequent construction of the planetarium,” Jarrell says. Only after the planetarium was completed did Lillian Bishop most reluctantly allow the naming of the planetarium after her departed husband. Parker then donated funds for Snooty, the resident manatee, to have a larger aquarium (and she provided substantial funding to increase the museum’s
overall permanent endowment). Before their passings, the Bishops had an abiding love for and understanding of animals. According to Jarrell, their genuine interest in animal welfare resulted in the establishment of many local foundations for the benefit and care of animals. The principal beneficiary of these foundations is the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Manatee County. This foundation was created in 1957 and deeded two tracts of Manatee County land, both of approximately 40 acres. The SPCA established an animal shelter on the tract, which is across from what is now Blake Memorial Hospital, at the northeast corner of the intersection of 59th Street and 21st Street West in Bradenton. The hospital was not there when the land was donated. “After the death of both Mr. and Mrs. Bishop, the SPCA directors determined it was in the best interest of all that the animal shelter be known as the Bishop Animal Shelter,” Jarrell says. “These trusts, established by the Bishops, are for the sole benefit of the Manatee County SPCA.” In July 1986, Parker created the Mary E. Parker Foundation with her own assets. “While the Bishops left considerable income and assets to Mary without restriction, the majority used for her Foundation was due to the major land sale of her family’s farm in Maryland,” Jarrell says. “On March 30, 2020, Mary passed away quietly in her sleep at home in Bradenton, at the age of 108 years. Mary felt strongly about continuing the legacy of the Bishops, and she took an active interest in ensuring the enrichment of the community throughout decades of financial support.” Some of those institutions that are continually benefiting from her generosity include Manatee Memorial Hospital, the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, the Manatee Performing Arts Center, State College of Florida, Manatee Community Foundation, Turning Points, Bishop Animal Shelter, Southeastern Guide Dogs Inc. and Mote Marine. Additionally, Parker sought out and supported many organizations around the county in the interest fields of animal welfare, supporting vulnerable people, nursing education, medical research and the arts. “Mary E. Parker was a very humble and private person. She preferred to support the community anonymously when possible. Her support had a huge impact on the healthcare of low-income families as well as nursing education,” Jarrell says. “Her focus was on the health, education and welfare of the community as a whole, which included the environmental preservation of Manatee and Sarasota counties.” —B.Mattie
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Dance Performing Arts and Music Overall Day Camps Science & Nature Technology Sports and Recreation Visual Arts
ROCKETKIDS MAGAZINE | SUMMER CAMP EDITION PUBLISHED BY SRQ MAGAZINE | SRQMAG.COM/ROCKETKIDS
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ARTS, SPORTS, THEATER, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, NATURE SPORTS AND RECREATION
SUMMER AN SRQ MAGAZINE PUBLICATION | ENGAGING FAMILIES IN OUR HOMETOWN REGION
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H
ighlights from summer camp offerings.
SummerFun
OVERALL DAY CAMPS
CENTER MONTESSORI SCHOOL SUMMER FUN EXPERIENCE CAMP AT THE MAIN CAMPUS AND EAST CAMPUS
Ages 3-6 This educational summer program is enjoyable for children and has different themes each week filled with arts and crafts. Dates At the Main Campus, themes and dates include: Let’s Have Fun in French (June 8–12), Gardening: Seeds, Leaves and Trees; (June 15–19), Art Adventure (June 22–26), Red, White and Blue (June 29–July 2), Becoming a Chef (July 6–10), Water Week (July 13–17), Puppet Making (July 20–24), Drama (July 27–31), and Around the World (August 3-7). East Campus Summer Camp listings coming soon. Cost Varies from $125-$175 per week; special first-week discounts available Location Main Campus: 6024 26th S. West, Bradenton. East Campus: 12705 State Rd. 64 East, Lakewood Ranch Register 941-753-4987, cms@centermontessori.org, centermontessori.org
FORTY CARROTS SUMMER CAMP
CAMP CARROTS AGES 3-4 Come join us for a summer of art adventures where we get messy and explore different expressions through hands-on activities. Dates June 21 – July 30 Cost $1,200 for 6 weeks; 8:30am-3pm, 8:30am-1pm; $1,600 for six weeks, 8:30am-3pm. TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM Forty Carrots Preschool is offering a unique opportunity for incoming Kindergarten students. Your child will develop Kindergarten skills that will allow him/her to feel successful, confident and with a love for learning Dates June 21 – July 30, 8:30am-3pm Cost $1,800 for six weeks Location 1500 South Tuttle Ave., Sarasota Register 941-365-7716, ortycarrots. com/preschool/summer-programs
GIRLS INC. SUMMER CAMP Ages 5-14 (girls will be separated into age groups) Campers will participate in girl-specific programming, participate in a variety of fun activities, stretch their creativity, gain valuable life skills, learn about the environment, make new friends and have fun! Each girl will participate in activities that involve them in nationally researched and developed programs. Including gardening and nutrition, media literacy, summer reading, computer skills, Dream Harbor Mini-Society, ProjectBOLD and financial and 4
RESEARCHED AND COMPILED BY GRACE CASTILOW | BRITTANY MATTIE
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economic literacy. Dates June 14–August 6, 7:30am-6:30pm Cost $25 registration; $125 per week; financial aid available Location Girls Inc. of Sarasota County, 201 South Tuttle Ave., Sarasota Register 941-366-6646, Lana@girlsincsrq.org, girlsincsrq.org
so register early to reserve your spot as space is limited. Dates June 7–July 16, 9am-3pm Cost $225/week; extended care available for $45 per week Location ODA Lakewood Ranch Campus, 5950 Deer Dr., Sarasota Register 941-554-3400, oda.edu
NEWGATE SCHOOL SUMMER CAMPS
SARASOTA SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES MIDDLE SCHOOL SUMMER CAMPS Grades 6-9 This exciting and edu-
CAMP PASSPORT Ages 3-6 For younger children, this camp offers a special extension of NewGate’s wonderful Early Childhood Program. Every week, the youngest campers take an imaginary journey to another land, exploring the sights, sounds, flora and fauna, music and food, arts and crafts, dance, games, and stories of countries around the world Dates June 14—July 30 from 9am-4pm. Cost $250/week; multi-session and sibling discounts available. CAMP ENDEAVOR Ages 6-12 Every week, campers are immersed in a wide variety of activities, learning skills in Circus arts, STEAM-based activities, arts and crafts, and scouting-based skills. Summer camp at NewGate is a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends, engage in diverse and meaningful activities, and develop new interests and skills. Dates June 14—July 30, 9am-4pm Cost $250/week; multi-session and sibling discounts available. Location 5237 Ashton Rd., Sarasota Register 941-922-4949, newgate.edu
THE OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY BANYAN DAY CAMP Grades K-6 The Out-of-Door
Summer Academy offers unique academic, sports, STEM, arts, specialty, and day camps for children ages 5-17. Camp Banyan is one of the most popular day camps. This year its location is moving to the Lakewood Ranch Campus. Each week offers a brand new experience with a fun-filled theme week full of exciting activities, virtual and off-campus field trips, guest speakers, weekly workshops, and special projects. Your child’s time on campus is spent experiencing a wide variety of activities which may include water days, super cool arts and crafts, cooking, hands-on science, outside sports and games, team building, drama, leadership-building activities and more! ODA will be sending a weekly letter with specific details for each week. Off-campus programming is subject to change and will occur only if our COVID-19 protocols related to bus transportation and space availability allow for such activities. This is a very popular and well-loved camp
cational mini-camp provides opportunities for middle school students who can choose from morning and afternoon sessions or they can attend both, for a full day. From fishing to ceramics, video game creation to hiking, basketball to volleyball, and even a camp for Pokémon Go, this collection of summer camps for middle schoolers lets students explore their world. Dates June 16—25, Morning Camp: 9am-12:30pm and Afternoon Camp: 1pm-4:30pm Cost Half Day $200 +$25 materials fee, Full Day $400 +$50 materials fee Location 717 Central Ave., Sarasota Register 941-330-1855, ssas.org
SEEDS OF LIFE MONTESSORI SCHOOL SUMMER CAMP PROGRAMS Ages 5-11
