FROM THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR
S
omeone said, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” So true. And while this is our beauty issue where
you will find tips and trends for enhancing outer beauty, you’ll also find people – lots of beautiful people – who give generously from their hearts to help our community grow stronger by supporting organizations that help those in need. Some of these people, and the nonprofits they support, are featured in this issue in our social season wrap up. You’ll also find stories on the recent weddings of three brides. They are all absolutely beautiful young
women, who are even more beautiful inside. One of them, Lea Mei, worked tirelessly to help fundraising efforts at United Cerebral Palsy. Another, Sara Sardelli, works at Sarasota Ballet, where she runs education and outreach programs to help dance be accessible to everyone in the community. The third bride, Shannon O’Brien, helped teach schoolchildren about healthy and nutritious eating at the Education Center at O’Brien Family Farms. There’s something else beautiful happening in our community I want to share with you. Southeastern Guide Dogs, a nonprofit that brings light and beauty into the world of the visually impaired, has a creative fundraising initiative called Superheroes on Parade. Local companies and some individuals have sponsored 50 dog sculptures designed and produced by artist Scott Joseph Moore and painted with different themes by local artists. Each one is uniquely different and special. The community gets to vote on their favorite dog ($1 per vote) to raise funds and awareness for Guide Dog’s important mission. SCENE’s “dog” is Miss Bea Scene, born in 1957 just like SCENE Magazine! Hand painted by local artist Cassia Kite, she is very glittery, has long eyelashes, wears an adorable hat and evening jewelry, and keeps a camera around her neck, ready to photograph the many beautiful people in our community. We love her! To view Miss Bea Scene and the other dogs on parade, and view a map of sculpture locations, go to superheroesonparade.dog. You can also vote as often as you’d like on this site. For those of us fortunate to have the gift of sight, stop and think about what guide dogs mean to the visually impaired. These extraordinary dogs provide freedom, independence and courage, as well as love and companionship to those they serve. They change lives in ways we can’t imagine – not only for the visually impaired, but for their loved ones as well. I encourage you to learn more about Southeastern Guide Dogs. You can even visit its campus and hug a puppy. Once you see for yourself, I hope you’ll find it in your heart to help out. Now that would be a very beautiful thing.
julie@scenesarasota.com
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July 2016