SRQ MAGAZINE | LOVE LOCAL SARASOTA BRADENTON | SUMMER 2020

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BRANDSTORY FEATURE | SRQ MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020

INDEPENDENT THINKING. CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS.

BUILT TO BE YOUR ADVOCATE

When working with Allegiant, you are not simply hiring one advisor to manage your money, you are partnering with an entire team of financial and investment advisors - supported by exceptional client service professionals – that all bring their knowledge and years of experience to bear for the sole purpose of helping you achieve your goals. Allegiant’s team of advisors helps you examine every aspect of your financial life to design a personalized and ever-changing financial plan based solely on your priorities and goals. The Allegiant Private Advisors team will always work in your best interests. Given the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, its impact on our lives, community and recent market volatility, having an advisor that proactively communicates, educates and guides you and your financial well-being is crucial.

L EADIN G LOCAL LY SIN CE 1997

HONORE D ON

FORBES’ 2020 BEST-IN-STATE L I ST:

TO P ADV I S O R I N SA R A S OTA

In January, Allegiant chairman MARTIN (MARTY) J. KOSSOFF (CFP, AIF) was named to Forbes magazine’s “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list for 2020.* Kossoff was recognized with the highest ranking of all Sarasota-based advisors included on the 2020 list, and now holds the 11th ranking in the North Florida region. He was also previously recognized by both Barron’s magazine (in 2013 and 2014)** and The Financial Times (in 2013)*** as one of the top advisors in the United States. Kossoff served as President from 1998 until 2019, when he became Chairman.

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BENJAMIN (BEN) W. JONES, CFP®, AIF®, (Allegiant’s long-time Chief Investment Officer) was promoted to President in 2019. Jones himself was also recognized on Forbes’ Next-Gen Best-InState Wealth Advisors list in both 2018 and 2019.* Kossoff and Jones consider these recent accolades a credit to Allegiant’s philosophy of independent thinking and customized solutions that are researched, designed, analyzed and implemented by an ensemble of professionals—as opposed to the common industry practice of working in silos.

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THE FIDUCIARY ADVANTAGE TRUST IS PARAMOUNT when it comes to money matters, and one word makes working with Allegiant Private Advisors one of the safest-possible options for clients: fiduciary.

What does this term mean? Simply stated, being a fiduciary is a legal obligation to do what’s in the client’s best interest, without regard to self-interest. There is a huge advantage working with a fiduciary advisor like Allegiant.

“Part of the reason our industry sometimes gets a bad rap is because people think of financial advisors as salesmen who make commissions to sell you products. They’re incentivized to sell.

Worse, they’re not legally required to recommend what’s best for you,” says Allegiant’s President, Ben Jones. “The best and only way we can be advocates for our clients is to act as their fiduciary.”

Allegiant is a fully independent, fee-based firm of wealth advisors, financial analysts, portfolio managers and customer service professionals.

Allegiant’s advisors are not salespeople; however, they are required to serve their clients financial planning needs. There is no incentive compensation, no product sales, and all employees are salaried.

How they serve is based on the rules outlined in the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. A CFP®

“ I T H I N K W E H AV E S O M E T H I N G R E A L LY S P E C I A L H E R E . W H AT W E DO IS NOT ABOUT US; I T I S A B O U T D O I N G W H AT ’ S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF O U R C L I E N T S , P E R I O D. ” — BENJAMIN (BEN) W. JONES

PRESIDENT, CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, PRINCIPAL

professional has three duties: to put the clients’ interests first, to completely analyze the clients’ unique goals and circumstances, and to follow client instructions, complying with all policies, restrictions and lawful directions of the client.

These are all the highest, legally-binding standards that exist in the profession, and every Allegiant advisor holds a CFP® certification and is therefore held to those standards. Allegiant team members have also earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF) designation, which also has its own set of practice standards. In all, it is a culture of professional excellence that is solely client focused.

HOW DOES ALLEGIANT HELP CLIENTS?

This example illustrates the experience of one Allegiant client throughout the stages of their financial life. The fiduciary difference is clear. The law demands it.

Most importantly, Clients feel it.

1998

2000

2004

2005

2009

A couple moves to Sarasota in their late forties, with two children in grade school, and they establish a relationship with Allegiant to invest some funds for the future, college expenses and retirement being their priorities.

The couple purchases a home in the area while selling their home up north. Allegiant facilitates a mortgage and bridge loan strategy.

Allegiant serves as a thinking partner as their income grows and their savings increase. The firm guides them through the estate planning process, making sure their children are taken care of and their wishes carried out by qualified successor trustees.

Both college planning and retirement planning remain priorities, but an older parent now needs support and Allegiant develops a plan to divert resources to make that happen.

One child starts college and the college savings accounts are partially used to cover those expenses. The recession and market decline has them worried so Allegiant helps evaluate their longterm goals they had established together.The Allegiant team advises the couple in multiple ways to keep their financial plan intact.

HAVING AN ADVISOR THAT PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATES, EDUCATES AND GUIDES YOU AND YOUR FINANCIAL WELL-BEING IS CRUCIAL.

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F I N D I N G YO U R S E L F, F U N D I N G YO U R F U T U R E PHILOSOPHICALLY SPEAKING, we all ask ourselves some big questions throughout our lives: What is our purpose? What will our legacy be? How will we leave the best possible mark on the world? Allegiant advisors are helping clients answer these questions every day, uncovering the personal stories behind the paperwork, and using financial investments to accomplish their important and meaningful goals. The team’s advisors become so much more than number crunchers to their clients; they are coaches, trusted advisors, independent problem solvers, and “thinking partners” who talk clients through everything from business decisions to overall life paths.

“For example, we’ve seen too many times where money is passed onto the next generation and it’s not used in the way the parents would have liked, the results being far less than optimal. We feel like our goal is to offer that softer-side coaching and hand holding to make sure we best serve the client,” Jones says. “We’re all here to help in any way we can by combining our professional expertise and experience with the ability to really listen to each client and advise them appropriately.”

The Allegiant team includes three Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholders (plus one more in process), six Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®) designees, two Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® designees, one Certified Public Accountant (CPA), one Chartered Market Technician (CMT), one Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor®, and nine CFP®-certified professionals. Combined, these team members act as sounding boards during the most pivotal times in their clients’ lives— from college saving to retirement planning and every step in-between. The advisors offer broad perspectives, reality checks, and the ability to empower clients to make smart financial decisions (choices that could affect multiple generations). They help crystallize clients’ visions and then make those goals materialize. Throughout, they have every client’s back, always.

2011

2013

2015

2017

Allegiant presents a typical (quarterly) account review that shows they were able to stick to their long-term investment plans.

All their accounts have increased in value since the recession ended.

Their retirement plans and college funding goals remain on track.

The second child starts college, and funds are ready as the first child gets ready to graduate.

Allegiant analyzes their ability to retire early. The decision is made that while early retirement is possible, they still quite enjoy their work, find it fulfilling, and realize that some of their life goals may change as they near retirement age.

Retirement planning demonstrates a high probability of a financially successful retirement, and the conversation shifts to charitable giving and more important life goals, such as traveling and using some extra time to pursue more creative work. Social security income strategies are analyzed; Medicare is applied for.

LOOKING AHEAD Allegiant ensures that long-term care insurance is in place, if needed, and heirs are prepared in case of a sudden emergency. Having financial plans and estate documents in place can help with the couple’s confidence in their future so that they can focus on enjoying their most fulfilling life.

The preceding case study is provided for illustrative purposes only and may not be representative of the experience of other clients. Every situation is different and actual performance and results will vary.

This case study does not constitute a recommendation as to the suitability of any investment for any person or persons having circumstances similar to those portrayed. Please consult a financial advisor regarding your individual situation. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

BRANDSTORY FEATURE | SRQ MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020

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YOUR TRUSTED ADVISOR

Most clients do not want to be pressured into making impulsive decisions that will affect their family’s future. They don’t want to be conned, sold or pushed into one-size-fits-all plans. They crave custom-tailored attention and genuine conversation. Unfortunately the financial services industry has historically revolved around a sales culture, and the client often suffers.

Allegiant is different. The firm’s independent, fiduciary, non-sales philosophy provides a safe, trusting and caring environment so that all your goals and dreams can be discussed and planned for in total confidence. All this and more combine to create a multifaceted, comprehensive wealth management firm. Allegiant’s proprietary “Client Bill of Rights” pledges the firm’s standards in writing.

Some of these rights include having every phone call and email answered promptly, daily access to all accounts online (so that all trading activity, gains and losses, and asset allocation reports are viewable), and an open invitation to meet with the team as often as the client deems necessary.

Allegiant team members manage all assets as team fiduciaries and do all of their own research (which advisors often share in the form of monthly macroeconomic reports, white papers and security-level research data). Client accounts receive individual personalized advice instead of boilerplate packages created by mass-marketing financial firms. To accomplish this, Allegiant maintains a high staff-to-client ratio, and forms strategic advisory teams with clients’ attorneys and accountants.

“We also put together family meetings where we have conversations about values and the core mission statement of the family,” Jones says. “We help talk through existing assets and estate plans, and make sure heirs are prepared financially and legally. We are always checking in, seeing where our clients are in life and what they need help with along the way. Then we help them in every way possible. That’s why we’re here.”

BUILT TO BE YOUR ADVOCATE

240 S. Pineapple Ave, Suite 200 | Sarasota, FL 34236 | Phone: (941) 365-3745 Toll-Free: (800) 926-5237 | Fax: (941) 953-7430 (fax) | Online: Allegiantpa.com

*The 2020 ranking was developed by SHOOK Research, based on meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively and on a ranking algorithm that includes client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations, and other quantitative criteria. Overall, 32,000 advisors were considered, and 4,000 (12.5 percent of candidates) were recognized. This award is not indicative of the advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Some states may have more advisors than others. SHOOK does not receive a fee in exchange for rankings. **To compile this annual list, Barron’s uses data provided by advisors. Barron’s takes a number of criteria(1) into account for this state-by-state ranking, including assets under management(2); revenues generated by advisors for their firms; quality of practices, which includes examination of regulatory records; and philanthropic work. Overall in 2014, 3,000 advisors were considered, and 1,200 (40 percent of candidates) were recognized. Some states may include more advisors than others, in proportion to state populations. This award is not indicative of the wealth manager’s future performance. Your experience may vary. (1) Investment performance is not a criterion. (2) Managed through Commonwealth ***To compile the 2013 list, the Financial Times evaluated nominees on six primary areas and calculated a numeric score for each advisor. The areas of consideration were assets under management (AUM), asset growth, compliance record, experience, credentials, and accessibility. Approximately 960 qualified applications were received; 400 advisors were selected, representing 41.6 percent of applicants. Not indicative of advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary. For the full methodology, please visit ft.com. ****The 2019 ranking of Forbes’ Best-In-State Next Generation Wealth Advisors(1) recognizes advisors born in 1980 or later with a minimum of four years of experience. Advisors were rated on a proprietary algorithm of qualitative and quantitative criteria: assets under management, revenues generated for their firms, client retention, industry experience, credentials, and compliance records. SHOOK Research also employs an opinion-based weighting system that prioritizes its preferred “best practices,” which include business models, activities, processes, and structure. Overall, 6,389 advisors were considered, and 1,495 (23 percent of candidates) were recognized. Please visit the Forbes website for the full methodology (2) that Forbes developed in partnership with SHOOK Research. 1This recognition and the due-diligence process conducted are not indicative of the advisor’s future performance. Your experience may vary.

You are encouraged to conduct your own research to determine if the advisor is right for you. 2Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. SHOOK does not receive a fee in exchange for rankings.