Join Seeds of Life for their summer camp offering STEM, Cooking, Spanish Language, Art, and Fitness weekly themes. Seeds of Life is a Montessori Academy that offers an inclusive, bilingual environment that plants the seeds of a life-long passion for learning, relationships, diversity, independence, mental and physical health and love. Dates Week 1 STEM June 14-18, Week 2 Director & Producers June 21-25, Week 3 Monti Chefs & Bakers June 28-July 2, Week 4 Brushes & Canvases July 6-9, Week 5 Conversando (Spanish Week) July 12-16, and Week 6 Fitness & Nutrition July 19-23; Daily Schedule 8:30am-9:30am Games/Crafts, 9:30am11:30am Theme Activity, 11:30am-12:30pm Playground/Sports, 12:30pm-1:30pm Lunch & Rest, 1:30pm-3:30pm Theme Activity/Outdoors, 3:30pm-4pm Snack, and 4pm-4:30pm Playground & Dismissal Cost $375 per week ($100 deposit at reservation) Location 5805 Whitfield Ave., Sarasota Register 727-688-4608 or SolMontessoriAcademy.org
THE SKY FAMILY YMCA SUMMER CAMP
Ages 5-15 Are you ready to dive into the best summer ever? The Sky Family is excited to share with you what they have in store for 2021 and guarantee it’ll be a summer
S UMM ER CAMPS S PECIAL ED I T I O N—PR O DU CE D BY SR Q M AG A Z I N E
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Summer Camps 2021 you’ll never forget. Our camps have been reimagined this year for children to explore, discover, and challenge themselves. Camps are progressive so campers can continuously explore new adventures and responsibilities as they grow. Dates Week 1: June 14–18, Week 2: June 21–25, Week 3: June 28–July 2, Week 4: July 5–9, Week 5: July 12–16, Week 6: July 19–23, Week 7: July 26–30, and Week 8: August 2–6 Cost A one-time registration fee of $30 is due with your application. Location 701 Center Rd., Venice Register 941492-9622, swflymca.org/main/summer-camp
SPANISH LEGACY SPANISH SUMMER CAMPS Ages 3-12 Spanish
Legacy Summer Camp is held onsite at the academy throughout the summer. All camps are full immersion led by native-speaking teachers. Children learn through lively games, crafts and fun creative activities, all while developing language proficiency and critical thinking skills. Small class sizes and 1:1 attention. Dates June 1—4: All About the Beach, June 7—11: Dinosaurs, Roar, June 14— 18: Planets Rock, June 21—25: Shark Week, June 28—July 2: Let’s Play Dress Up, July 5—9: Food, July 12—16: Wild About Animals, July 19—23: Planes, Trains & Vehicles, July 26—30: Spanish Artists, August 2—6: Science & STEM. Morning camp is 9am-12pm; Afternoon is 1pm-4pm; Full-day is 9am-4pm Cost Mornings are $205/week; afternoons are $205/week, full days are $250/week, and 10-day drop-in is $400 Location 2822 Proctor Rd., Sarasota Register 941-9258510, spanishlegacy.com
THE CITY OF SARASOTA PARKS AND RECREATION DISTRICT SUMMER CAMPS Ages 6-12 The City of Sarasota
Parks and Recreation District is excited to begin their ninth summer of programming for summer break. Summer Camps are available at Arlington Park & Aquatic Complex and Robert L. Taylor Community Complex. Experience a summer packed full of adventure, crafts, games, swimming, educational activities and more. Each week a new theme will be discovered. ARLINGTON PARK & AQUATIC COMPLEX Please contact Arlington Park & Aquatic Complex for assistance creating your online account or to retrieve your username/password. You will be unable to register without an online account. At this time masks will be required while indoors and outdoors when socially distancing is not possible. Campers will need to bring a water bottle, swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen each day to camp. Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks Provided. Dates June 14 – August 6, 2021, 7:30am - 5:30pm, Space is limited to 40 campers per week Cost $100 per week session. A $25 non-refundable deposit is required for each session registered. The remaining balance is due the Wednesday before the session starts. Location 2650 Waldemere St., Sarasota Register 9416
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263-6732, LetsPlaySarasota.com/Facilities/ Arlington-Park ROBERT L. TAYLOR COMMUNITY COMPLEX At this time masks will be required while indoors and outdoors when socially distancing is not possible. Campers will need to bring a water bottle, swimsuit, towel, and sunscreen each day to camp. Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks Provided. Dates June 14–August 6, 2021, 7:30am 5:30pm, Space is limited to 60 campers per week Cost $75 per week session. Payment of $75 for the first week of camp is due at the time the application is submitted. Payment is due on or before every Wednesday for the following week of camp. For example, payment of $75 for the second session (2nd week) of camp is due on or before Wednesday, June 16, 2021 Location 1845 John Rivers (34th) St., Sarasota Register Applications available online and/or pick-up at RLT front desk. First week payment of $75 is due at this time. 941-263-6562, RLTaylor.com
DANCE CAMPS SARASOTA CONTEMPORARY DANCE SUMMER PROGRAMS INTRO TO DANCE
Ages 5-8 Explore new ways of moving — students will have the opportunity to take Contemporary, Hip Hop, Acro, Afro-Modern and Creative Movement. Each day will also include craft time and a small, provided snack. No dance experience necessary. Dates June 22–26, 9am-1pm Cost $150 ($175 after June 1) INTERMEDIATE MOVERS AGES Ages 8-12 Dance up a storm this summer and learn actual works from SCD’s repertoire. Daily classes include Contemporary, Hip Hop, Afro- Modern, Jazz and Acro. Students will also participate in a variety of games and crafts. Small snacks provided. Dates June 22–26, 9am-2pm Cost $175 ($200 after June 1) There will be a mini performance for the family on July 2 at 1pm Location 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Ste. 300, Sarasota Register 941-260-8485, info@sarasotacontemporarydance.org, sarasotacontemporarydance.org/kids-summer-programs
SUMMER FUN AT SARASOTA BALLET SCHOOL STEP INTO BALLET Ages
3-4; CHILDREN’S DANCE CAMP Ages 5-7; EXPLORER’S DANCE CAMP CAMP Ages 8-12 These summer camps are designed to introduce children to the wonderful world of dance. Each weekly camp has a special theme and students will enjoy classes in ballet and creative movement, as well as fun activities such as crafts, art and dress up. All children are welcome even if you are not a current student. Our camps do not require any previous experience. Join us for a summer of fun. Our summer camps take place in the beautiful new studios at Rosemary Square. The Sarasota Ballet reserves the right to cancel the camps two weeks before the start date if they don’t have the required number of students. Dates Step Into Ballet
June 14–18: At the Beach and June 21–25: Fairy Tales, Children’s Dance Camp June 7–11: Animals, June 14–18: At the Beach, and June 21–25: Fairy Tales, Explorer’s Dance Camp June 7–11: Around the World, June 14–18: Classical Ballet Stories, and June 21–25: Exploring Styles of Dance Cost Step Into Ballet $50 per week and Children’s Dance Camp and Explorer’s Dance Camp $125 per week (nonrefundable deposit of $25 required at registration) Location Sarasota Ballet Studios at Rosemary Square, 1400 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota Register 941-225-6520, education@sarasotaballet.org, sarasotaballet. org/summer-fun-ballet
MUSIC CAMPS MUSIC COMPOUND Grades 1-12 (grades 1-5 are grouped together; grades 6-12 are grouped together). Find your inner musician this summer. The Music Compound provides an environment to inspire, collaborate and educate children and adults in pursuit of their love of music. Members of the Music Compound will have access to a wide array of learning opportunities intended to not only build music skills but also enhance confidence, communication and social interaction abilities. Learning opportunities include one-on-one instrument lessons, group instrument lessons, music education, workshops, open forums to encourage music interactions and performance and recital opportunities. Options include Performance Master Class, Strings and Things, Rock Band, Vocals and Movement, Drum Circle, Songwriting, DJ, Key to Piano, and Kidz Rock Dates June 3–August 3, Morning Session: 9am-12pm, Afternoon Session: 1pm-4pm Cost $30 Registration fee. Half-Day Session for a Week: $150. Full-Day Session for a Week $300 Location Main Campus: 1751 Cattlemen Rd., Sarasota, Downtown Campus: 801 Apricot Ave., Sarasota (Elementary camp) Register 941-379-9100, contact@musiccompound.com, musiccompound.com THE SUZUKI INSTITUTE SCHOOL OF MUSIC SUMMER CAMP Ages 7-14 These
new, exciting arts camps are designed for students at all levels to offer campers a wide range of experiences with music and other fine arts—exploring multiple arts, developing creativity, building friendships and joining with other campers to create a performing ensemble. In the mornings, campers will be in groups separated by age and ability and given the opportunity to work with different teachers on various instruments ranging from the violin to drums and world percussion, singing and guitar. Beginners will get a fun introduction to a range of musical instruments. Those with prior experience with music will build upon their skills and acquire new ones, including instruments they may not have been exposed to yet. Afternoon sessions will focus on art, dance and drama
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Summer Camps 2021 as participants connect their music explorations to stories, drama games, acting, making art and creating a performing ensemble. Weekly themes will connect explorations with new activities each week. A short performance/presentation will bring each week to a close. Dates June 14–July 30. Cost $275/ week for Full Day (9am-4pm), $150 a week for Half Day (9am-12pm OR 1pm-4pm). Early drop-off (8am) and late pick-up (5:30pm) available for a fee Location 3100 Southgate Cir., Sarasota Register 941-330-9930, sarasotasuzuki@gmail.com, sarasotasuzuki. org/book-online
