Yara Shoemaker Beautiful inside and out, the energetic Yara Shoemaker deftly melds the life of a modern woman with a traditional value system instilled by her family in Syria. Yara is a risk-taker who generally succeeds at whatever she sets out to do. With seemingly boundless enthusiasm, Yara has helped the Red Cross, Sarasota Memorial Hospital Foundation, Ringling Museum and Forty Carrots. Now, she has focused her powerful determination on raising funds for the Center for Sight Foundation, established by her new husband, Dr. David Shoemaker, a nationally recognized expert in cataract and lens replacement surgery. The foundation expands on the charitable work the Center for Sight has already done in donating more than 600 surgeries valued at $2.4 million to restore the sight of those who cannot afford cataract surgery. Yara was touched by testimonials at a fundraiser where one gentleman said his sight was so impaired that his priest had to lead him into surgery, and now he returns that favor for the elderly priest. She is planning a fabulous fundraiser with New York models wearing Carmen Marc Valvo designs right after their debut during Fashion Week, complete with celebrity guests and live musical entertainment. An avid cook, Yara is launching a new cookbook in January, “Health on Your Plate,” in which she hopes to teach others her healthy and tasty ways in the kitchen. She’s also launching YarasWay.com, an online lifestyle magazine with daily health, beauty, and fashion tips, as well as YarasWayEvents.com to indulge her joy in creating beautiful wedding invitations. She still loves to watch the Siesta Key sunsets that first sold her on Sarasota and appreciates the generous nature of the people here, which makes it feel like home.
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Women on the Scene 2012