Advisory Services offered through Commonwealth Financial Network, a Registered Investment Adviser

BRANDSTORY FEATURE | SRQ MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2020

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contents local on | summer 2020

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Inside the Brand

MARKETING FEATURES 3

39 63 70

BRANDSTORY– Allegiant Private Advisors Nosh Restaurants Provisionist Giving Heart: Donor’s Guide to Giving

This page: Tim Clarkson of Grove

Ladder Farms makes his rounds to deliver fresh eggs, chicken, grassfed and grass finished beef, heritage pork and Blumenberry Farm produce boxes; Albritton Blueberry Fruit Farm becomes a therapeutic outdoor break during the midst of sheltering, photo

by Wes Roberts; and, folks turn out to volunteer for the All Faith’s Food Bank distribution event at Ed Smith Stadium, photo by Wyatt Kostygan. Cover: Lynn Morris of SaraFresh juices transforms her delivery model to find homes for her healthful fresh juices. Photography

by Wes Roberts.

moments 14

Capturing local vignettes during the pandemic.

feeding the region 22

Food banks and hunger programs face a greater challenge than ever amid a global pandemic.

art during the crisis 32

From a pop-up museum where you can escape the world for a fantastical experience in 3D illusion to the heartfelt art created during the crisis of two local artists Tim Jaeger and Cassia Kite.

foragers ahead 44

Local farms and food vendors prove tenaciously nimble as farmers markets are forced to pull the plug.

brain boost

54

The Brain Health Initiative.

road to recovery 56

The COVID-19 pandemic delivered a rapid blow to Florida’s economy, with job losses unseen since the Great Depression. SRQ MEDIA convenes economic leaders to discuss the impact on the region and the path forward-

virtually unstoppable 64 The Giving Challenge faced its own challenge this year— falling right in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

giving heart 70

Local nonprofits in the region share their philanthropic story and the items at the top of their wish lists this summer.

pets we love 83

A roundup of this year’s paw-sitively paw-esome animal friends and the stories our readers share about them. srq magazine_ SUMMER20 live local | 7

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written by ariel chates | photography by wes roberts

UnMasked.

THE HANDS BEHIND SARASOTA’S SELFLESS SEWERS

MASKS, IN THEIR MOST LITERAL SENSE, hide our faces from the world. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, however, masks and those who have

taken it upon themselves to create them have shown us their true faces: steady in the face of the unknown, innovative even with minimal resources and selfless contributors to our community. In many ways, this unprecedented moment in time has brought us back to simpler ways of life. Having to be self-reliant in a world where we are so used to quick fixes has seen us reaching for puzzles instead of video games or homecooked meals instead of takeout. In this instance, it has seen Sarasotans reaching for their sewing machines instead of checking out an online shopping cart. The ability to thread a needle has taken on a serious tone much different than the fun hobby it is usually reserved for. Costume makers for the theater, quilt makers, even retired fashion designers and real estate agents have banded together to meet the seemingly never-ending demand for face masks. Between them, the companies and individuals featured in this edition of SRQ have distributed thousands of masks to over 30-plus local organizations, some even helping out nationally. Sheriff’s departments, hospitals and nursing homes have seen hundreds of masks donated from the hands of these altruistic artisans, and retail stores have been able to stock their shelves with a product they know is making a difference. Now a required accessory in the ever-changing “new” normal of our daily lives, these efforts to hand-sew medical-grade face masks for Sarasota and Manatee counties deserve to be applauded.

ASOLO REPERTORY THEATRE With its beloved season cut short, Asolo Repertory Theatre has wasted no time jumping to action. Using materials

from their impressive collection of extra costume fabrics and scraps from productions. Costumers Teresa Consolvo, Laine Marr, Dee Sullivan, Jessica Hayes, Skyler Niedziela, Maureen Klein, June Elisabeth Taylor, Sofia Gonzalez, Kaitlin Jones and Deb Kelly have been creating masks from their home for the Sarasota and Manatee communities. So far, about 750 masks have been produced and distributed to organizations including: Goodwill Manasota, Senior Friendship Center, Safe Children Coalition, Meals on Wheels of Sarasota, Visible Men Academy, Girls Inc. of Sarasota County and ALSO Youth. From cutting to completion, each mask takes 25 to 30 minutes to make and each staff person is using CDC-approved patterns to build their masks. “The Asolo had a storehouse of fabrics left over from making costumes for the last 30 years or so,” says Costume Production Manager David Covach. “Since beginning this project, we have gone through about 500 yards of cotton fabrics and about 750 yards of elastic. But, more importantly, we have found a way to be of service to the community while regaining a sense of purpose for ourselves.” Local organizations in need of masks are asked to email Cameron_Thorp@asolo.org. https://www.asolorep.org

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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

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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. MODERN HOME MAGAZINE, SHE ROARS MAGAZINE, LOVE LOCAL GUIDEBOOK AND SRQ DAILY 331 South Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, FL 34236 | Phone 941-365-7702 Fax 941-365-0853 S RQ MAG.CO M

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PRINT AND DIGITAL EDITION Join our readers in the pleasurable experience of receiving SRQ magazine in your mailbox every month. 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.

For immediate access to the digital edition, subscribe directly at our flipbook. Subscribe online at SRQMAG. COM/SUBSCRIBE. Contact us via email at subscribe@srqme.com Vol. 23, Issue 227 Copyright © 2020 SRQ MEDIA. SRQ: Live Local | Thrive Local. Sarasota and Bradenton is published 12 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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Your Quotes

Leaning into change is what allows the flow of life to happen relatively free of conflict. It gives us the freedom to open up to the endless opportunities awaiting to take us to the next venture. This world-wide pandemic has forced us all to slow down and figure things out in a different way. Perhaps this has caused us to feel a bit vulnerable in the realization that this virus can attack anyone, no matter race, religion, rich, poor, political persuasion or age. We are all on equal ground. —Katherine Jouan, Owner and Operator of Simply Organix Hope is seeing people venture out from their homes, apartments, and condos to walk, exercise, and experience nature safely and socially distant at The Bay!—AG Lafley, Startup CEO, Bay Park Conservancy Mindfulness is recognizing that as industries change and businesses close, the urge to plan and control outcomes may be counterproductive. Ambiguous futures can be painful for organizations that are used to planning a year in advance, but I’m finding that approaching uncertainty with patience and presence helps battle the confusion and divisiveness. It has been the greatest test of patience in my career, but I’ve achieved the most peace when I’ve released the impulse to control what comes next.—Brendan Ragan, Artistic Director, Urbanite Theatre

Electric Caregiver Mask

Electric Caregiver, a national health technology company, collaborated with Beth Stager, an independent partner, and Hope Carey, an independent eldercare resource planner, to partner with the Manatee County Aging Network, along with thousands of volunteers, to sew masks for hospitals, senior living facilities and others in need.

Check out SRQ DAILY for their full story.

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Hope is . . . a trusted guidepost and beacon for so many, an infinite resource we all share, a catalyst for advancing optimism, and, perhaps most importantly, a driver of action. In the face of unprecedented challenges that changed our lives in a matter of weeks, our community has once again demonstrated its commitment to hope by rallying behind equally unprecedented responses of courage and compassion. This willingness to hope is a sign of our capacity to heal, and it fills my heart with the affirmation that our community’s future is in good hands.

Roxie Jerde PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SARASOTA COUNTY

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Empty highways.

Hushed downtown streets. Silent schoolyards. Images and sounds (or lack thereof) usually reserved for the middle of the night quickly became our new normal as we stayed inside to stay safe.

Once synonymous with outdoor picnics, giggling children or exercise, our parks had to close their gates to discourage folks from congregating in groups. We instead had family picnics in our backyards, or walked around our neighborhoods waving to passersby from afar.

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The lion stands guard practicing safe public health protocols at entrance to the Ringling Park Neighborhood. Lido Beach, which was closed with stone barricades, tape and crowd-control metal barriers is just now starting to reopen. Toys were no longer for play at Laurel Park—a surreal scene of a local playground stacked and wrapped up in caution tape, empty of children.

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Bedrock Church Sarasota lights up the stage with an outdoor live concert for “Drive in Worship Night” in its parking lot on Main Street. Families enjoy their church’s band playing, followed by a sermon from Pastor Blake Harcup, from the popped trunks of their cars or lawn chairs while practicing social distancing as they celebrate the good.

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Opposite page: Restaurants turned to curbside pick-up and delivery as their d ining rooms closed. In a collaborative display

by Raw Sugar Living, the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County and Sarasota Magazine commissioned local artist Karen Chandler to create a mural to honor the bravery of our healthcare professionals.

“Art has the ability to express emotion in a powerful way that touches many people.” —Jim Shirley, Executive Director of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County

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BSWANKY Sarasota luxury label BSWANKY is “rooted in the purpose-driven goal that all roads lead to being the difference.” From their transformational, groundbreaking designs to giving back product lines, every step in the process of handcrafting handbags is constructed for a higher purpose. From using existing or donated material, even fashioning plain masks out of Target bed sheets for the County Sheriff ’s office, BSWANKY seamstresses used their time away from making designer handbags to creating life-saving fashion: masks. “We have received letters and calls from Alabama, Arizona and even from Giovanna Pence at The White House thanking us for all we are doing for this country,” says founder Gretchen Bauer. Resiliency is “our team of seamstresses and myself working from our homes and one at a time in our design studio and atelier. We are pushing ourselves to defy the odds by becoming even more creative and daring and coming out of this launching a brand new product. Stay tuned!”

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Resiliency is . . . taking a moment of mindfulness and using it to look fear straight in the eye. Feelings of fear and panic fade and an enormous opportunity to feel gratitude emerges. I am so grateful that yoga has given me and others the ability to feel gratitude in the present moment in this time of uncertainty.

Claudia Baeza YOGA INSTRUCTOR, FOUNDER OF PINEAPPLE YOGA STUDIO

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Feeding the Region.

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written by jacob ogles | photography by wyatt kostygan

ALL FAITH’S FOOD BANK ASSEMBLES THE TROOPS FOR A MASSIVE FOOD DISTRIBUTION AT ED SMITH STADIUM

Ed Smith Stadium in springtime should be hosting baseball tournaments. Instead, the venue in early May served as a distribution center for All Faiths Food Bank. A line-up of vehicles drove to the stadium and popped open trunks before boxes of free food could be shoved in and the cars sent on their way, with never so much as a handshake shared.

THAT’S THE COLDNESS OF

social distancing in the coronavirus era, merged with the demand and desperation of a sudden hunger crisis. It’s also the fruits of a massive campaign to feed the region by a philanthropic organization facing a dilemma like no other before it. There’s no hearty embraces, but there’s compassion loaded with every delivery. And there’s work—hard work—as the food bank tackles a crisis with no end in sight. Serving communities in crisis isn’t new for food banks.

Poverty. Hurricanes. Broken supply lines. There’s a playbook at All Faiths Food Bank to navigate emergencies, catastrophe and run-of-the-mill misery. But nothing on paper or in Executive Director Sandra Frank’s years of experience quite prepared her for the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We came into this with disaster response. This is what we do,” she said. “Whether it’s the fires in California or natural disasters, we are accustomed to those shutdowns that occur. This isn’t that.”

Like many nonprofits and government agencies, the food bank must serve a community economically devastated by a loss of jobs unlike anything recorded since the Great Depression. It must respond without the help of volunteers, sent home for fear that gathering them together would risk the spread of a novel coronavirus more contagious than anything threatening Florida in a century. And the work must be done while donations from in-

dividuals and corporate partners screech to a sudden and unexpected stop. But like many philanthropic organizations feeding the region, work won’t stop while need still exists. With a public health crisis, economic chaos and social anxieties storming the region at once, those dedicated with keeping the hungriest mouths fed are seeking out creative ways to continue serving.

“We came into this with disaster response. This is what we do. Whether it’s the fires in California or natural disasters, we are accustomed to those shutdowns that occur. This isn’t that.”

—Sandra Frank, Executive Director of All Faith’s Food Bank

Through the early months of 2020, the coronavirus seemed a frightening but distant threat. A variation of SARS, the spread of sickness delivered somewhat familiar pictures of people walking the streets of foreign cities, first in China, then Italy, but eventually California and New York. Then Florida’s first case arrived and with startling closeness— reported from the Sarasota-Bradenton area. Doctors Hospital of Sarasota on March 1 revealed through a memo to patients and staff that an individual had been diag-

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“We’re expecting to make about 80,000 more meals this year. In one particular day, we picked up 100 new people.”

—Marjorie Broughton, Executive Director, Meals on Wheels Sarasota

nosed with the coronavirus and remained in isolation there. The Florida Department of Health revealed the individual to be a Manatee County resident with no significant travel history, evidence of “community spread” for a virus not yet believed to be in the state.

As of May 18, Florida health officials reported 88 Manatee County residents had tested positive for COVID-19 and 533 in Sarasota had as well. A total of 145 individuals died from the disease.

While the state has ramped up testing, including with a major drive-through site at University Town Center, the novel coronavirus has continued to spread even in the midst of an unprecedented economic shutdown that forced many companies to furlough or lay-off staff. The state of Florida for most of April issued a statewide stay-at-home order closing down businesses deemed nonessential, including many hotels, as local government closed down beaches. A ban on elective surgeries ironically sent economic woe into the health care industry. Restaurants cut staff to bare bones needed in order to maintain only take-out service.

Meanwhile, Florida’s unemployment system crushed under the weight of millions of claims over just a matter of weeks, and with the turmoil, the range of people now classified as needy immediately became redefined.