REMOTE | YOUTH OPERA SUMMER CAMP Ages 8-18 Learn how fun opera
is on and off the stage — and virtually. Designed for all skill levels, our annual camp engages young people in the magic of opera. A typical day includes Zoom and Youtube sessions in singing, acting, sets, props, wigs, make-up, and costumes, all led by professional singers, artists, directors, musicians, and technicians. No audition required, all skill levels are welcome. Camp Requirements: A Zoom account, A cell phone, computer, lap top, or tablet with a working camera and microphone. Dates June 2021, Monday– Friday Cost Please check for tuition cost and sign up information. If you have a general inquiry, email at youthopera@sarasotaopera.org Location 61 North Pineapple Ave., Sarasota Register 941-328-1307, youthopera@sarasotaopera.org, sarasotaopera.org/summer-camp
SCIENCE AND NATURE THE BISHOP MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND NATURE Ages 7-11 Give your kids a sum-
mer of fun and adventure with The Bishop’s Summer Science Camp. Curious explorers ages 7-11 can enjoy up to seven weeks of camp with a different science theme each week. Campers will discover exciting topics through games, crafts, experiments, The Bishop’s exhibitions, and other resources. Dates Surviving or Thriving: Species Survival (June 7–11), Myths, Legends, and Unsolved Mysteries (June 14–18), Under the Ocean (June 21–25), Creative Chemistry (June 28–July 2), Exploring the Elements: Natural Disasters (July 5-9) Shooting for the Moon: Engineering and Space (July 12–16) and Scaly, Slimy, Spectacular (July 19–23). Camp runs 9am-4pm, Monday through Friday Cost Members of the Discovery Society at the Innovator Level and above pay $200/week. All others pay $250 Location 201 10th St. West, Bradenton Register Contact Susan McCarthy at 941-746-4131, ext. 113 or email at SMcCarthy@SouthFloridaMuseum.org
MOTE MARINE FLORIDA KEYS DAY CAMP Grades 5-8 and 9-12 Dive into
science and explore marine life in Mote Marine Laboratory’s first-ever DAY camp in the Florida 8
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Keys! Campers will be based at Mote’s new state of the art research lab in Summerland Key and will get to participate in the real science happening there. This program will include snorkel and dive excursions at Looe Key, hands-on lab experiences and a kayak excursion. Come spend a week with us and learn how to help make the ocean a better place! SCUBA option available during high school weeks for certified divers. Campers must have dive cards during the week of camp. SCUBA option is an additional $100 for all dive equipment. Transportation from Sarasota is no longer available. All campers must meet at our Summerland Key facility. This camp is no longer an overnight camp. Dates Monday–Friday, 8:30am-12:30pm, July 5–9, July 12–16, July 19–23 and August 2–6. 6 Cost $1,300 for non-members/$1200 for members (+$100 scuba registration fee) Location Mote Marine Facilities in the Florida Keys Register 941-388-4441 x348, camps@mote.org, mote. org/education/kids-families/summer-camps
MOTE MARINE SUMMER CAMPS TIDAL
TYKES Grades K-2 One Big Home Who are your neighbors? Examine all the homes beneath the waves, travel from shallow tide pools to coral reefs to the deepest depths of the ocean learning about the animals that use these places as their homes. Campers will participate in age appropriate, hands-on classroom and water activities and exploration while learning all about these unique ecosystems. Discover what animals are neighbors and how they all work together living in their one big blue home. Diverse Universe Campers will focus on the diversity of the marine world through age appropriate, hands-on classroom and water activities. Little ones will explore just how diverse our waters really — including the largest sharks to the tiniest plankton and everything in between. AQUA KIDS Grades 3-5 Water Warriors Campers will come together with like-minded peers and experience a week of ocean conservation. Through exploration, observation and STEM activities, campers will learn about the threats our oceans face and what they can do to help. Campers will learn about youth programs and be exposed to real citizen science projects. Duos of the Deep From friends to foes, our “Duos of the Deep” themed-week will focus on animal relationships. Through water and aquarium exploration and observations, campers will examine different types of animal relationships and how they impact each other. Look at how corals and zooxanthellae have a mutual relationship while groupers encounter a parasitic relationship with fish lice. SEA SLEUTHS Grades 6-8 Marine Missions *Cue Mission Impossible music* Scientists here at Mote are always discovering new ecosystems, animals and threats in our oceans. Through daily STEM-based operations and exploration, campers will learn about the newest ocean discoveries. Campers will par-
ticipate in water activities like snorkeling and kayaking, aquarium exploration and practice their technology skills during this week’s Marine Missions camp. Ocean Opps So you think you want to become a marine scientist? This week will explore some exciting careers in marine science and learn about the opportunities that await you in the science field. Meet Mote scientists, aquarium biologists and animal trainers! Do hands-on field research and snorkel and kayak in Sarasota Bay, meet and greet resident education animals, and participate in training sessions as we step into the shoes of a marine scientist. Dates Monday—Friday, 8:30am-12:30pm, June 7—11, June 14—18, June 21—25, June 28—July 2, July 12—16, July 19—23, July 26—30, August 2—6 and August 9—13 Cost $256 for members; $285 for non-members/ per weekly session Location 1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota Register 941388-4381 mote.org, camps@mote.org
SARASOTA JUNGLE GARDENS ZOO CAMP Ages 6-11 Sarasota Jungle Gardens
Zoo Camp is unlike any other camp in the area. It explores nature through hands-on games, crafts, animal demonstrations and other fun activities! Come explore behind the scenes as you learn about caring for animals. There’s lots of animal interactions and trekking through the jungle. You’ll see firsthand what it takes to be a zookeeper. Dates June 7–July 2, 9am-4pm, Week 1: Future Zookeeper June 7–11, Week 2: Wing It June 14–18, Week 3: Native Florida Plants and Animals June 21–25, Week 4: Reptiles Rule June 28–July 2 (Camp may be extended up to two more weeks based on interest) Cost $209.99/week Location 3701 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota Register 941-355-1112, ext 307, marketing@SarasotaJungleGardens.com, sarasotajunglegardens.com/zoo-camp
HUMANE SOCEITY OF SARASOTA COUNTY’S FUR FUN SUMMER CAMP
Ages 6-11 The Humane Society of Sarasota County’s Fur Fun Camps are great for children who love animals. Whether they attend our periodic seasonal day camps in the fall, winter, and spring or our week-long summer sessions, or all of the above, children are sure to have fun unleashing their animal side at HSSC. Fur Fun Camps are designed for children ages 6-11. This year’s camp will be held on HSSC’s campus. Our Fur Fun Camp is five days, four hours each day. Campers will see and learn about shelter pets and other animals, both domestic and exotic. They will also listen to exciting speakers, get an inside look at the happenings in our facility, and learn how to train a dog. Dates June 21– August 6, 1pm-5pm Cost $200 per session and includes a HSSC T-shirt and afternoon snack, with a $15 discount for each additional sibling Location 2331 15th Street, Sarasota Register 941-955-4131, hssc.org/ get-involved/humane-education/fur-fun-camps
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EXPLORE THE SCHOOL THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU | SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION TO ROCKET KIDS ANNUAL | SPRING 2021
BRADENTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
BRADENTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, Manatee
County’s largest Christian school, has been pre paring the hearts and minds of God’s children for 60 years. “By providing a solid academic foun dation based on God’s word, BCS shapes young lives to be prepared to take on higher education,” Superintendent Dan Vande Pol says. “Students are poured into by caring Christian teachers while building lifelong friendships from PK3 through 12th grade.” The college preparatory institution includes a wealth of honors-level and advanced placement classes including the AP Capstone Program. An award winning fine arts program is
also offered for middle and high school students. The campus rests on 24 acres with elementary, middle, and high school buildings, the McClure Center of Fine Arts and Technology, and the new Pentecost Athletic Center which includes a 60,000 sq ft two story, state of the art gymnasium with new artificial turf football, soccer, baseball, and softball fields. Interscholastic sports are of fered at both the middle and senior high school levels with many championship-caliber teams over the past six decades. The BCS preschool offers classes for both 3- and 4-year old’s and accepts the VPK voucher offered by Manatee County.