AT A DROPOFF POINT FOR

donations to volunteers for Meals on Wheels of Sarasota don’t shake hands with the generous altruists coming to feed the hungry. Instead, they call through car windows to simply pop the trunk. Cardboard containers of food get wiped down before these givers of goods drive off, all in an effort to limit human contact and proximity.

For Robert Thomas, a 61-yearold living on his own in Sarasota, the meals are a lifeline to the other world. On a May morning, he raved about the chicken salad with a pear desert delivered to his door. The day before, he enjoyed warm roast beef. “I wouldn’t mind some mixed vegetables,” he said. But he’s happy to get this food. A former woodworker who lost a leg in a motorcycling accident years ago, he went on disability when arthritis forced him into retirement. He’s had his one knee replaced, and three months ago had an emergency surgery to replace a shoulder as well.

He’s had to carefully schedule visits to the hospital during a difficult recovery that, as it happens, he must endure in the midst of a pandemic. He’s received disability and food stamps, but those require trips to the grocery store.

He used to strap on an artificial leg and ride there three times a week to buy food, but now, doesn’t want to venture frequently into the crowded supermarket. With Meals on Wheels of Sarasota bringing a lunch each day, he doesn’t have

to risk the trip as often, and this is food he won’t need to cook. “It’s something I look forward to,” he said. “Now I don’t have to deal with this on my own.”

Marjorie Broughton, executive director for Meals on Wheels Sarasota, said demand for food delivered to individuals’ homes has grown dramatically since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis.

The operation’s changes have been challenging, but it’s became apparent quickly, the need for Meals on Wheels has grown greater than ever. Fortunately, the modus operandi for the organization in many ways seems tailored for the era of social distancing.

Volunteers bring food to the homes of those without transportation or with underlying health conditions, and they can drop off meals without invading the sixfoot personal space bubble that has come now to surround every citizen of the world.

While the organization typically focuses aid to seniors, volunteers now deliver packages to feed whole families. The organization expanded its reach to Nokomis and works its staff longer hours in the day as more apply for help.

The Sarasota group increased the number of meals it makes each day from about 500 to as many as 750, and packages get deployed seven days a week.

“We’re expecting to make about 80,000 more meals this year,” she said. “In one particular day, we picked up 100 new people,” Broughton recalls.

And there’s similar stories at operations around the country.

The Food Bank of Manatee and Meals On Wheels Plus Manatee have worked closely together to deliver 128,000 meals over a span of eight weeks through its Food4Families Program. The Bradenton-based food bank alone saw a spike of 25,000 families a week.

And while seniors over age 60, a demographic at particular risk of dying from COVID-19, remains the target market, the economic need in the area simply reaches across all demographics. The organization has swollen its volunteer ranks to more than 1,000, up from 750 pre-pandemic.

The particular challenges of working in a pandemic haven’t made it any easier to serve the tremendous demand on the region’s food providers. The way people rally volunteers, divvy up goods and even just accept donations has utterly transformed. Because the novel coronavirus at the heart of the pandemic spreads so easily in groups, by air and on surfaces, it puts new pressure on every step of the process on handling and delivering food.

For Jim Foubister, the chaplain for One Christ Won City, his missionary service always relied on outreach to churches in south Sarasota County. He’s normally at a different church each Sunday, speaking with one of maybe two dozen congregations and recruiting volunteers to serve.

With the pandemic underway, the nonprofit launched the Feed Venice initiative to handle the growing need, but Foubister simultaneously found himself with a new recruiting and communication challenge.

“We put on hold any gatherings,” he said. “We have been remotely meeting with pastors and leaders in the city.” Some churches may still hold video services but gatherings on Sunday have largely come to a halt— the same as concerts, school

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assemblies and large dinner parties. But the ministry since its launch in 2009 has tapped into larger networks of support as well. Foubister works with Serve Florida, which offers connections to food banks statewide. That’s helped make up for any blow to normal infrastructure during a moment when Foubister hopes to ramp up the good of a hunger initiative.

But there’s other partners who normally lift the mission but who have been dealt their own blow

by COVID-19. The postal service normally holds food drives annually to help feeding efforts, including the work at One Christ Won City, but the random drop

Broughton noted that in the food industry all goods get delivered in cardboard boxes that often will be recycled and reused until they fall apart. Right now, containers can’t be repacked without being completely sanitized, easier said than done with perishable containers. Meals On Wheels must use fogger disinfectant to make sure rooms full of containers stay virus-free.

It’s all changing the foundational functions that keep food providers going. All Faiths for two consecutive weekends in May held drive-though distribution events, serving roughly 4,600 vehicles each time. In the new CoolToday Park and Ed Smith

“It’s heartwarming to someone like myself.

We’ve had to turn three dozen volunteers away.

We’re just a bunch of people who care.”

—Jim Foubister, Chaplain, One Christ Won City

of food goods in mailboxes this year couldn’t be done.

“We were forced to come to the realization the post office would not collect this year,” he said. “That’s 60,000 pounds of food that will not be available to feed the children through the summer. “Similarly, drives conducted at schools or by youth groups in the area all evaporated as schools shut down for most of the spring semester.

Frank shared that one of All Faiths’ chief source of supplies is normally the surplus inventory from groceries like Publix and Whole Foods. The products that don’t sell at major markets make up a significant portion of shelf space in the food bank. But with supply chain disruptions and greater demand on supermarkets as consumers cook and hoard more, it’s hard enough to keep aisles stocked for customers paying full price, much less at the charity taking the remaining surplus.

Stadium, facilities left largely unused after Major League Baseball canceled spring training this year, staffers for the organization loaded food into trunks while the National Guard helped enforce social distancing.

AND THEN THERE’S THE

societal mechanisms that quietly deliver food to children in need without much notice all year long, but whose daily interactions with children has been completely shut down. The public school system delivers education to all income strata of children in the community. But the cafeterias around the county serve a mission beyond that. The school year brings for many families access to cheap, or free, food for their children. Backpack programs often mean those students come home with goods for the entire family.

On March 13, the Florida Board of Education made the startling and unprecedented recommendation for all schools in the state

to close. Districts already on Spring Break extended vacation for another week, and any district not yet on holiday closed down immediately. Remote learning systems were deployed over the course of two weeks so teachers could continue remote instruction for a period everyone hoped was temporary. But when Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a phased plan for reopening business in Florida, he said distance learning would need to continue through the end of the school year. There was no way, he said, to return instruction to classrooms knowing many families would not feel safe returning children into crowded schools.

And what of school lunch programs? Kelsey Whealy, spokesperson for the Sarasota County School District, said leaders quickly decided the food in school refrigerators could not be left to rot. The district began mass distribution of food for all students under the age of 18, beginning on March 23, making sure even if learning was to take place at

home, students could still receive food for as long as necessary. But with social distancing and staffing demands, officials quickly rebuilt the infrastructure for putting food on students’ plates.

“We started with daily distributions but in an effort to serve our families more efficiently, and keep our staff and community healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, we condensed our daily meal distributions for students, at all school distribution sites, to only one day a week starting on Thursday, April 9,” she said.

“We now distribute a week’s worth of food to all children 18 and under every Friday at our select school sites.”

Schools still have to keep track of allergies and other factors, requiring options be made available. But the demand has been overwhelming, with six elementary and two high schools serving a steady stream of students through drive-through sites. The district decided in May to go ahead and keep serving food until the end of the summer. It will depend on what a return to school in the fall looks like where the food program goes from there. That’s helped to make sure not just that students won’t learn on an empty stomach, but that families won’t have the added stress of losing a lunch program on top of being laid-off from a job. srq magazine_ SUMMER20 live local | 27

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THE SARASOTA COMMUNITY

has benefitted, as it so often does, from the generosity of philanthropists living around the Gulf Coast. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County held its annual Giving Challenge on schedule this year, embracing the fact a world in isolation could still convene digitally for a donor event. In a sign of shifting priorities amid the global crisis, All Faiths Food Bank ended up as the organization receiving the most gifts. Individuals gave $369,535 in a 24-hour period, money matched with another $252,402 from The Patterson Foundation.

Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee came in second, with $205,095 in donations and another $90,125 in matching funds. In a competition where the blue ribbon usually goes to organizations sheltering cats or creating stage shows, the sight of two food-based organizations atop the leaderboards hinted at exactly the level of need and the overwhelming communi-

ty sense that priorities, for now, must change.

Roxie Jerde, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, remains blown away both by the level of generosity in a time of financial hardship and the instinctive reprioritization donors made with their gifts this year. The food bank always receives support in the Challenge. “Last year All Faiths did great, but they received about $180,000,” she said. “It just shows our community understands we have got to take care of each other’s basic needs.”

The round-the-clock news coverage of the pandemic and the particular challenges around hunger surely fed the interest, Jerde said, and she credits local media for publicizing the needs of food banks and services, and national images of food lines forming in major cities earned play around the same time as the Challenge. Marketing by the organizations played a role. Hold-

ing a drive for donations during times of financial hardship brings with it the potential for disappointment. Jerde remained humbled by the way Sarasota’s fortunate continues to rally around those most in need.

“We can’t underestimate the unifying feeling that occurred through this Giving Challenge,” she said. “I’m still overwhelmed at what happened and with what this lifeline means to so many of our nonprofits.”

Foubister said in the absence of major food drives, individuals have eagerly stepped up to help the Feed Venice initiative directly. Volunteers have shown up to work in parking lots for Christian schools, sorting goods at workstations six-feet apart.

While the number of people humbled enough to ask for assistance feeding their families has grown tremendously, so too have the ranks of individuals compelled to lend a helping hand.

“It’s heartwarming to someone

like myself,” he said. “We’ve had to turn three dozen volunteers away.” But there’s plenty of work to be done in the region. “The community of nonprofits is not a competition,” Foubister said.

“We’re just a bunch of people who care.” Meanwhile, Sandra Frank said the All Faith’s Food Bank has seen a 120-percent increase in the amount of food given out over the course of the year, about 2.2 million pounds at last count, despite the breaks in the typical supply chains. But it hasn’t stopped workers from soldiering ahead, handling the increased workload and driven by the need they see. The lines to food distribution today can appear like they once did at theme parks, but that shows the value a food bank brings to the region in times of greatest need.

“We have a deep responsibility to our communities,” she said, “and we couldn’t let these people down.” SRQ

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YUMMY AND TRENDY Local activewear label Yummy & Trendy creates premium-quality active wear out of high-performance fabrics, made in the U.S.A. The brand aims to combine fitness and fashion designs, and now they’ve added safety with style. Due to the short supply and even higher demand for personal protective equipment, Yummy & Trendy designed fashion-forward masks for Sarasotans to go about their daily errands protected, comfortable and mindful of those at a higher risk of infection. Yummy & Trendy shows you can be safe and stylish. “The response has been quite positive,” says founder and CEO Veronica Rosas. “Some masks are being coordinated with outfits and occasions. People are trendy, funny or serious and they are expressing themselves through their own personal choice.” Adaptability is “repurposing the materials from our production line to produce face masks that are scarce and in high demand.” 242 S. Washington Blvd., Sarasota contact@yummyandtrendy.com; yummyandtrendy.com.

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Leaning into change is . . . vital for any organization to survive.

Our world has become a series of soundbites, memes and experiences. Adaptability is key and involves consistently learning new things and collecting new ideas to provide the change we as a society crave. In order for it to be successful, you must be able to develop a plan, communicate effectively, monitor the results, and provide that extra effort to create that “wow� factor to make the change a memorable and positive experience for your audience.

John Melleky SENIOR DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, THE JOHN & MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART

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RINGLING BLOSSOMS Re-engineered to take place virtually, Ringling members were invited to experience Ringling Blossoms as a livestreamed event which included a tour of the rose gardens, recipes for mimosas and brunch items from partner chefs and a demonstration on crafting flowers out of paper. Shown above, sample flowers created out of recent editions of SRQ Magazine.

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written by brittany mattie

SEEING IS BELIEVING AT THIS IRREVERENT POP UP MUSEUM

3D Illusions

Get immersed in interactive illusions from the world-renowned Chalk Festival artists. Pet a tiger, hold an alligator, kiss a giant frog, get chased by T-Rex and swim with a megalodon; each illusion is a hand-painted original work of art to step onto or into and become part of the illusion. Chalk Festival founder Denise Kowal dreamed up the 3D Illusion Museum fundraiser at Sarasota’s Ice House for the month of May to promote art-centric social-distancing activities while benefiting the Avenida de Colores nonprofit cultural arts organization.

Left: Artists Limnesh Augustine and Jincy Babu (India). Photography John Revisky and models John OKeefe and Adam Holbrook. Below: Painting by Gregor Wosik (Germany). Photo by John Revisky, ballerina Emily Holloran.

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Postcard Art.