School’s Mission BRADENTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 3304 43RD ST. WEST BRADENTON, FL 34209 941-792-5454 | BCSPANTHERS.ORG
Bradenton Christian School is a Christ centered school which has over 900 students enrolled for the 2021-2022 school year. Students from Christian families with different backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures attend BCS for a rigorous academic program while attending weekly chapel with their fellow students and teachers. Opening its doors in 1960, BCS’s focus has always been on a strong Christian education for families in Manatee County and surrounding areas.
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Summer Camps 2021
SUMMER VACATION IN THE SARASOTA COUNTY PARKS CREEPY, CRAWLY, CRITTER CAMP Ages 6-9 Want to know
more about bugs, snakes, owls and other critters? This camp provides in-depth exploration into where they live, what they eat, all the fun facts and gory details. Campers will learn about spiders, slimy and slippery amphibians and reptiles, the “good, the bad and the ugly” insects as well as how to identify skulls and wildlife paw prints. Park naturalists will lead nature walks, conduct safaris and provide interactive presentations. Indoor activities include live “show and tell” specimens, owl pellet dissections and take-home crafts. Campers should wear hats and closed-toe shoes and bring a plain white t-shirt to decorate, sunscreen, water and a snack each day. Dates June 28–July 2, 9am12pm Cost $75 Location Shamrock Park Register scgov.net/parks
SUMMER IN THE SARASOTA COUNTY PARKS FISHING CAMP Ages 8-12 This
introduction to fishing techniques for youth anglers teaches basic skills to understand equipment preparation, basic weather and how to target and catch game fish. Techniques are taught in classroom and beach settings with small group instruction. Campers will learn about catch-and-release techniques and the importance of habitat, ecology and resource stewardship. Camp will culminate with a fishing tournament. Campers receive a rod and reel and tackle box with basic supplies to take home. Dates July 19–23, 8am-12pm Cost $100 Location Nokomis Beach FRESHWATER FISHING AND BOATING CAMP Ages 9-12 Campers will have a great time learning freshwater fishing and boating skills while receiving hands-on instruction and in-boat experience. This camp will focus on key angling and boating skills such as casting, netting, knot tying, motor instruction, oaring, launching and maneuvering vessels. Anglers will get up close and personal with fish biology and cleaning, as well as practicing responsible angling methods. This new camp will provide instruction for numerous key skills and techniques that anglers of all ages can use for years to come. Dates June 14–18 and July 26–30, 8am-12pm Cost $100 Location Twin Lakes Park Register scgov.net/parks
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THE CODER SCHOOL SUMMER CODING CAMPS Ages 8-10+ Let’s get ready for
STEM coding camps. Kids bring their own lunches and water bottles and The Coder School will take care of the rest. Kids code throughout the week then demo their week’s creations later that afternoon. Dates May 31—June 4 and June 14—18, 9am-3pm, Monday through Friday: Game Development (Skill Level: Beg/Int) Teachers will be using 10
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cool drag n’ drop languages like Scratch or Snap to create some cool new and classic games. Aimed at newbie and novice coders Dates: June 21-25: RoboCode (Skill Level: Beg/Int) Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto. The field of robotics is absolutely booming. Everything from cars to thermostats and appliances are all tied to robotics and hardware engineering. If you’re excited by the thought of being an Aerospace engineer at NASA or designing the next robotic creation, then you can get a nice start on the right path with our camp Dates: July 12-16: Python Start-up (Skill Level: Beg/ Int) Prerequisites: Some Coding Experience. They don’t have a pet snake for but they’ll introduce you to Python, one of the most popular coding languages today. Start slowly or code fast, this camp is for intermediate coders — no Python experience necessary Dates: July 19-23: Rise of the Machines (Skill Level: Intermediate) Prerequisites: Some Coding Experience, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the bigger buzzwords today, and they’re ready to help you tackle it. What is AI? Why is it taking over the world? When will the Terminator come back and take down John Connor? Start out talking about AI use cases and dive into some fundamental algorithms and create some basic AI apps as well. Dates: August 2-6: Raspberry Pi Jam (Skill Level: Int/Adv) Prerequisites: Some coding experience. The Pi Jam camp introduces more advanced programmers to the world of IoT, or Internet of Things. As computers and technology expand like wildfire, you’ll find more and more computers in your “things” — like your watch, your smart home or even your refrigerator. Pi Jam camp introduces kids to one of the hottest mini-computers today, the Raspberry Pi. Cost Game Development is $495, RoboCode is $594 (Includes mBot programmable robot), Python Start-Up is $495, Rise of the Machines is $495 and Raspberry Pi Jam is $594 (Includes Raspberry Pi 4) Location 6293 Lake Osprey Dr, Sarasota Register 941-355-2633, sarasota@ thecoderschool.com
FAB LAB | SUNCOAST SCIENCE CENTER
EXPLORERS CAMP Grades 2-3 These camps are all about purposeful play. Kids will have a blast playing and exploring new interests through hands-on activities and making fun take-home projects. Select one of three camps in chemistry, engineering and robotics. STEAM SQUAD Grades 4-5 Through innovative and fun activities, challenges and use of high-tech machines, kids will level-up their learning and become part of the STEAM Squad! Select one of four camps in chemistry, coding and game design with scratch, electric engineering and robotics. MIDDLE SCHOOL MASTERCLASS Grades 6-8 MS Masterclasses will allow preteens and teens to elevate their experience and build skills that will come in handy in high school and beyond! Ready to level up and become a Level 10 master?! Select one of
our four camps in brain benders, coding and game design and engineering bots. Dates June 21–July 30 Cost $200/week Location Suncoast Science Center, 4452 South Beneva Rd., Sarasota Register 941-840-4394, info@suncoastscience.org
THE OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY STEM CAMPS ODA’s STEM Camps offer students
the chance to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in unique and fun ways. Students of all ages can experience hands-on, project-based learning through all-inclusive STEM camps. CHEMISTRY LAB Grades 1-6 An exciting week of: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Hogwarts Initiation, Magic Water and Ice Spells, Harry Potter LegoMasters, Hogwarts Social Hour Cooking with Chemistry - Bread Leavening, 5 Food Tastes, 3 States of Cream, Careers in Food Chemistry Careers - Toxic Chemist, Chemical Engineering, Cosmetic Chemists, Artistic Chemists Mad Science Lab - Dry Ice States of Matter, Chemical Reactions, Bond-Chemical Bond CSI Crime Scene Forensic Lab Investigation - STEMania’s Pugsy was Stolen! Eliminate 12 Different Suspects by using 12 Forensics Tests. Dates June 7—11, 9am-3pm (full day) and 9am -12pm or 12pm-3pm (half day) ENGINUITY CAMP Grades 1-6 Daily STEM Warrior Challenges Slingshots, Ski Run, Marble Run, Egg Drop, Boat Race Physics - Energy, Magnets, Gravity Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion - Inertia, F = m x a, Action and Reaction Engineering Academy Think Like DaVinci (Mechanical), Metamorphosis (Mechanotronics), Electricity (Electrical) Construction Junction (Architectural, Civil, and Structural) LegoMaster Engineers - Mega Machines, Colossal Cities, Building Bridges. There will be four lessons at 9:00 am, 10:30 am, 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm. Each hands-on lesson was developed with three interactive exercises by real engineers. Dates June 14—18, 9am-3pm (full day) and 9am-12pm or 12pm-3pm (half day) LEGOMANIA Grades 1-6 LEGO Master Challenges - Minecraft, New York City, North Pole, Treehouse, Atlantis, Shipwreck, Labyrinth Kingdom, Summer Olympics, Pokemon, Superheroes vs Villains (Grades 1-8), LEGO Metropolis Missions - Explore, challenge, innovate, develop, design, build, and code in our Planetary Metropolis using LEGO Programming and Robotics with WeDo (Boomtown Build, Grades 1-3) and Mindstorms (City Shaper, Grades 4-8). Powered by Star Wars: Force for Change and LEGO Education. LEGO Force for Change Missions - Explore, challenge, innovate, develop, design, build, and code in our Force for Change using LEGO Programming and Robotics with WeDo (PlayMakers, Grades 1-3) and Mindstorms (Into Orbit, Grades 4-8). Powered by Star Wars: Force for Change and LEGO Education. LEGO Star Wars - Build and Code Mechanical LEGO Droids (Grades 4-8). There will be four lessons at 9am, 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2pm. Dates July 19—23, 9am-
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EXPLORE THE SCHOOL THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU | SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION TO ROCKET KIDS ANNUAL | SPRING 2021
EPIPHANY CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL
EPIPHANY CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL (ECCS) was founded in 1959 and opened its doors to 54 students in first through fourth grade with two Sisters of St. Benedict as teachers, Sister Helen and Sister Lucy. Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School is the only Catholic elementary school in Venice and has served its parish and local Venice families with quality education for over 60 years. Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School is home to 167 students in Pre-Kindergarten (3s and 4s) through 8th grade. Our school serves as a partnership with teachers, parents, families and feeder parishes in reinforcing morality, spirituality, and other Christian values in the faith-filled teaching process. We adhere to best instructional practices, current curriculum, latest technology, and hire quality teachers. Of our 32 teachers, 12 teachers have Master’s Degrees in their field of study or in Educational Leadership and 12 teachers hold certifications in ESE, ESOL, or Gifted.