TIM JAEGER REVISITS MEMORIES CAPTURED IN HUMBLE SWATCHES OF MAIL

written by tim jaeger.

SEARCHING FOR MEANINGFUL subject matter can be a difficult task for any artist. Not only because the artist wants the work to be meaningful and relevant, but also because executing a series of paintings involves committing to multiple canvases and potentially years of research and grueling studio work. Before I connected with the series, I knew that I wanted to create something that tells a local story, and to create a dialogue among my viewers. About 18 months ago, as co-organizer of the popular 10x10 lecture event, I invited former registrar for The Ringling, Jarred Wilson, to present. At the time, Jarred and I shared some mutual friends, and I knew any presentation he’d offer would be a great one. That evening, Jarred presented/shared his historic postcard collection of old Florida while elaborating on their historic significance—and I had my Eureka moment.

The following week, I reconnected with Jarred and started my own postcard collection. It was like I was in the fourth grade collecting baseball cards again—running to the mailbox every day to see if a new one had arrived. I decided to focus/collect only the linen Sarasota

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postcards. Linen postcards were printed in the United States from the 1930s until the 1950s—a very significant time in the history of our community. Aesthetically, the saturated colors and the views of hyper-leisure scenes of “the way it used to be” struck me.

From there, I started gathering information about the images—information about the buildings that no longer exist, how the land has changed and a general feeling for how it used to look in our community. With the amount of development and newcomers to this area, I feel it’s important to convey and preserve the history of this community. Generating an understanding and appreciation for where we’ve been and where we are heading in Sarasota is important. The actual paintings are large-scale contemporary interpretations of the postcards. While the original postcards have a slight surface texture and saturated colors, I wanted to create a series of large-scale paintings with a lot of color, surface, pattern and movement. Needless to say, I’m enthusiastic to continue painting the series for years to come while sharing the history of the place we call home. SRQ

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A collaboration between artist Tim Jaegar and former registrar for The Ringling, Jarred Wilson. Clockwise: Sarasota, FL: The Harbor; Famous Lido Beach Casino, Sarasota Florida “Feeding the SeaGulls� and Sarasota Yacht and Automobile Club, Sarasota, FL. srq magazine_ SUMMER20 live local | 35

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Left to right: Anna Olivier Rose and Moonstone Rose.

written by cassia kite

Stitch in Time.

FOR OVER THE PAST EIGHT

years, I have spent time utilizing my personal narrative and Nebraska-based farm imagery to develop a process I created called Soundstitching. Soundstitching is an interdisciplinary multimedia project that transforms color from a hand-stitched image into a musical composition that can be interpreted by a musician and/or performance artist. The result is a combination of three forms of art into one collaborative, multisensory experience.

During this current pandemic crisis, I have not been able to travel back to Nebraska or prepare to present or perform my work in exhibitions as I normally would at this time of the year. This homebound situation has allowed

me the time to focus on my Florida narrative, and after living in Sarasota for over 10 years, I have begun to accumulate imagery that I am attracted to or have developed a history that pertains to my relationship with Florida.

I have greatly admired the grounds of the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art and it saddens me that we are in a situation where we cannot enjoy public places without the fears of putting ourselves or others in harm’s way of contracting or spreading this virus. I fear for the future of institutions that provide the public educational opportunities and platforms for artists like myself to communicate and share our work with our community.

Mable’s Rose Garden has been a

place that I find to be beautiful, welcoming and intriguing. I have begun hand-stitching and translating a number of the roses into music compositions to satisfy my visions and curiosities as to what these flowers will sound like and look like through a collaborative, site-based performance involving multiple instrumentation and interpretive dancers.

My curiosities do not stop with the rose garden, but carry on into the permanent collection of paintings where you will find more floral arrangements that are symbolically represented and presented through a narration of art history and visual literacy. I am in the process of stitching flowers found in works such as Portrait of a Young Lady by Isaack Lut-

CASSIA KITE SOUNDSTITCHES MABLE’S ROSES tichuys c. 1663, and Noël-Nicolas Coypel’s painting from 1731 titled Louise Élisabeth, Madame la Princesse de Conti, as Venus. It excites me greatly to provide another way for these monumental paintings to communicate in our current time. These tapestry works reflect the use of interdisciplinary processes to actualize my curiosities of color, form and sound through experimenting with an array of different mediums, while also giving a contemporary voice to Mable’s Rose Garden and parts of the masterworks that may not have been given their due or an opportunity to communicate in a contemporary, performative manner. SRQ

A collaboration between artist Cassia Kite and the Mable Rose Garden and The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Floral Sounstitching Series.

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SOUTH SARASOTA MODERN QUILT GUILD It’s no surprise that a group dedicated to their love of sewing and fabric took it upon themselves to start making masks when they noticed a need. The South Sarasota Modern Quilt Guild has so far delivered close to 250 masks to different hospice centers, surgical groups and nursing homes. The cloth masks for health care workers are to wear on top of their N95 masks in efforts to help extend the life of the disposable ones at a time when they are being asked to reuse masks. Each mask takes about 15 to 20 minutes to make, and sewers have been using “fun, colorful fabrics for the masks, in hopes of lifting people’s spirits during tough times.” When Co-Vice President Peg Normandin dropped off masks to an assisted living facility, she selected the most cheerful and happy patterns, to “add a little bit of sunshine.” Peg says, “I could not have imagined in early March when I suggested our quilt guild start making masks for health care workers the need would reach what it has been. Approximately 25 active sewists in the guild began making masks. As the needs exceeded what we could make, I reached out to my neighbors at Sarasota National to help.

About 25 neighbors dusted off their sewing machines and many others helped us with generous donations of fabric and elastic to keep us all sewing.” Strength is believing always in the glass half-full. Never waver from the belief in positive outcomes. These are challenging times, but if we focus on what we can do, we will each continue to grow an inner strength to weather any storm our future sends us with the belief I can do this.

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Adaptability is . . . creating stability and a new family life routine that includes all of us (mom, dad and our 8-year-old twins). Starting to wear many different hats than before, learning new skills and taking up new roles in order to make it all work.

Aniko Gulyas OWNER AND OPERATOR OF KURTOS CHIMNEY CAKE

. . . looking deep into the eyes of others, looking deep into my own, then searching and asking for direction, focus and provision in how I can make a difference that matters.

TimNorwood SALT FARMER, FOUNDER OF SEA SALT FLORIDA

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nosh CROW’S NEST MARINA RESTAURANT 1968 Tarpon Center Dr., Venice, 941-484-9551. CASUAL FINE DINING The Crow’s Nest is a casual fine dining restaurant, serving fresh seafood, steaks and other traditional Florida favorites. Located on the Island of Venice and nestled between the Gulf of Mexico on the west and the Intracoastal Waterway on the north and east, Crow’s Nest has become a waterfront fixture for surf ‘n’ turf. M–W 11:30am-10pm. Th 11:30am–11pm. F-Sa 11:30am–12:30am. Su 12–10pm.

DUVAL’S FRESH. LOCAL. SEAFOOD. 1435 Main St., Sarasota, 941-312-4001. SEAFOOD Duval’s Fresh. Local.

Seafood. is excited to announce: Duval’s Free. Local.

Shu le! Your experience at Duval’s should be what you’re expecting. For dinner, try the Chef Selected Fresh Catch, an offering of the freshest fish in the market, and fillet your fresh catch in-house. Featuring a 3-5-7 Happy Hour and late night. M–Th 11am–9pm.

F–Sa 11am–10pm. Su 10am– 9pm.

ELEMENT 1413 Main St., Sarasota, 941-724-8585. MODERN MEDITERRANEAN In the heart of downtown Sarasota, you don’t want to miss the upscale Mediterranean grill, Element. Try their Sambuca shrimp with bacon crème, crisp prosciu o, tomato fennel compote and pine nuts. For dinner, their 12 oz. bone-in center cut porcini-encrusted veal chop is delectable. For a large party, order the table an entire roast suckling pig; which serves four to six guests and is cooked with apples, figs and shallots. Equipped with an extensive wine list and an enticing array of cra cocktails, dining at Element is a must-try experience. M-Th 4:30pm-10pm. F-Sa 4:30pm11pm. Su 10:30am-2:30pm, 4:30pm-10pm. F-Sa. GECKO’S GRILL & PUB 6 convenient locations. Serving AMERICAN PUB FOOD WITH A GOURMET TWIST Fresh fare, smooth spirits & exceptional hospitality since 1992.

Locally owned and operated, Gecko’s polished casual atmosphere, fantastic food, service-forward culture and specialty cocktails make it an enduring community gathering place. Serving Lunch, Dinner & Late Night and a favorite of Locals and visitors alike. Voted “BEST SPORTS BAR.” Featuring daily Happy Hours, weekly Chef’s Specials, locally sourced seasonal produce & beef from our farm and ranch partners, all your favorite sporting events, award-winning Kids Menu and teams of friendly hospitality professionals.

LOCALLY SOURCED ALWAYS IN SEASON

GROVE 10670 Boardwalk Loop, Lakewood Ranch, 941893-4321. 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.

LEMON TREE KITCHEN 1289 North Palm Ave., Sarasota, 941-552-9688. HEALTHY CASUAL DINING Lemon Tree Kitchen’s all day menu highlights American Classic dishes that li the body and mind while providing a comforting meal that will appeal to the everyday diner.

With wholesome clean ingredients and hand-cra ed dishes that meet every lifestyle choice, Lemon Tree Kitchen uses locally-sourced ingredients. Open daily for lunch and dinner. M–Su 11:00am–9pm.

LIBBY’S NEIGHBORHOOD BRASSERIE 1917 South Osprey Ave., Sarasota, 941-487-7300. CASUAL FINE DINING Libby’s serves bistro classics and seasonal New American cuisine. Named a er the restaurant’s unforge able family matriarch, Libby, this modern American brasserie evokes style and uniqueness with a welcoming warmth. Start with the Brasserie Tartare or the Crispy Brussels. Entrees include the Double Brined Porkchop, served with yukon gold mashed potatoes and Steak Au Poivre, a wood grilled NY Strip steak. Indoor, bar, and outdoor seating is available at this Southside Village favorite. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Su–Th 11:00am–9pm. F-Sa 11:00am–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.

MATTISON’S - 3 Locations: Ma ison’s City Grille, 1 N. Lemon Ave., Sarasota, 941-330-0440/ Ma ison’s Forty-One, 7275 S. Tamiami Tr., Sarasota, 941-921-3400/ Ma ison’s Riverwalk Grille, 101 Riverfront Blvd., Bradenton, 941-896-9660. AMERICANN, EUROPEAN, PROVINCIALLY SOURCED MENU ITEMS Chef Paul Ma ison, executive chef and proprietor of Ma ison’s, operates a successful culinary group on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Located in Sarasota and Bradenton, each Ma ison’s restaurant location is unique to its neighborhood, offering Chef Paul Ma ison’s signature menu items, outstanding service, and quality ingredients, while supporting the community, regional farmers, and culinary suppliers. Each Ma ison’s location offers outdoor dining, happy hour and live music. Ma ison’s Catering Company is an award-winning, chef-owned and operated company. Hours vary by location.

MORTON’S GOURMET MARKET 1924 South Osprey Ave., Sarasota, 941-955-9856. 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 la er, Morton’s fresh-made sushi, salad bar or ready-to-go tea sandwiches are longstanding local faves. M–Sa 7am–8pm. Su 9am–6pm.

MUSE AT THE RINGLING 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota, 941-359-5700. CONTEMPORARY CASUAL DINING Upscale local cuisine with international flair is the inspiration for Muse’s concept and development. Muse at The Ringling provides a comfortable and contemporary dining experience in a magnificent, artistic setting. Muse creates menus with an eye for presentation, using fresh and high quality products. Intriguing combinations and variations on cuisine anchor the innovative menu. The ideal dining spot to complement a day in the galleries or a night at the theater, Muse offers diners a culinary adventure where dishes are approached as works of art. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Su–M 11:00am–5pm. Tu–Sa 11:00am–8pm.

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OAK & STONE - 2 Locations: University Park, 5405 University Pkwy., Sarasota, 941-225-4590/ South Sarasota, 4067 Clark Rd., Sarasota, 941-893-4881 PIZZA AND CRAFT BEER At Oak & Stone, artisanal wood-fired pizzas are handcra ed and diners can select to B.Y.O.P. (build your own pie) or choose from the menu’s many custom cra pizza options. The standard tavern fare is elevated with options such as Smokey Gouda Mac n’ Cheese and Pretzel Crusted Tuna. Fresh offerings such as delicious salads and hummus plate round out the menu. Oak & Stone boasts the largest RFID technology self-serve brew wall in the region, with 56 taps that showcase local and American cra breweries, self-pourable by the ounce. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Su–Th 11:00am–11pm. F–Sa 11:00am–12am.

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 se ing is relaxing and the perfect backdrop 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 so -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.

OPHELIAS ON THE BAY 9105 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key, 941-349-2212. FINE DINING With indoor and outdoor dining options boasting incredible waterfront views of Li le Sarasota Bay, Ophelia’s On The Bay is the perfect place to relax and enjoy a delectable meal. From their PEI mussels presented in a saffron-anise e broth to incredible cocktails such as the Pink Lady, you can’t go wrong. Happy Hour M–Su 5pm–6pm. Dinner M–Su 5pm–10pm. Sunday Brunch 11am–2pm.

SHARKY’S ON THE PIER 1600 Harbour Dr. S, Venice, 941-488-1456. SEAFOOD A er 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 en-

tertainment, family friendly fun and a whole lot of ocean. M–Th 11:30am–10pm. F–Sa 11:30am–12am. Sun 11:30am–10pm.

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 ENTREES- Fresh and flavorful with the unique taste of Japan. M-F 11am-Close; Sat/Sun 12pmClose; Closed Daily 2:30-4:30pm.

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MARINA, OVERNIGHT DOCKING, KAYAKS, PADDLEBOARD AND BIKE RENTALS Lunch & Dinner Casual Tavern Menu MARINA, OVERNIGHT DOCKING, KAYAKS, PADDLEBOARD AND BIKE RENTALS Extensive Wine Cellar

NIGHT DOCKING, KAYAKS, PADDLEBOARD AND BIKE RENTALS

FUEL - BAIT - RENTALS - OVERNIGHT DOCKING C u r bs i d e pi c k u p an d l i m i te d d i n e i n ava i l a b l e

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Survival is an artform.

We are surviving despite the virus. How we choose to survive is up to us. There is a saying “whatever doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.”

I believe this is true if you choose for it to be.

In every moment, the only thing I have power over is what I choose to focus on. Today, I focus on the gifts I have been given, the health of my children, the gorgeous weather, the childlike curiosity of what God is up to in this and looking for clues along the way.

Lynn Morris OWNER AND OPERATOR OF SARAFRESH JUICE

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FOR SARASOTA FARMERS MARKET VETERAN Lynn Morris of SaraFresh, the arrival of COVID pressured her to have a tough talk with herself. “I said, ‘Self, what would you like to do?’ Seriously, I had time to get quiet and reevaluate,” she admitted. “Did I want to keep doing SaraFresh or do something different? Perhaps this was a sign to throw in the towel because of the challenges I, like many, were facing.” But Morris decided she wanted to stay on course. “I did what made sense for me and my daughters who quarantined with me at home.” Because she’s been a mobile business the past eight years, not much changed in her business model, except scaling down to 10 percent. “So I focused on learning new skills.” Morris launched a temporary landing page for ordering a limited menu of her cold-pressed juices and superfood smoothies. In addition, customers can now text “JUICE” to SaraFresh to receive special pricing and menu updates. Morris fulfilled orders to those who opted in, and created a grab-and-go cooler for folks to be able to comfortably preorder and pick up at their convenience. And partnering with Worden Farm to create Immunity juice packs of their local produce allowed Worden to promote the collab at their WSLR weekly box pick-up as well. Meanwhile, Christian Hershman at The Overton invited Morris to pull up SaraFresh’s truck on weekends. “My loyal client base showed up for me every week,” she delighted. “I also encountered many new customers through this time, so I’m keeping the focus on the gift of this time.”

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Foragers Ahead LOCAL FARMS AND FOOD VENDORS PROVE TENACIOUSLY NIMBLE AS FARMERS MARKETS ARE FORCED TO PULL THE PLUG.

YOU MAY MISS HABITUAL jaunts to your local farmers market, but the vendors miss having you more.

Manager of Sarasota’s Saturday Farmers Market Phil Pagano said, “It’s not easy for the vendors that rely not only financially on the market, but on the sense of family between each other.” Indeed,

For one special morning a week, farmers markets transform a few city blocks into a congenial public square of kinetic social energy, a direct experience of farm-totable acquisition, a brief gathering of family and community. Strolling in the Florida sunshine, stopping to say hi to strangers’ dogs, co-workers and neighbors, chatting up friendly artisans at their booths as live tunes fill the open air. Maybe you grab some local honey from Myakka’s Gold Apiary for the allergies, a Venetian Coffee cold brew for the sleepies, a glazed Peachey’s donut for the munchies, a restock of Florida Sea Salt and Mazzone Olive Oil for cooking essentials and maybe another Prickly Petals succulent just because it makes you happy. By now, your hands are full with joyful provisions and groceries—until time to repeat again next week. But by mid March, every County’s Farmers Market canceled in the best interest of public health concerns to help flatten the curve of COVID-19. So, what now? vendors earn a large slice of their revenue pie from the steady foot traffic markets inherently attract.

Consequently, many scrambled to quickly respond to the sudden uprooting of direct-to-public sales and drastic loss of income. Phillippi Farmhouse Market Manager Fred Whitehouse pointed out

that vendors are not employees, but individual business owners (not entitled to unemployment compensation). “They have been hit very suddenly and very hard by forced closures,” he said. “Their businesses are not a hobby, but their livelihood and primary income. They are family people with

aspirations and bills to pay.

They provide the public with so much sunshine and enjoyment.

I hope we can now provide them with some.” In response to the statewide “safer-at-home” mandates, vendors immediately took to their social media pages to reconnect with their customers.

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Opposite page: SaraFresh does a pop up at The Overton with a perfect fizzy summertime cooler. This page: Top left and below: Albritton Blueberry Fruit Farms were in high demand this year for u-pick. Top right: Blumenberry Farms partnered with Grove Ladder Farms to sell fresh produce by the farm box.

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OWNER AND OPERATOR OF FERMENTILICIOUS SHARON JURASZEK

lost two of her restaurant accounts and four of the markets. “Just like that, in the thick of season,” she lamented. “I was concerned— the community started to reach out, ‘How can I get your product?’”

Reactively, she launched a brand-new web store for Fermentlicious in April, in addition to creating collaborative varieties of her fermented kimchis and sauerkrauts. The “cuke kraut,” for instance, is made with local cabbage from Honeyside Farms in Parrish and the cucumbers are grown at Homestead Hydroponic Farm in Myakka City. “Fortunately, having good relations with other local purveyors saved us and gave us strength in numbers,” she said. One of those championing purveyors is Steve Phelps, chef and owner of Indigenous, who swiftly responded to the mass closures. “I think the Downtown farmers market missed an opportunity to capitalize on the paranoia of going to the grocery store,” he said. “And when it closed, these vendors had nowhere else to go.”

Many of these vendors Phelps calls friends—working relationships he has built through his restaurant. Homestead Hydroponic Farms has been a source for Indigenous’ dishes for years, while Fermentlicious often appears on his weekly specials. With a cleared-out patio area and spare space for refrigeration, the restaurant became a perfect outpost for an intimate, outdoor mini-market. By implementing safe, sanitary guidelines, the natives banded together in an impromptu colony of local goods in the heart of Towles Court. Suddenly, Saturday morning rituals were back. Phelps even collaborated on items for sale such as a scratchmade salad dressing which sold out almost instantly. “Out of our friendship and the necessity to maintain our business relationship, we were able to pull this off,” he said. Homestead was able to increase their sales by 30% almost immediately, and the initial response to the new collab was so strong, Wednesday mornings were added to the schedule. Grove Ladder Farm soon asked to join the party with their free-range chickens and eggs. Honoring no-contact protocols, the vendors only accept purchases made online ahead of time. “We can place the product directly into their trunk if they wish, so no human contact is necessary,” said Tim Clarkson, farmer of Grove Ladder. “Unlike at large conventional factory farms, our products are minimally handled, which is reassuring for many people.”

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PHILLIPPI FARMHOUSE MARKET ended its season a month early when county parks were forced to close. Many of the Farmhouse’s 50-plus specialty food vendors who ritually gathered at Philippi Estate every Wednesday—such as Glenn Family Bakery, Cuni Tuni Mediterranean, Honeyside Farms and Polpo Pizza Co.—also shifted their efforts to establishing their websites for e-commerce. “We had no choice but to adapt or we wouldn’t have made it through this. Period,” said Danni Bleil, co-owner of Polpo. “We’re a catering company, and like many other businesses in Sarasota, we rely on the ‘season’ to bank and save for the slower months of summer.

As of March 6, we lost every booking we had.” To avoid closing for good, Polpo set up an ordering system with curbside pickup, which has been “a lifeline and a game changer,” Bleil said. Early on, Polpo partnered with Mandeville Beer Garden to offer a convenient spot to grab your brick-oven pizzas and purchase beer to-go from MBG. “We are so grateful to our amazing customers who have shown up for us week after week. We cannot make it through this without them.”

Opposite page and left: Grove Ladder Farms’ Tim Clarkson and Indigenous’ Steve Phelps chat at the pop up farmers market at Indiegnous. Center: Blumenberry Farm box. Below: Fermentilicious continues to engage with its customers.

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WHEN THE MARKET AT LAKEWOOD RANCH SUSPENDED ITS SEASON EARLY, Main Street vendors like Pilar’s Empanadas Argentinas reacted

by gassing up their family vehicles to deliver gourmet empanadas up and down the entire SWFL coast. Meanwhile, Sunshine Canning utilized the post office instead, running a special shipping offer of its sought-after small-batch jams. The Market didn’t skip a beat—providing virtual support by sharing all the vendors actively accepting online and phone orders. “The talented LWR Market management team worked hard to promote their vendors on social media, creating ways to continue to get their products to customers,” said Mitch Blumenthal, farmer of Blumenberry Farms. After being wait-listed for years for a space, Blumenberry Farms excitedly accepted the invitation to participate at LWR’s Market last November to provide their “super local” (five miles away), organically harvested crops. “When they announced the closing due to the coronavirus, we scrambled to provide a valued weekly box of our produce,” shared Blumenthal. Just days after, Blumenberry announced to neighboring residents the offering of their certified-organic veggie boxes. “By the second week after the market closed, we were preparing boxes and earning enough to match, or exceed, our weekly income from the farmers market—choosing the content based on what was ready for harvest.” Customers were able to virtually grocery shop, clicking any assortment of locally grown produce they needed and picking up at any of the five designated locations. “Although we just finished our growing season, we look forward to seeing our LWR Market friends again, as well as offering weekly veg boxes to the community again.”

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GARY AND MAGGIE BALCH of Maggie’s Seafood stand have been a go-to merchant for fresh-catch seafood at local farmers markets for over 20 years—partaking in and capitalizing on almost every single one in Southwest Florida. Since the market closures, Maggie’s has been taking online orders throughout each week until they hit 150. On the following Saturday, they set up pop-ups in two locations situated at their commissary in Venice and the Swim City parking lot in Downtown Sarasota. “The owners at Swim City have been just unbelievably generous in reaching out to us and letting us set up there,” the Balchs shared. Swimwear and seafood ironically seem to go hand in hand anyway. Maggie’s customers are delighted at the organized, numerical order system they’ve implemented in order to efficiently snag their fresh fish fillets right outside the boutique’s doors.

“It has worked out fabulously for both of us, and all our customers really seem to like the setup,” they said. “We get them in and out quickly, parking is a breeze, and the location is just perfect.” The Balchs operated under strict CDC guidelines, sixfoot spacing, less than 10 people at a time, masks required. “All that said, it’s been a very pleasant experience in these otherwise troubled times.”

TAKING A PAGE OUT OF THE COMMUNITY co-op book is Engle-

wood’s Vino Loco Wine & Tapas Bar, whose owners also operate the Dearborn Street Market just a block away. The unique wine shop launched a Friday mini-market through May, dubbed “May Gourmet,” and included vendors such as sirloin tip steak supplier Butcher’s Gourmet and the sweet challah bread bakers of Baca Bread. “The vendors we chose were food-oriented, local and organic,” said Joyce Colmar, Vino Loco’s managing partner. “They needed support and we thought it would be a way for folks to safely access quality items away from the big-box stores. We have two outdoor patios and set them up with clean, sanitized stations and safe distancing—it worked out very well.” Meanwhile in Siesta, Abel’s Ice Cream summoned beloved market vendors to celebrate an unorthodox Memorial weekend in its parking lot for sweets and treat— including The Empanada Girl, Canopy Road Cheesecakes and Pure Nut Mylk. “My goal through it all has been to keep both my team and my customers happy, hopefuly and most importantly, safe,” says Steania Fochi, chef and owner of The Empanada Girl. “Adjusting as been both successful and fulfilling, given the challenges we were all faced with.”