Our programs and curriculum are accredited by The Florida Catholic Conference and we follow the guidelines for the Florida State Standards. Epiphany follows a STREAM Curriculum which is an interdisciplinary, standards-based model that integrates science, technology, religion, engineering, arts, and mathematics. Educational specialist teachers complement the classroom teacher in the areas of: Music, Spanish, Technology, Library, Art, and Physical Education. We offer a variety of athletic, artistic, and educational competitive teams and clubs. Community service is an integral part of our daily lives and we offer a number of outreach programs organized and completed by our students. We believe all students have the capacity to learn in an environment that fosters academic excellence through diversified instruction. Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School offers a safe and nurturing environment for our students.
School’s Mission EPIPHANY CATHEDRAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School provides excellence in education which nurtures a lov-
316 SARASOTA ST. VENICE, FL 34285
service or donation projects. National Junior Honor Society—open to 6-8th graders who meet
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ing relationship with God and builds a caring community that serves others. How are we living out this mission at Epiphany? We offer advanced math classes in our middle school which can lead to high school credit. Daily Religion class and weekly school-wide Mass. School wide the GPA requirement and the standard for service, leadership, citizenship, and character. ADMISSION CONTACT: MRS. MARIA SMITH 941-552-3577 MSMITH@STMARTHASCHOOL.NET
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Summer Camps 2021 3pm (full day) and 9am-12pm or 12pm-3pm (half day) ROBOTEK ACADEMY Grades 1-8 Battle Bots - Robots & AI, Robots in Action, Robot Circuitry, Coding Robots - Cozmo, Ozobots, MakeBlock, LEGO Boost Star Wars Droid, LEGO WeDo and Mindstorms, Work Bots - Manufacturing, Submarines, Naval Bases, Human Bionics, Fun Bots - Amusement Parks, Vehicle Technology, WallE Escape Room. Each day will have four lessons: 9am, 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2pm. Each hands-on lesson was developed with three interactive exercises by a robotics expert. Dates July 12—16, 9am-3pm (full day) and 9am-12pm or 12pm-3pm (half day) STEMANIAC EXTREME EXPLORERS Grades 1-6 Survived - Water, Air, Earth, Fire! - Tsunamis, Hurricane Chasers, It Rocks- Earthquakes, Firefighters, Incredible Designers - Lego Designers, Balloonatics, Zipline Parks, Maglev and Hovercrafts, Extreme Careers - Arctic Explorer, Python Hunters, Nuclear Engineering, Paleontology, BodyWorks - Cell Biology & DNA, the Brain, Gut Reaction, Humans in Motion, STEM into the Unknown - Bioluminescence in the Deep Sea, Crime Scene Investigation, 3D Printing in Space, STEM Escape Room. There will be four lessons at 9am, 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2pm. Each hands-on lesson was developed with three interactive exercises by a real med tech executive, registered nurse, biologist, and reptile breeder. Dates June 28—July 2, 9am-3pm (full day) and 9am-12pm or 12pm-3pm (half day) Cost $275/full-day session and $165/half-day session; extended care is available for full day campers for $45 per week. Location Uihlein Campus in Lakewood Ranch, 5950 Deer Drive, Sarasota Register Online at oda.edu
SUMMER IN THE PARKS SNAPOLOGY
BRICK ART AND DESIGN LAB Ages 6-14 As your child learns about different types of art and the periods they were created, they’ll be interpreting what they see and creating their own works of art using LEGO® bricks. Through Snapology’s Interactive Art History class, children will learn about Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Wright’s Falling Water and many more! Campers should bring water and a snack daily if they need one. Dates July 12–16, 1pm-4pm Cost $150 COMBAT ROBOTS Ages 7-14 Do you think you can build the strongest and most agile robot? Can your robot win a head-to-head combat mission? Come learn engineering strategies for building sturdy structures using LEGO® bricks and then apply that knowledge to build a robot for friendly competition. You will have a blast as you play robot football and complete the hoop challenge in this fun robotics program. Campers should bring water and a snack daily if they need one. Dates June 28–July 2, 9am-12pm Cost $175 GAMEBOTS Ages 7-14 Calling all gamers! Have a blast creating robotic games each week while learning about robotics. Students will learn about gear 12
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ratio, sensors, programming and pulleys as they create fun-to-play games. Whether creating a robotic hockey player, pinball machine, or a ring toss, your child is sure to have fun building, learning and playing. Campers should bring water and a snack daily if they need one. Dates June 14–18, 9am-12pm Cost $175 POKE-HEROES Ages 6-14 Come join Snapology for Poke-Heroes. Students will build and explore the world of Pokémon as they create their own gyms, battles and even their very own generation of Pokémon. Children will also learn about real world science as they learn about the habitats of the Pokémon. Your child will have a blast becoming the best Pokémon trainer ever. Campers should bring water and a snack daily if they need one. Dates June 14–18, 1pm-4pm Cost $150 ROBOPETS/CREATURE CREATOR ROBOTICS Ages 6-14 In Snapology’s Creature Creator Robotics class, your animal lover will create their own animal inspired robotic models. Students will learn about gear ratio, sensors, simple machines and programming as they build insects, dolphins, gorillas and much more. Your child is sure to have a wild time as they build, learn and play. Campers should bring water and a snack daily if they need one. Dates July 12–16, 9am-12pm Cost $175 WOODSHOP 101 CAMP Ages 6-12 Here is an opportunity for campers to really get busy with a hammer and nails! What joyous things we can create with wood. Campers will go home with one-of-a-kind masterpieces. All supplies and tools are included. All new projects this summer. Dates July 6–9, 9am-12pm Cost $176 (includes $20 supply fee) SPACE WARS ROBOTICS Ages 6-14 Robotics inspired by Star Wars® and space travel. Come on an adventure building and programming functional robots using LEGO® bricks in this super-fun program. Learn about space, space travel and, of course, Star Wars®! Build different robots each day. Learning is enhanced through the use of laptops in this class. Campers should bring water and a snack daily if they need one. Dates June 21–25, 9am-12pm Cost $175 Location Nokomis Community Park Register For questions about the program, email rachelc@snapology.com and for registration questions, call 941-861-PARK (7275), scgov.net/parks.
SPORTS & RECREATIONAL CAMPS BRADENTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL SUMMER CAMPS BASKETBALL CAMP
Grades 3-8 Blue Shooting & Skills Camp is designed for all skill levels for boys and girls entering grades 3-5 and Orange Training & Skills Camp is designed for all skill levels for guys and girls entering grades 6-8. All campers will receive a BCS Basketball Camp t-shirt (recommended that each camper bring a water bottle). Camps will be taught by Boys Varsity Head Coach Scott Townsend & Assistants, Assisted by the Panther Boys Varsity
basketball team. Dates Blue Shooting & Skills Camp July 16—19, 8:30am-11am and Orange Training & Skills Camp July 23—26, 8:30am-11am. Cost $95/week on the morning of camp; Pre-registered cost: $80 by June 20; Checks made out to Scott Townsend. CHEERLEADING CAMP Preschool to Grade 5 Calling all Preschool-5th grade aspiring cheerleaders. Come join us for a week of fun and learning from the talented BCS cheerleaders, and cheer with them at the BCS football home opener August 17 and again on September 14. You will be learning cheers, dances, jumps, and all of the fundamentals of cheer. Your child will also be receiving their very own uniform. Dates July 16—20, 9am12pm. Cost: $100 fee Cost $95/week on the morning of camp; Pre-registered cost: $80 by June 20; Checks made out to Scott Townsend. Location 3304 43rd St. West Bradenton Register Call BCS at 941-792-5454 x110, email jbarber@bcspanthers.org or KWidner@ Bcspanthers.org to secure your child’s spot.
CAPOKIDS SUMMER OF FUN CAMPS
Ages 3-11 CapoKids does summer in a safe, fun and positive way. Structured classes in Capoeira Brazillian Martial Arts, acrobatics and tumbling, instruments, Maculele (Brazillian movement) and grappling as well as strength and flexibility exercises, handstands, active games, crafts and outdoor time. After 21 years of experience, teachers and counselors are ready to provide children with the best time throughout the whole summer. CapoKids offers the experience of a lifetime for any kids who want to attend a summer camp and has one location in Lakewood Ranch and two in Sarasota. Dates Sarasota: June 14, 21, 28, July 6, 12, 19, 26 and August 2, Lakewood Ranch: June 1, 7, 14, 21, 28, July 6, 12, 19, 26 and August 2 Cost $165 per week 9am-1pm, $175 9am-4pm per week, and $185 7:30am-6pm per week (additional $10 weekly for school-age children field trips) Location 4672 McIntosh Ln., Sarasota. Phillippi Location: 2240 Proctor Rd., Sarasota. Lakewood Ranch Location: 11534 Palmbrush Trl., Lakewood Ranch Register 941-9224520, capokids.com
RED TIGER MARTIAL ARTS Ages 3 and up If you want your child to have a blast each day, then you have come to the right place. Staff teaches confidence, discipline, and respect in all of our awesome programs. Daily activities include martial arts, yoga, tumbling, educational/brain games, arts and crafts, problem solving, and much more. You will love this Martial Arts program that will teach your child about safety and anti-bullying techniques. Fun, safe and friendly self defense martial arts training are taught daily. Your child will come home tired after tumbling, yoga and parkour classes. These programs will teach your child coordination, flexibility, balance, strength, speed and agility. This is not a daycare, county park or
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SEEDS OF LIFE (SOL) MONTESSORI ACADEMY
SEEDS OF LIFE MONTESSORI (SOL) ACADEMY
is a fully licensed Montessori-based school located in Sarasota Florida. Founded by Maria Eva Chaffin, a worldwide recognized Montessori leader and author, Seeds Of Life Montessori pioneered multiple Montessori POD programs during the pandemic by enrolling children from the areas of Sarasota, Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch. After a successful school year, SOL Academy now offers a new brick-and-mortar Montessori school that includes three different programs: Toddler (18 months to 3 years old,) Primary (3 to 6 years old) and Elementary (1st to 6th Grades).Each program focuses on different areas surrounding the development of the child, ranging from fine motor skills, to developing self-discipline and responsibility to others. SOL Academy curriculum
focuses on integrating the Arts, Sciences, Math, Geography, History, and Language as well as community building and problem solving. Today, with a new facility near University Town Center, the school offers spacious classrooms, a cohesive curriculum, and an experienced group of accredited Montessori teachers. SOL Academy is committed to using only high-quality materials and qualified staff creating the most ideal Montessori classroom and inclusive learning environment, perfect for developing academics, independence and a love of learning in all children. SOL Academy was founded on four principles of Maria Montessori: Education, Inclusion, Bilinguality and Multiculturalism. The school also offers morning and after care, after school clubs, as well as summer camps.
School’s Mission SEEDS OF LIFE MONTESSORI (SOL) ACADEMY ADMISSIONS: MARIA EVA CHAFFIN 941-210-7025 | SOLMONTESSORI.ORG
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At Seeds of Life Montessori Academy we offer an inclusive, bilingual environment that plants the seeds of a life-long passion for learning by building relationships, recognizing diversity, encouraging independence, mental and physical health, and most of all love.
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Summer Camps 2021 babysitter. Dates June 14—August 6 Cost $180/week Location 4581 Ashton Rd., Sarasota Register Starry Jhoun, 941-922-2530, redtigerma.com/summercamp
ROSAIRE’S RIDING ACADEMY SUMMER DAY CAMP Ages 8+ For beginning to
advanced riders, join us for a summer filled with horses. ponies, farm animals fun and adventure. Dates June 14—TBD, Monday to Friday 8:30am-4pm Cost Check online. Location 901 East Rd., Sarasota, FL 34240 Register 941-356-3993, rideapony@msn. com or online at rideapony.com
SARASOTA CREW SUMMER CAMPS
Grades 3-12 Elementary school students, middle school students and high school students are invited to register for camp, even if you are a new rower. Rowers are grouped by age and skill level. Register for Summer Camp if you are a new rower of any age OR if your child is a returning elementary or middle school rower that will be in the elementary or middle school program next year. Register for Middle School Clinic if you are a returning middle school rower who will be rowing in the high school program in the fall. Register for High School Clinic if you are a returning high school rower (or have experience from another high school program) with at least one year of HS rowing completed. Dates Session 1: June 2—July 2; Session 2: July 12—23; Session 3: July 26—August 6; Monday-Friday, 8am-12pm Cost Summer Camp $250 for a two week session; Middle School Clinic $400 for a two week session; High School Clinic $800 per two week session Location 343 Palmetto Way, Osprey Register 941-966-9791, teamAdmin@sarasotaCrew.org, sarasotacrew.org/ programs/camps/summercamp
SARASOTA SCULLERS SUMMER CAMP
When you come to a summer program at the Sarasota Scullers, among other things, you’ll learn from highly trained and experienced coaches who bring enthusiasm and tremendous knowledge to each session, have a blast and enjoy the training, the competition and make new friends who all share this passion for rowing, and be a part of a cohesive team as an athlete and experience what it is like to compete against some of the highest rated talent in the country. LEARN HOW TO ROW CAMP Grades 6-12 Interested in rowing? Not sure about this new sport? You’ll learn everything you need to know about rowing and have a great time. You’ll also find new friends and a new you. Dates June 14—18, July 19—23, or flash camp August 2—4, 7am10:30am Cost $195 per session and $150 for flash camp SUMMER ROWING Grades 6-12 The full summer session is designed for experienced rowers and prepares them for the upcoming fall season. Rowers will help with summer camp and train hard to be ready for the fall. Dates June 14–August 9, 14
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high schoolers run Monday through Friday, 6:45am-9am (mixture of water and land, at coach’s discretion), middle schoolers run Monday, Tuesday and Friday 6:45am-9am Cost Cost based on high school or middle school age. New to Scullers will have registration fees added Location 800 Blackburn Point Rd., Osprey Register 941-966-2244, office@ sarasotascullers.org, sarasotascullers.org
SARASOTA YOUTH SAILING CAMP Ages
child; non-members $375/week per child; $25 one-time registration fee per child due at sign-up; 10% sibling discount if attending the same week or 10% discount if attending all 10 weeks of camp Location 7650 Legacy Blvd., Lakewood Ranch Register 941-9074710, Tammy.Clark@LakewoodRanch.com, LWRgolfcamps@LakewoodRanchGolf.com
SUMMER IN THE PARKS ARCHERY CAMP Ages 8-16 Campers learn the art of
5-6, 7-12, 8-12 and 13-18 Different levels of classes available for the specified age ranges. Campers must be sure to bring a well-fitting life jacket with a whistle, closed-toed shoes, a water bottle, a hat or sunglasses, sunscreen, a towel and clothes that can get wet. Watersport helmets are recommended. Dates June 14—August 6 Cost Runs as a biweekly half-day schedule (morning or afternoon) for $400 or you can do full days for two weeks for $800; limited number of scholarships available. Location 1717 Ken Thompson Pkwy., Sarasota Register 941388-2355, sarasotayouthsailing.org/programs/ summer-camp-2020
archery through expert instruction by certified USA Archery coaches from the Lekatchka Archery Club. This introduction covers the mechanics of traditional and compound bows, 3-D shooting, Olympic archery and competition shooting. This camp ends with a competition with prizes to test campers’ skills. All equipment is provided. Campers should bring water and a snack daily. Dates June 21—25 and July 6—9, 9am-12pm Cost June week is $90; July week is $72 Location Knight Trail Park Register 941-861-PARK (7275), lekatchkaarchery@yahoo.com, scgov.net/parks
SUMMER CAMPS AT THE LAKEWOOD RANCH CLUB TENNIS AND SPORTS SUM-
with professional lifeguards learning the fundamentals of lifeguarding. This program offers hands-on learning experiences and character-building activities while having fun. Lifeguards with the Sarasota County Beach Patrol train participants in water safety, rescue techniques, rescue paddling, competitive lifeguard events, how to identify and treat marine life, CPR and first aid. Fee includes a rash guard and T-shirt. Swimsuits and goggles are required. To participate, all potential campers must attend a 30-minute tryout session at Arlington Park Pool and demonstrate the ability to swim 100 yards freestyle in two minutes and five seconds, tread water for five minutes and retrieve an object from the bottom of the pool. Strong swim background is essential, swim team experience preferred. Conditions vary daily. If your child is a returning camper and has demonstrated the necessary skills in previous tryouts, they are exempt from the tryout. The lead instructor will contact any potential returning campers that need to be reevaluated based on previous years’ performances. Tryouts are offered from 11am-12pm, May 15, 22, 29, and June 4. Reserve your date during online registration or indicate date on mail-in form; walk-ups are not allowed. Alternate tryout dates may be arranged if necessary. Dates June 21–25, 8:30am-12:30pm Cost $150 Location Siesta Beach Register scgov.net/parks