Opposite pags: Mitch Blumenthal of Blumenberry Farms. This page: Tim Clarson of Grove Ladder Farms at his weekly Stickney Point pick up.

AS BANYAN COFFEE CO. continues to offer free shipping on its freshly roasted bags of beans, it awaits to launch its new coffee truck for catering events and replacing a table for some wheels at the Bradenton Farmers’ Market when it returns. In the meantime, husband-and-wife owners Josh and Abbey Schmitt remain deeply appreciative of what the Market has done. “Our success stems from them and is still working today,” they said.

“We are so glad they launched an online store for local vendors to join.” This online store was created so shoppers only have to hit up one site to access/order all their favorite Bradenton Farmers’ Market foods, instead of individually. Manager Peg Haynes of Realize Bradenton admitted they had no idea how they would manage the situation at first. “As it became apparent that we are in this for the long run, we began to look for a more permanent online solution.” Bradenton’s orchid vendor Mason James happens to be a “web wizard,” according to Haynes, and offered to build a virtual store only a month after the physical market closed. Super-convenient and user-friendly, a full list of featured products is available to shop Monday through Wednesday. And thanks to Mindy Hill, owner of Angel Oak Cafe, the market is able to implement a downtown drive-through to pull up, pop the trunk and let volunteers load up. Hill also offered her venue for refrigeration—allowing the addition of Dakin Dairy products and other refrigerated foods to the online menu. “Needless to say, this all came together so quickly to benefit our community. Our vendors are nothing short of miraculous,” said Haynes. “We plan to continue the online market even when the physical market reopens.”

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MARKET MANAGER OF ENGLEWOOD’S, Venice’s and North Port’s Braves Farmers Markets Lee Perron, shares, “Immediately after closing the mar-

kets, our first efforts were to connect our customers with our vendors in order to find out how they could order produce and food products directly.

Our vendor directory on all of our websites is a great tool, as it lists all vendors alphabetically by name, lists their products and contact info.” On the list is William Nelms—better known as “Philly Billy” of Mr. Fun Guy’s gourmet mushroom stand. Nelms resourcefully migrated outside of Earth Origins grocery store on Stickney Point Road every Thursday to sell his exotic fungi. Another highly salable asset of multiple markets is Simply Organix, supplier of organic sprouts/microgreens, plant-based cheeses and probiotic kefir. Owner Katherine Jouan has been highly agile and active on the interweb—launching an online shop quickly in March as well as a Simply Organix e-newsletter, which includes updates from the sprout farm, farmers’ markets updates and some homemade recipes. Pickup orders are available at The Open Studio in Englewood each Saturday, where you can also find Arcadia’s Fresh Harvest Farm selling their heirloom Asian vegetables and fruits, and The Real Juice Bar with their homemade granola and fresh juices.

The year-round farmers markets are in continuous discussion with their designated city officials on the hope of resuming sometime this summer, with cautionary regulation, while the seasonal ones plan to reopen as scheduled in the fall. And though governments deem farms/food vendors “essential”—granting them the ability to have remained open throughout the unfolding of coronavirus and feed us the freshest of goods—the real saving grace for surviving has been the close-knit relationships they share with fellow operators of restaurants and retailers.

Here, community trumps competition. And while we miss the energy and connectivity of the markets, our agricultural economy forges on. With the finest showmanship of customer loyalty and “support local business” mentality around, our favorite growers and makers are persevering through this turbulent, but temporary hardship. Local On. SRQ

This page, clockwise: Mr. Fun Guy’s gourmet mushrooms. Banyan Coffee Co. on wheels. Bradenton Farmer’s Market goes online for packaged ready to pick up.

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LOCAL ARTISTS AT ART AND FRAME A family-owned business that participates and supports many local schools and special projects, Art and Frame hopes to “nurture and encourage artists of all ages.” In efforts to help slow the spread of the virus, and provide a needed product beyond their usual art inventory, they have partnered with local artists, including Chacha Plum’s Handmade with Love (shown above), Susan Bryden of Susan Sews and Emma Taylor Kaercher of Taylored Designs to create face masks. “Kindness is contagious,” says Susan Bryden, one of the mask makers for Art and Frame. “I was able to help Gail Russon who lives in New York City. She was desperate to get a mask. Everyone in New York had to wear one to leave their apartment and she needed to go to the doctor. She ordered some that never came, so ended up calling Block Club News in Chicago for help. She talked to my daughter, who told her that I could make her one and got her address. I sent her one the next day. To my surprise, Gail called to thank me when she received it by tracing me through my return address. She ordered four more and we talked for about an hour. I found out we had much in common, like each becoming first-time grandmas this past year. We swapped pictures of our grandbabies and talked about how much we miss them. (We both missed their first birthday and them taking their first steps). She was very thankful and I tried to give her some hope that things will get better. I discovered you never know what a small act of kindness can lead to if you just look for the opportunity.”

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written by brittany mattie | photo by wyatt kostygan

Brain Boost

HOW THE BRAIN HEALTH INITIATIVE PROVIDES WORLDCLASS INSIGHT AND RESOURCES TO MOBILE DEVICES.

AS THE CHIEF ORGAN OF THE HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM, your brain

is the one holding the emblematic remote control. Brain Health Initiative (BHI) wants to protect that vital on-off organ by imploring you to get up off the couch. Your everyday abilities such as motor control, sensory recognition, body regulation, emotion, reasoning, language and remembering to let the dog out shouldn’t be taken for granted. So even as a certain pandemic continues to make waves, don’t allow yourself to become sedentary or depressed. According to Neuropsychologist, founder and executive director of BHI, Dr. Stephanie Peabody, the virus is affecting us more-so mentally than the physical ailments. The initiative can’t champion enough how important it is to give your brain a much-needed boost during this time. “A trauma like the coronavirus, and the resulting stress, can threaten brain health in the moment and create numerous long-term risk factors for future brain illness,” she said. In response, Dr. Peabody recently wrote to US Congressman Vern Buchanan to bring attention to this critically overlooked aspect of COVID-19, and seek approval to launch a statewide BHI COVID-19 Neurologic and Mental Health Call to Action on the poorly understood neurologic and mental health consequences of the virus.

In the meantime, while undertaking a Global Call to Action campaign, she is working to continually build brain-healthy communities in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital, and the Academy for Brain Health & Performance.

In March, BHI launched an e-series called Brain Health Boost. Newsletters came daily to bring preventive resources and actionable steps to subscribers’ inboxes—friendly reminders to change the batteries out of your remote when it starts to lose juice. Brain Boost’s support is designed to increase a healthy mental state and optimize brain performance with a grab bag of fun, insightful ‘What You Can Do to Promote Your Brain Health Today’ tips. Such tips spanned from making a Hope, Goodness, Optimism & Renewal playlist on Spotify including artists such as Dave Matthews Band, Pink and Elton John, to selecting a feel-good film such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Forrest Gump and Finding Nemo. Each post dove into navigating a new stay-at-home lifestyle—including how to socially engage while social distancing, how to manage stress, how to compile a gratitude list, how to step back from too much media/news consumption, how to laugh generously and embrace the ridiculousness with healthy humor, how to boost your immunity/promote a tolerance to the virus, how to give yourself an electronic curfew for a good night’s sleep, how to make cooking a family activity, or how to ensure nutritious takeout options.

When gyms closed their doors, and pickup basketball games were abandoned, BHI partnered with Lakewood Ranch Live to bring virtual activities to the community. Fit-Tip Friday’s featured full-body workout videos from Anchor Fitness & Performance every Friday morning, followed by a brief Q&A session via Facebook Live with owner/trainer Graham Anderson, to teach a new ‘fit-tip,’ including stretching techniques and physical activity routines during quarantine. On Mondays, Trish Hart of Hart Mind Body Solutions, provided meditation expertise for Brain Boost’s Mindful Moments. Hart’s video clips included live community medita-

tions, affirmations, short readings, yoga practice guidance and more. The initiative also promoted various other virtual events on a local and community level that aligned with their mission. The Create for Care program hosted weekly arts and crafts classes for the kiddies on Facebook Live each Tuesday, led by Kori Clark Design and benefiting Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, while Ranch Nites Happy Hour every Wednesday streamed a selection of local musicians to play live performances to BBQ to from home. And with a close working relationship with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the BHI put out weekly online lectures from medical professionals—covering topics from “Helping Those Who Serve: How Family Members and Friends Can Support Healthcare Workers,” “State Prisons and COVID-19,” “Love in the Time of COVID,” “COVID Brings Persistent Racial and Ethnic Disparities to Focus” and more. With a world-class network of resources, BHI continues to offer the region an arsenal of knowledge and positive reinforcement during an otherwise uneasy time of distress.

“The question is not whether we will get through the ordeal that lies ahead—because we will,” said Dr. Peabody. “The important questions, from our perspective at the Brain Health Initiative perspective, are how well we can work together to protect the greater good, promote brain health during this period, prevent the potential spiral of brain illness, as well as how much we will learn from this unprecedented challenge and make necessary changes for the future.” brainhealthinitiative.org SRQ

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Resiliency is . . . how we perceive and respond to the moment in front of us—not what is in front of us, but how we predict our outcome, for better or worse.

COVID-19 is not our last challenge, and in each moment we are being prepared for what is next.

How we perceive and respond with our heart, mind, thoughts, feelings and actions will prepare us for and predict the outcome. This region chose resiliency, to stand up and take action on the challenge in front of us.

Dr. Stephanie Peabody, PsyD, HSPP NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BRAIN HEALTH INITIATIVE

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written by jacob ogles | photography by wyatt kostygan

A full transcript can be accessed online.

ENGAGING REGIONAL BUSINESS LEADERS FOR A DIALOGUE ABOUT THE FUTURE.

Road to Recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic delivered a rapid blow to Florida’s economy, with job losses unseen since the Great Depression. SRQ MEDIA convened economic leaders to discuss the impact on the region and the path forward.

SRQ: WHEN DID THE LOCAL ECONOMY BEGIN FEELING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT FROM THE CORONAVIRUS? Heather Kasten, Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce: It is like someone turned the spigot off right around March 15, especially for a lot of these small businesses. Jacki Dezelski, Manatee Chamber of Commerce: I would

echo Heather’s assessment. That second to third week in March is when many businesses started confronting what the reality might look like for the weeks and months ahead. I was in Tallahassee when the announcements were made that Major League Baseball was suspending spring training and that the NCAA was canceling the basketball tournament finals. When some of those

nationally impactful announcements were made, that caused a number of businesses to confront what the possibilities were ahead.

Erin Duggan, Visit Sarasota County: I just coincidentally happened to be at Disney World the night of March 19, the first night of spring break. That evening they announced they would be closing on Sunday. We were only staying for one night, but a lot of people

were freaking out, canceling their theme park vacations and quickly trying to book a beach vacation because the resorts were still open and people were looking for more of those outdoorsy things to do. But once schools started getting shut down, that’s when you saw occupancy drop.

Elliott Falcione, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau: It’s when the short-term

Erin Duggan, Visit Sarasota County

Christine Robinson, The Argus Foundation

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Sarah Firstenberger, The Sarasota-Manatee Originals

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rental restriction kicked in and people were allowed to stay and “finish up their vacation.” Then it started to slowly go down to hardly anything. Spring training pulled out. The blessing is the region was on record-breaking pace on business. We ended up being 34 percent down on tourism tax collection for the month of March.

SRQ: HOW HAVE REGULATIONS IMPACTED OUR BUSINESSES? Dave Bullock, Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County: The more savvy businesspeople looked ahead and intuitively knew something terrible was going to happen. I can recall them trying to position themselves and asking, “Will we be included as an essential industry?” We had a few industries that actually boomed.

Some of the life-science folks, some medical folks and some

small manufacturers were just going crazy trying to fill orders, especially in those early days. It really ran the gamut. No one knew what the federal response was going to be. The state programs were—I’ll be generous—limping along. They really struggled with their bridge loans and things like that at first. Sharon Hillstrom, Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation: I was really impressed with a lot of our manufacturers, how they quickly transformed their businesses to incorporate safety practices for employees. Dezelski: I have been impressed by retailers who eight weeks ago had no platform for e-commerce and in a matter of weeks have created capabilities to be able to move some of their sales. Hillstrom: One of the biggest challenges for businesses in general is just uncertainty about what’s next. A businessperson says, “Just tell me like it is so I can make some decisions.” When

there’s so much uncertainty, that creates anxiety and then decisions are made that may not be right. The sooner the government can move forward with some concrete plans going forward in terms of recovery activities, that will be very helpful.