MER CAMP Ages 4-12 This camp includes tennis, swimming and other group sport activities. Various arts and crafts are also part of this innovative and dynamic camp. Dates June 1-4, June 7-11, June 14-18, June 21-25, June 28-July 2, July 5-9, July 12-16, July 19-23, July 26-30 and August 2-6; weekdays 9am-2pm Cost $180/week or $50/day; non-members $210/week or $60/day; $100 non-refundable; non-member deposit; 10% sibling discount if attending the same week. COUNTRY CLUB SUMMER GOLF CAMP Ages 6-15 PGA Golf instruction for kids including full swing, short game, putting, etiquette, rules and play on golf course. Lunch, snacks and refreshments are provided daily. Dates June 1-4, June 7-11, June 14-18, June 21-25, June 28-July 2, July 5-9, July 12-16, July 19-23, July 26-30 and August 2-6; weekdays 9am4pm Cost Members $250/week per child; non-members $300/week per child; $25 onetime registration fee per child due at sign-up; 10% sibling discount if attending the same week or 10% discount if attending all 10 weeks of camp. GOLF ACADEMY ADVANCED SUMMER GOLF CAMP Ages 6-15 For players who are more focused on taking their games to the next level. Trackman, Flightscope, Swing Catalyst and additional technology will be integrated to augment PGA Professionals and their teaching methods. This camp will concentrate on improving technique and will include playing golf with instructors as part of the daily curriculum. Lunch, snacks and refreshments are provided daily. Dates June 1-4, June 7-11, June 14-18, June 21-25, June 28-July 2, July 5-9, July 12-16, July 1923, July 26-30 and August 2-6; weekdays 9am-4pm Cost Members $325/week per
SUMMER IN THE PARKS JUNIOR LIFEGUARD CAMP Ages 9-17 Spend a week
SURFIT PADDLEBOARD, SURF, AND BEACH SUMMER CAMPS Ages 5-14
Paddleboard, surf and beach summer camps are weeklong all summer long. SURFit incorporates the stand-up paddleboard, surfing, ocean swimming, ocean safety, and marine biology into every camp day (weather permitting). Classes are led by
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ST. MARTHA CATHOLIC SCHOOL
ST. MARTHA CATHOLIC SCHOOL (SMCS) in Sarasota
offers a challenging, faith-based academic experience to students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. “In an effort to serve God and our community, students, staff and families work together to maintain high academic standards, develop Christ-centered relationships, and provide stewardship to Sarasota and the surrounding areas,” a spokesperson for SMCS says. “Students have consistently performed in the top 20 percent across the nation year after year.” The school follows a STREAM
curriculum (an interdisciplinary, standards-based model that integrates science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics). Teachers design units of study that challenge and empower students, creating an environment that encourages problem-solving, collaboration, student-led inquiry and hands-on projects. A science lab, vegetable and prayer gardens, open fields and the Zazarino Center serve as dynamic learning spaces. The Catholic faith is woven into all subjects and grade levels, promoting a culture of innovation and ethical action.
School’s Mission
ST. MARTHA CATHOLIC SCHOOL 4380 FRUITVILLE ROAD, SARASOTA 941-953-4181 | STMARTHASCHOOL.NET INFO@STMARTHASCHOOL.NET
SERVES GRADES PRE-K-8
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In partnership with Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church, the mission of St. Martha Catholic School is to provide each student with diverse opportunities which develop strength in faith, and excellence in knowledge and learning. Students build character through their Christian service to the school, parish and world communities.
@StMarthaCatholicSchool
@StMarthaCS
@SMCS_SRQ
ST. MARTHA CATHOLIC SCHOOL
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Summer Camps 2021 certified lifeguards and have a low teacher to student ratio (1:6). Many kids sign up for more than one week because camp is a lot of fun. Due to COVID-19 camps will be limited in size–sign up soon to ensure you get a spot. Coaches will be temperature checked before work each morning and those with increased temperatures will not be permitted to work. All equipment will be disinfected after use and every effort will be made to keep paddlers socially distant. Dates Camps at Turtle Beach on Siesta Key: June 14—18, June 21—25, June 25—July 2, and July 5—9; Camps at Lido Beach: July 12—16, Camps at Lido Mangrove Tunnels: July 19—23 and July 26—30; Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 12:30pm with extended day options offered at Turtle Beach until 3:30pm Cost $215/ week for regular day students and $300/week for extended day students Location Turtle/ Siesta Beach and Lido Beach/Ted Sperling Park Register 941-952-8245, surfitusa.com/ kids-waterman-sup-and-surf-camps-summer
EVO ATHLETICS SUMMER CAMP Campers enjoy all that EVO has to offer: Ninja warrior, volleyball, gymnastics, cheerleading, trampolines, foam pits, STEM enrichment, games, crafts, field trip(s) and much more! Activities for all interests and ages. Your child’s safety is our top priority. When choosing a camp, choose the one that invests in the highest level of safety possible. All EVO employees receive background screening above & beyond industry standards, CPR and First Aid licensing. Campers should bring lunch, athletic shoes and a water bottle. Dates June 7–August 6, 8am-5pm Cost $55 for the day, $250 for the week; 10% sibling discount for second child. Registration fee is $20 for the entire summer for EVO athletes, $35 for the summer for non EVO athletes. Must be registered the Wednesday before the week or pay a $25 drop-in registration fee Location 7188 15th St. E, Sarasota Register 941-222-0888, iclasspro.com/ portal/evoathletics/camps, Amanda.Schade@ evoathletics.com THEATRE AND PERFORMING ARTS CAMPS ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE SUMMER SESSIONS In Person and Online:
Ages 8-18 Looking for exciting adventures for your Young Artist? Asolo Rep Education & Engagement has in-person camps, online classes, and opportunities to create magical memories this summer. ARTISTIC ADVENTURES (IN PERSON) Ages 8-10 Jump into epic myths, leap into legends, and dance into daring literary adventures with Asolo Rep this summer. Artistic Adventures introduces students to storytelling structures and drama skills as they bring stories and characters to life. These camps are for kids who love using their imaginations, have a dramatic side, enjoy acting out stories and 16
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want to learn something new. Camps begin with a book. Participants do not need to be familiar with the source material to enjoy a camp. Each week begins something new and exciting. Campers will respond to the theme, explore different stories, and learn new skills through theatre exercises, games and activities. You won’t be bored. Dates July 5—9: Heroes, July 12—16: Quest, July 19—23: Heroes, and July 26—30: Quest, 9am-3pm Cost $200/week COURAGEOUS CREATING (IN-PERSON) Ages 11-14 Courageous Creating challenges campers to use performance skills, art-making, and innovative thinking as they explore engaging themes from literature and pop culture. This camp is for young theatre-lovers wanting to learn more about theatrical technique, looking to be creatively challenged, a budding visual artist, looking to shake things up, try something new and exciting. Camps begin with a theme from popular culture or a shared book or short story. Participants do not need to be familiar with the source material to enjoy a camp. Each week of brings something new and exciting. Campers will respond to the theme, explore different stories, and learn new skills through theatre exercises, games and activities. Dates July 5—9: Spark: POP, July 12-16: Miniature Worlds: POP, July 19-23: Spark: LIT, July 26-30: Miniature Worlds: LIT, 9am-3pm Cost $200/week YOUNG ARTIST SUMMER (ONLINE) Ages 14-18 Asolo Rep Young Artist Summer provides online technique-based training opportunities with classes aiming to bring young artists to the next level while giving them the opportunity to learn with professional performing artists from around the nation. Dates July 5—9, July 12—16, July 19—23 and July 26—30, 1pm-3pm Cost $175/session Location In-Person at Frankel Annex Center or The Koski Center Register 941-351-8000, email patronservices@asolo.org or online at asolorep.org/engage-learn/summersessions
CIRCUS SUMMER CAMP Ages 6-15 Circus Summer Campers enjoy a truly unique experience where they learn circus arts disciplines and then showcase their new skills with a costumed performance with family invited to watch. Circus Summer Campers learn a variety of circus arts including triple and single trapeze, globes, silks, Rola Bola, hula hoop, low wire, clowning, flying trapeze, juggling and much more. Dates June 14—August 6, Monday to Friday 9am-3pm Cost $350 for a 1-week session; $700 for a 2-week session. before-care is $50/week; after-care is $75/ week Location Sailor Circus Arena, 2075 Bahia Vista St., Sarasota at the Circus Arts Conservatory Register 941-355-9335 x307, circusarts.org/programs/circus-summer-camp DRAMA KIDS INTERNATIONAL Ages 6-14 Drama Kids Summer Camps include a unique combination of zany, creative and esteem-building theatre activities, such as