SRQ: HAVE YOU HEARD FROM BUSINESS OWNERS ABOUT THEIR NEEDS? Christine Robinson, The Argus Foundation: I’m hearing a lot of concern over local governments in terms of being able to pivot to help businesses. We’ve had to bring to governments proposals for them to alter the way they do business to allow for things like parking lot dining, to allow for waivers of permitting so that way they can build walls for safety in their businesses. Governments are lagging.

They won’t feel it for another several months down the road, maybe even a year or two. So the

sense of urgency, there’s a little bit of disconnect. We’re trying to bridge that gap. There have been governments that have responded quickly. Others not so much.

Mary Dougherty, Gulf Coast Builders Exchange: In the be-

“We don’t know what this going to look like moving forward. A lot of projects decided to go on the sidelines.”

—Mary Dougherty, Gulf Coast Builders Exchange

ginning, our big push was to make sure construction was considered an essential business and we were very grateful for that. What my members have seen is the pipeline dry up. We don’t know what this is going to look like moving forward.

For many of them, a lot of projects decided to go on the sidelines.

Banks pulled funding.

Dave Bullock, EDC of Sarasota County

Mary Dougherty, Gulf Coast Builders Exchange

Jackie Dezelski, Manatee Chamber of Commerce

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SRQ: WE’VE HEARD SOME REPORTS THAT PARTS OF DEVELOPMENT ARE DOING QUITE WELL AND SOME ARE NOT. WHAT IS THE SPREAD OF THIS SITUATION? Dougherty: My guys who do anything in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, there’s a complete halt, and that’s affected that sector of their business, whereas my members who do school projects, they’ve been accelerated. Those of us who lived through 2008, we have to dust that playbook off because a lot of what we’re seeing in this pandemic reminds us of what happened then.

SRQ: IS OUR ECONOMY MORE DIVERSIFIED THAN AHEAD OF THE GREAT RECESSION? Hillstrom: What’s so interesting is that while the majority of the EDC [Economic Development Corporation] is focused on business-recovery activities and

business assistance, our director of global business development is super busy. We have 19 projects right now that we’re working on, and we’re getting called weekly from interested parties looking to locate to this area. We’ve done a good job in positioning the area as a great business destination just by virtue of having these calls coming in. I’m shocked actually.

Bullock: We, too, are getting these interesting inquiries, which was a surprise to us. Whether people during this time have an opportunity to think about where and how they want to run their business when things start up and they’re thinking of a move, I’m not sure what’s motivating it. We do see the retooling of some of the manufacturers and the speed of it suggests our manufacturing sector may be more nimble than some of us thought. Obviously, necessity is the mother of invention. One industry, perhaps it’s been most impressive to me, is our quiet and rapidly growing tech sector. Those folks went home and conducted

Sharon Hillstrom, Bradenton Area Economic Development Corporation

Heather Kasten, Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Not shown: Elliott Falcione, Bradenton Area Convention and Tourism Bureau

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business and no one ever knew the difference because they were fully capable of operating remotely. It’s important to note that after July 1, Florida will no longer be a competitive state in recruitment. Florida basically exited the economic development recruitment arena this legislative session. Falcione: The region has worked hard to put a good two-county brand in the marketplace. Some will question, “Why do you continue to market when you really don’t need to as much?”

You have got to penetrate the market, so your brand, or brands, can compete when times are tough.

SRQ: AS WE SPEAK, THERE IS A 25 PERCENT LIMITATION ON CAPACITY FOR RESTAURANTS AND RETAILERS. CAN RESTAURANTS REALISTICALLY SURVIVE THESE RESTRICTIONS? Sarah Firstenberger, Sarasota-Manatee Originals: Every restaurateur is asking themselves

that. But the most amazing thing in this industry is the ability to thrive in difficult situations. The restaurant industry is constantly evolving. We pride ourselves on thinking on our feet, and the question isn’t how long are we at this 25 percent restriction but how can we make the best of the situation. If you only had 20 tables to start with, your focus is on takeout. At Michael’s On East or Anna Maria Oyster Bar, you split interest in outdoor dining and takeout. Thankfully we live in an environment where outdoor dining is already prominent.

Robinson: The Coalition of Business Associations in Sarasota County asked for the temporary-use permits and waivers, and to expedite those permits for outdoor dining and outdoor retail to expand into parking lots and right of ways, all with the landlord’s permission, to be able to begin to lose less money. It’s not even breakeven at that point, quite honestly. It’s the ability to keep those employees employed, because many of the business owners understand that they’re not receiving unemployment.

Kasten: Now is an opportunity for these business owners to keep their top employees. You’re really starting to see a separation between the wheat and the chaff. Was there some fat on their business that they’re going to find out they can run effectively with fewer people? As far as commercial space, we’ve all had our hands forced to do this remote thing, there are going to be businesses that scale back commercial space and have people work remotely two days a week and in the office three days a week. That’s not going to happen overnight though, because leases are intact.

Dezelski: Not every restaurant is structured similarly to another.

It will be a case-by-case basis as to what projections look like.

One thing that we’re starting to hear more frequently—we’ve conducted more than 4,000 calls with businesses—there are some themes emerging around the

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assistance programs. Certainly the PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] settled down with the second tranche of funding. The treasury released numbers and Florida on the national level is No. 2 in the number of PPP loans, second only to California.

And as far as the value of those loans, we’re at more than $13 billion. Kasten: However, on the EIDL [Economic Injury Disaster Loans], that is still the black hole.

We’ve heard from numerous businesses that they submitted on day one, day two, but it’s just been radio silence. Right out of the shoot there were some significant hiccups and delays. Bullock: The state took 38,000 applications for the bridge loan and they could only grant 1,000 loans. They kept it open so long, knowing full well there weren’t funds anywhere near that amount. It’s a little bit like the unemployment system in the state. It’s getting its legs under it now, but none of those were ever made for statewide massive use. Kasten: I want to give huge props both to the Sarasota County Commission and EDC. Listen, for government to come together,

SRQ: ARGUS HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT USING THE ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION DOLLARS THIS WAY. Robinson: Once they made the decision to use it, we understood that. We think there’s going to be some problems probably three to four months down the line of accessing capital. We were hoping that could be saved for when those PPP loans were done. Obviously it all helps. But like what the city of Sarasota in particular is doing with the grants, once the program is done, the injection happens and then it’s over with. I wish it had been a couple months down the line, when the access to the liquidity is dry.

Quite honestly, it’s going to get politically complicated at some point when we forget about the environment we have right now.

If I can just interject, the Sarasota EDC pivoted like you would not believe and put together a program under Dave’s leadership. They took that charge, they went forward. They did everything they possibly could and consulted with members of

es, who are 96 percent of the businesses in Sarasota County.

Let’s not kid ourselves—$25,000 is not a lot of money for what most of these businesses are facing, but we did what they really wanted us to do, which was allow the expenditures to go beyond where PPP went.

SRQ: WE HEAR ABOUT AIRPORT TRAFFIC BEING 95 PERCENT DOWN. CAN YOU GUYS TELL US HOW YOU COME BACK FROM THAT? Duggan: There are consumers out there that say they are interested in planning a summer vacation. It might only be them going an hour and a half away from their house and staying on the beach for two nights, but you also have people who are not exhibiting those behaviors. We’re having to laser target our digital advertising.

To me, if someone is dining out in Orlando, that’s someone who’s probably going to be more likely to go on a vacation. We have such limited funds here on this coast.

We can’t really afford to spend our very limited dollars building

“We are communicating well with the airlines, like Allegiant, so we’re focusing on that drive —Elliott Falcione, Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau market.” agree on something, set a date for a course of action; they wanted those checks starting on May 1.

For government to make that happen, that was nothing short of Moses parting the Red Sea. Props to Dave Bullock and his team who came together and worked with local companies. To build a platform for these loans and to assemble a team of true volunteers to walk these loans through the process of due diligence; for that all to come together and for them to hit the mark is off the charts.

the business community to get there very quickly. Bullock: I am just a pretty face in this deal.

We had incredible contributions from private businesses. Half the people on this call in one way or another were involved in helping.

We opened this up at 9 o’clock on April 27 and by 10:40, we had all the applications we could fund.

That’s the demand. But the other thing it shows is the incredible preparedness these businesses had done. They had the forms ready to upload. By the way, the average number of employees for grant recipients was seven. So these were really small business-

consumer confidence in flying.

Falcione: The traveler sentiment study is going to be so paramount to that decision-making. We are communicating well with the airlines, like Allegiant, so we’re focusing on that drive market.

York, New Jersey; they have such a different situation. Not to be opportunist about it, but our experience has been different. Those who can manage to get out of those really hard-hit areas may look to do so. Robinson: It depends on the industry. It’s obviously a bloodbath for restaurants and retail, it’s who’s going to make it out, and if they make it out, how much debt are they going to have, and how many employees are they going to have.

Construction is going to continue to do well. When you have to make an appointment to go into a store and the maximum number of people they allow in is six, that’s not sustainable. Hillstrom: It may just completely transform the retail industry with e-commerce and storefronts that maybe are the place where you go and pick up your merchandise. There’s opportunity there for really tech-savvy, smart people to look at that and say, “How can we reimagine this particular industry?” Firstenberger: This situation has changed the face of dining out in restaurants for the foreseeable future.

Already takeout was on an upward trend. Now it’s an explosion. At least into mid-2021, you will see these new practices in place, and God forbid there’s a second wave you will see it even further. We will evolve and adopt. Unless this is it and in six months the virus is gone and we never see it again, dining will forever have some small changes. Dezelski: Florida’s economy was the 17th-largest economy in the world prior to the pandemic. The fundamentals of our economy were humming along on a continued upward trajectory up until this crisis. I’m assuming that those fundamentals aren’t completely broken.

SRQ: WHAT DOES AN ECONOMIC REBOUND LOOK LIKE? WILL THERE BE DEMAND SHOCK AND A FASTER RECOVERY?

SRQ: WHAT’S THE IMPACT ON BUSINESSES IF SCHOOLS DON’T GO BACK INTO THE SESSION IN THE FALL?

Dougherty: We’re looking at either a U-shaped or a V-shaped recovery. Pent-up demand is there, particularly for Florida. New

Kasten: Every employer is going to have to get creative really quick.

For every employer, the old ways are going to the wayside and we

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are going to have to get flexible on what that work schedule looks like.

The companies that do that and can morph and can make those changes, they’re the ones that are going to keep moving forward.

SRQ: CAN YOU TALK TO US ABOUT SUPPLY CHAINS? Hillstrom: I spoke with [Port Manatee] right after everything went haywire, and because of the products that they bring into the port having to do with making toilet paper, at that time they were really doing quite well. Some of our manufacturers have experienced disruption in their supply chains. Bullock: When this thing first started, we were getting calls from companies whose domestic supply chain had been interrupted because one state locked down in a different way from another state. Some were essential, some were life-sustaining. We had manufacturers who were unable to get products from Michigan because of the way the state government implemented this and they were looking around for some other suppliers. Dougherty: We’ve always focused on local businesses and local contractors, and for the remainder of the year we plan on expanding that focus. It would be our goal that every one of our members don’t cook for the rest of the year either. Take your family out to a meal or pick up takeout, support those local retailers.

Firstenberger: This time of year is when restaurants always store away everything to survive the slow season, not just owners but servers and people in the kitchen.

What Originals is focused on now is what August will look like.

Tourism was affected in what is traditionally the most important part of the year.

SRQ: ARE THERE CONCERNS ABOUT THE INVENTORY OF HOMES OR CONDOS THAT WERE BEING BUILT UP?

Dougherty: Bite your tongue.

Hopefully not. But that’s a big unknown. Kasten: If you look at the real estate market here in Sarasota County, there are actually more homes right now being pulled off the market than put on the market. I haven’t seen the final April numbers yet. Falcione: I’m just a tourism guy. But what you may see happen is in a lot of these highly dense, large cities around the country, they may be more inclined to want to move to an area like this. It happened after 9/11.

SRQ: HOW DO YOU BALANCE PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS WITH KEEPING A VIABLE ECONOMY AND KEEPING FLORIDA FUNCTIONAL? Bullock: We’re going to get it wrong, because there is no model to follow. No one knows how this is going to work. But this needs to be a thoughtful, nimble approach.

The whole national conversation is asinine. Just put it aside. But you try something, you see states starting to do this or that, there may be pullback. We’re all just hosts in this deal, biological hosts of this virus that has no politics.

It doesn’t care if it can get to you.