group improvisations, silent scenes, and theatre games. Each week also includes a special playwriting theme, fun dress-up days, and culminates in a fabulous presentation created by the campers themselves. Dates and Locations Session 1: “The Wonderful World of Wizardry,” June 21-25 at Imagine School in Lakewood Ranch, 10535 Portal Crossing, Bradenton Session 2: “Super Heroes Assemble” Dates: July 12-16 at Sun ‘N Fun RV Resort (Woodland Hall), 7125 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota Cost $199/week with before and aftercare for an additional $50/ week, sibling discounts 10% off for second/ third child. $25 ($40/family) Register Dramakids.com/fl1 or call 941-922-8121
FLORIDA STUDIO THEATRE SCHOOL FOR YOUTH LITTLE THEATRE Ages 4-6
This camp experience is dedicated to the exploration of storytelling, songs and creative play. Little Theatre emphasizes acting and includes music and dance. A final performance will be held for family and friends. Dates Little Theatre Full Session (three weeks) Session One: June 21—July 9; Session Two: July 19—August 6, 9am-1pm Little Theatre: “The Play’s The Thing” Introduction Week Session One: June 14-June 18; Session Two: July 12-July 16, 9am-1pm Cost Full Session is $345/session and “The Play’s The Thing” Introduction Week is $140/session CHILDREN’S PERFORMING ARTS CAMP Ages 7-12 Florida Studio Theatre’s original and most popular summer camp. Students will build skills with acting, improvisation and dance in a supportive environment. The camp experience focuses on individual expression and develops personal skills that campers can apply off the stage. The session culminates in a final performance. Dates Children’s Performing Arts Camp (three weeks) Session One: June 21-July 9; Session Two: July 19-August 6, 10am-3pm; Intro to Theatre: All The World’s A Stage (one week) Session One: June 14-June 18; Session Two: July 12-July 16, 9am-2pm Cost $525/session and All The World’s A Stage is $185/session TEEN PERFORMING ARTS CAMP Ages 13-17 The class will focus on exploration of characters, developing truth on stage and the individual expression of each participant. A final performance will be held for family and friends on the last day of class. Dates Teen Performing Arts Camp (three weeks) Session One: June 14-July 2; Session Two: July 12-July 30, 10:15am-3:15pm; Teen Improv (one week) Session One: July 5-July 9; Session Two: August 2-August 6, 10am-2pm; Young Performers Company (four weeks) Session One: June 14-July 9; Session Two: July 12-August 6, 10am-4pm. Cost Teen Performing Arts Camp is $525/session, Teen Improv is $175/session and Young Performers Company is $600/ session Location 1241 North Palm Ave., Sarasota Register 941-366-9017, info@ floridastudiotheatre.org, floridastudiotheatre. org/youth-workshops
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Summer Camps 2021
VISUAL ARTS CAMPS
levels and accomplishments. Our teachers are great at creatively adapting projects and working with a variety of skill levels and dexterity. Dates June 14–August 6 Cost $300/week for non-members or $250/week for members. EMERGING ARTISTS CAMP Ages 11-15 Emerging Artists Camp is a program for older campers to experiment with more complex art subjects and materials and create projects of their own design under the guidance of our skilled art teachers. Dates June 1–August 7 Cost $300/week for non-members or $250/week for members. All camps offer: before-care, available at no extra cost; after-care $10 a day; all supplies included; sibling discount; scholarships available. Reduced class sizes, masks required, campers bring their lunch. Location 707 North Tamiami Trl., Sarasota Register 941365-2032, ArtCenterSarasota@gmail.com, artsarasota.org/youthprograms
ART CENTER SARASOTA SUMMER CAMPS CREATIVE KIDS CAMP Ages 6-10
RINGLING COLLEGE SUMMER TEEN STUDIOS Ages 12–18 Ringling College’s
STAGE OF DISCOVERY WESTCOAST BLACK THEATRE TROUPE Ages 13-18
At Stage of Discovery, a limited number of students have the opportunity to be coached in acting, singing, dancing, and improvisation by creative professionals in the field. They also gain behind-the-scenes experience with set and costume design. The program culminates with a public performance of an exciting musical. Stage of Discovery is intense, focused and fun. It’s designed for youth who are serious about developing their artistic talents. An audition is required. Dates June 14—July 18 Cost Free for participants. Location 1012 North Orange Ave., Sarasota Register 941-366-1505, westcoastblacktheatre.org
Campers will be led by their teachers in fun and challenging art projects using various mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture and collage. They will learn and practice basic art skills such as color mixing, painting with artist paint brushes and drawing with pencil, marker and pastel. Creative Kids Camp is for younger campers of all skill
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Summer Teen Studios presents students with fun, educational opportunities to explore new and proven art techniques, develop their unique style and expand their critical-thinking skills. Students find inspiration in drawing, painting, character design, sketchbook workshop, filmmaking, experimental animation, photography, illustration,
creative writing, portfolio development and more. Ceramics classes welcome students ages 15+, and ages 12-14 when enrolling with a participating adult. Take just one class, or focus on skill building in a variety of classes. Students of all skill levels are welcome. Early registration savings of 10% through May 15. Dates June 14–August 6 Cost $175-$365 Location 1001 South Tamiami Trl. and 2700 N Tamiami Trl., Sarasota (some classes are remote). Register 941-309-5111, scs@ ringling.edu, ringling.edu/SDA
THE OUT-OF-DOOR ACADEMY ARTS CAMPS Ages 5-17 A wide range of
visual and performing arts camps give kids the chance to explore their creative side through illustrating, graphic design, dance, improvisation, and more. Includes the Crazy Cooks Camp (rising grades 1-5), Sewing Camp: Creative Sewing Creations (rising grades 2-6), Smash Club Mosaic Art Camp (rising grades 1-5) and Workshop 101: Woodworking Camp (rising grades 2-5). Dates Crazy Cooks June 21–25 and July 12–16, 9am-12pm, Sewing June 14–18, 9am-12pm, Smash Club Mosaic July 19–23, 9am-12pm, Woodworking June 28–July 2, 9am-12pm Cost $175/week Location Lakewood Ranch Campus, 5950 Deer Dr., Sarasota Register 941-349-3223, oda.edu
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PASSION
CURIOSITY
RESILIENCE
LEADERSHIP
INTEGRITY
Education for a New World Our core values rooted in collaboration, community, creativity, and compassion supported an uninterrupted educational experience for all students. NewGate School is built around a community of families who are passionately committed to giving their children a world-class education that will nurture their self-confidence, personal creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. Students proceed through an exciting and challenging international course of studies at a highly individualized pace. Today, the school boasts a robust eLearning program for students from 4 states and three countries. Its local eLearning program allows students with health concerns to continue their studies. The in-person program continues to offer everything Montessori is famous for: deep engagement, hands-on, experiential learning that fosters collaboration and entrepreneurial experiences. If you believe in your child's potential and recognize that an investment in education pays the best dividends, then NewGate may be the school you have always dreamed of finding.
CONNECT WITH OUR TEAM TO SCHEDULE A TIME TO EXPLORE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR CHILDREN.
ASHTON CAMPUS 5237 ASHTON ROAD, SARASOTA | AGES 18 MO - 6TH GRADE LAKEWOOD RANCH CAMPUS 5481 COMMUNICATIONS PARKWAY, SARASOTA | AGES 7TH - 12TH GRADE
THE LAB SCHOOL OF THE MONTESSORI FOUNDATION 18 MONTHS-18 YEARS | P: 941-922-4949 | NEWGATE.EDU
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FEATURING THESE GREAT HOMETOWN ORGANIZATIONS
art center sarasota the bishop museum of science and nature bradenton christian school capokids CENTER MONTESSORI city of sarasota circus arts conservatory the coder school drama kids international evo athletics fab lab, suncoast science center florida studio theatre FORTY CARROTS GIRLS INC. humane society of sarasota county lakewood ranch summer camps mote marine music compound newgate school the out-of-door academy red tiger martial arts ringling college of art and design rosaire’s riding academy sarasota ballet school sarasota contemporary dance sarasota crew sarasota county parks and recreation sarasota jungle gardens sarasota school of arts and sciences sarasota scullers sarasota youth opera sarasota youth sailing seeds of life montessori school the sky family ymca spanish legacy SURFIT paddleboard, surf and beach the suzuki institute school of music westcoast black theatre troupe
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