I’m not a Republican or Democrat. But what we’ve got to do is be prepared to change, pivot and adapt and try to figure this out until we have a medical defense against this thing. Robinson: The conversation started with the medical infrastructure. We know what we need now. We know where we need to be nimble and be able to shift that around, whether it be respirators, hospital beds, we have experience. So even if that was to happen, the degree to which we had to shut down this time, I don’t believe it will happen a second time. I agree with Dave to the degree that the conversation needs to be on what the real issue is. We may need to adjust along the way, but focusing on whether we’re going to kill somebody or whether we’re not, I don’t think that’s the conversation we

should be having. Dougherty: Some of the basic simple human behaviors that we learned through this. My hands are so dried out from washing, it’s unbelievable, but maybe they always should have been. I used to call myself a hugger. I’m not a hugger anymore.

I’d come out of a networking event and think, how many hands did I shake? We need to not have short memories, at least for the next several months. GCBX [Gulf Coast Builders Exchange] is only going to be holding outdoor networking events. That idea of going into a closed area, standing shoulder to shoulder, may have to be a thing of the past.

SRQ: DID WE IN ANY WAY GO TOO FAR HERE IN FLORIDA? Bullock: Easy. No. No one knew what was going to happen here.

We didn’t even understand the virus. As Christine said, this was medically driven and fear-of-theunknown driven. But that was a better response, especially if you’re my age, than waiting and watching the count. But as we learn more, that’s how we need to form our response medically, economically, socially, all balanced in some form or fashion. Kasten: A lot of businesses are really looking for some guidelines, a path forward. We have a group of community leaders looking at a pledge or a promise to show a sense of community to give our businesses some guidelines about moving forward in coming out of this. Duggan: In the summer is when we do our programming such as Savor Sarasota or Sarasota Big Pass. We are continuing to do those with our partners right now. We’re pivoting a bit, because we feel more than ever we want to get locals to go out and engage with our restaurants and our retail partners. While normally our motive is to just get heads in beds, we’re crafting messaging geared toward locals as well.

Sarasota Big Pass is where we promote our retail partners that are offering BOGOs or 25 percent

off deals. SRQ MEDIA is our partner for that promotion. Dezelski: We launched our Recover Manatee initiative. Now we’re in the restart phase, as the governor announced Phase One. The Manatee Chamber is looking at measures and guidance and resources [business owners] need for reopening, for understanding the environment and what they need to do from a health and safety perspective in particular. Our local governments are certainly focused on hurricane season. While we have this pandemic that has taken all of the attention and energy and resources, we can’t forget about the vulnerability to Florida. Falcione: We don’t want to talk about other adversarial opportunities out there like hurricane season, like this virus could come back stronger in the future. But when the light switch flips to the next level, be ready to open the doors and ramp up.

SRQ: SHOULD BUSINESSES PREPARE TO START TAKING TEMPERATURES? Kasten: A law firm talked about having the employees fill out a form that basically has some basic things: I will take my temperature daily; I will not come to work sick; I will wear a mask. But it’s really putting some of the responsibility on the employee and some on the employer side; providing them the protective equipment of masks and gloves, and making sure their workstations are six feet apart. Small businesses are concerned about the liability aspect of somebody coming back, contracting COVID and does that put liability on the company. Someone mentioned she was advised that an employee keep a daily record of every place they go, so that in the event that somebody contracted COVID, that business could say, “Hey, look at all these other places that this employee went to.” Duggan: From the consumer sentiment studies, one thing that is very similar is who people look to: the CDC. I know we have been looking very closely at what the CDC guidelines are. SRQ

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PROVISIONIST

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written by brittany mattie

Virtually Unstoppable.

THE 24-HOUR GIVING CHALLENGE brings together thousands of donors to help charities across Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto and Charlotte counties. This year, the date for the 24-hour giving event—set well over a year ago—inadvertently found itself amist C who shall not be named. Uncertainty began to creep throughout the winter and spring months as situations elevated from China to Italy to New York. The more we learned each week about the international outbreak, and the closer it made its way to enveloping our little Suncoast bubble, deeper concern transpired. Soon enough, statewide saferat-home orders and social-distancing mandates were placed. Businesses shut down, and a sudden economic downturn threatened the coming Giving Challenge. Would it have the same response as previous years? Would it even have a response at all?

But on April 28–29, from noon to noon, the community showed up round-the-clock in true philanthropic form. Donors of every class logged into their devices and responded with altruistic resiliency. Even those left unemployed and disrupted in their lives stepped up to give

THE GIVING CHALLENGE FACED ITS OWN CHALLENGE THIS YEAR—FALLING RIGHT IN THE WAKE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. SPOILER ALERT: THE COMMUNITY PROVED UNPHASED AND UNSTOPPABLE.

what they could afford. Across the virtual leaderboard, meaningful gifts culminated in milestone numbers in an outpouring of local support—$10.9 million of raised funds by 59,000 donors for 686 local nonprofits. With an additional $7.5 million match from The Patterson Foundation, the grand total clocked in at a remarkable $18.4 million.

“Givers got to give,” said Jacobs. “When people say, ‘People aren’t going to give during a pandemic,’ sorry, but we can prove you wrong, time and time again.” Being that The Giving Challenge has always been a virtual event helped passionate donors and nonprofit partners meet the moment with an unprecedented response—setting a new standard for generous giving. And it couldn’t have come at a more significant time.

“Ultimately, the people served by our nonprofits are the true beneficiaries,” said Roxie Jerde, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “Whether it is more food for the hungry, opportunities for our arts entities to nourish our soul with creativity or environmental groups to reconnect us with nature, all our nonprofit partners form a beautiful mosaic that makes our community so beloved.” SRQ

Let’s Get Digital Organizations were encouraged to “flex their creative muscles” by utilizing virtual strategies for their campaigns.

AS ALL GATHERINGS of more than 10 people were canceled, the prospect of pop-up giving stations and in-person events/ fundraisers soon became a no-go.

Organizations partaking in The Giving Challenge were thrown for a loop. They would have to step up their game and get resourceful and go virtual. From webinars, livestreams, chatrooms, digital trivia and virtual performances, organizations found ways to creatively connect the community to their mission, all while accommodating the evolving situation of our current reality. Activities

of all kinds entered Suncoast’s cyberspace via YouTube videos, Instagram stories, Zoom and Facebook—including Mote Marine’s trivia night, Just For Girls’ bingo party and Dharma Footprint’s yogathon. The founder of The Pops Orchestra channeled her inner James Corden, driving around town and recording herself singing car karaoke, while The Humane Society of Sarasota Co. posted hilariously cute photos on Instagram of dressed up pets on couches with popcorn and remote for movie night, hashtagging #DonateAndChill. Meanwhile,

Operation Warrior Resolution taught us some mindful breathing exercises online, the WareHouse of Venice streamed a curbside cook-off, Manatee Literacy Council organized a scavenger hunt, and NewGate School and Harvest House hosted their own virtual talent shows.

An organization that knows a thing or two about live shows is Urbanite Theatre. Normally, the most powerful promotional tool the small black-box theatre has for The Giving Challenge is their post-show curtain speech given by one of the actors. The brief,

heartfelt declaration about why it’s so important is followed by postcard handouts with information as the audience exits. “The biggest challenge we had this year was figuring out a way to get that personal connection, since all performances had to be canceled before we had a chance to start those speeches,” said Brendan Ragan, artistic director of Urbanite.

Instead, the team offered free monologue coaching, free artist website critiques and free consulting to many artists in the industry. And in return, they asked if participants (and past volun-

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fect opportunity to bring multiple generations together, sparking fond, old memories while making new ones,” said Patricia Ramthun of Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida. “The Giving Challenge is all about bringing people together to celebrate philanthropy and giving back to the community, and the sing-along perfectly embodied

outreach and education effort to a virtual platform. “We revised our campaign to focus on how we are actively engaged in protecting and maintaining Sarasota’s gem,” said Senior Development Director John Melleky. “The campaign now relied heavily on our email communications and was included in our weekly updates of our new

“I think this serves as a timely reminder for us all that the spirit of the Giving Challenge endures long after the ticker hits noon and the totals are tallied,” Roxie Jerde.

teers) would share information on their behalf. “Making personal connections and establishing a small digital volunteer base made a big difference,” Ragan shared.

“We didn’t want to simply ‘soapbox’ and post from our email and social platforms. It was critical to have a community of support advocating for us as well.”

Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue usually focused on small, family-friendly events that celebrated its adopting families and working-class donors that support the rescue. “In years past, success in The Giving Challenge meant raising over $100,000 before the matching funds, said Nate’s Honor Certified Veterinary Technician Karissa Mayer. “It meant teams of volunteers calling over 6,000 adopters every day for the two months leading up to the challenge, asking them to commit their support. This year, like so many organizations, we struggled with the knowledge that many of our donors may now need our

support services.” Nate’s decided to scale back its campaign and focused on spreading positivity and sharing the successes it has made—including funny videos of talking cats and dogs, and videos of animals overcoming great obstacles. But most importantly, it kept its campaign to one simple ask. “We asked our community to take care of themselves,” said Mayer, “take care of their neighbors, and take care of the animals in the community.”

And the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida? They’re nothing if not resourceful. In March, Girl Scouts sent cards, letters and drawings to local nursing homes/ assisted living facilities to help brighten the days of residents isolated during quarantine. While brainstorming for virtual Giving Challenge event ideas, the council felt inspired by this to organize a live, online sing-along for a nursing home—partnering with HarborChase of Sarasota and its residents. “It was the per-

that ideal. It takes more than a pandemic to dampen the Girl Scouts spirit!”

First-time participants in The Giving Challenge, The Bay Park Conservancy developed a virtual campaign dubbed #IHeartTheBay. “We shifted our focus to be social media-driven with a strong reliance on video content,” said A.G. Lafley, startup CEO, and Veronica Brady, director of Advancement, The Bay Park Conservancy. “We asked our volunteer fundraisers and board members to create videos telling viewers why they love The Bay and why potential donors should show their love.” The Bay also heavily engaged with all of its followers on social media throughout the 24 hours of the challenge, ensuring shared posts and hourly follower engagement. “The outpouring of support for all nonprofits in our region, especially during these difficult times, is truly evidence of our strong, resilient, philanthropic community,” Lafley and Brady said. “We are thrilled to have been a part of this momentous day!”

For The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 2020’s Giving Challenge was scheduled to include an on-site campaign with signage throughout the 66-acre campus, with a goal of targeting guests during the two-day period.

In addition, it was going to utilize Ringling interns in videos highlighting some of the areas of greatest need. After its forced closure on March 17, it pivoted itsr entire

virtual content, ‘Museum from Home.’” In addition, Ringling utilized Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to promote The Giving Challenge. “The results were outstanding,” Melleky noted, “We raised 67 percent more in total dollars compared to the 2018 Challenge, increased our social media presence by over 1,220 individuals and had an overall average engagement with our social media posts of 5.1 percent.”

Meanwhile, The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County went in another direction. Historically, the arts organizations enjoyed hosting an event at its gallery space during The Giving Challenge. “Due to COVID-19, events were no longer an option for us; however, we still wanted to create something that wasn’t virtual,” said Andrea Knies, communications director. “We ended up having life-size cardboard cutouts made of our executive director, Jim Shirley. These ‘Flat Jims’ were able to move around town throughout The Giving Challenge and bring a smile to people’s faces.” Which they certainly did. As social distancing has left many of us craving to feel closer and more connected to our local communities, it’s meant becoming a part of something bigger that unites our entire region. “I think this serves as a timely reminder for us all,” said Jerde, “that the spirit of the 2020 Giving Challenge endures long after the ticker hits noon and the totals are tallied.” SRQ

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SUNCOAST SCIENCE CENTER In their efforts to protect frontline health care workers and patients, the Suncoast Science Center/Faulhaber Fab Lab launched a community COVID-19 Face Mask & Shield Project in March. This huge undertaking has needed the help of over 250 volunteers, including a research and development team to make the masks as beneficial as possible. So far, more than 2,000 medical-grade face masks and face shields have been distributed, helping to provide much-needed protection to our local health care heroes that are risking their lives daily for the well-being and safety of the community. To date, dedicated volunteers have produced over 2,600 face masks and shields for 30 facilities. Recipients include the Lung Associates of Sarasota, 21st Century Oncology, Sunnyside Village, Boys & Girls Clubs First Responders Program, First Step of Sarasota, Robert Toale and Sons Funeral Homes, and many more. Claire, An 18-year-old volunteers says, “Adaptability is putting aside my worries about finishing my last semester of high school online and preparing for an unknown first semester of college to make face shields for doctors and nurses who are saving the lives of people just like me.� For the latest COVID-19 Project information, visit suncoastscience.org/covid-19.

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GivingHearts SRQ MAGAZINE

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SUMMER 2020 ::

PHILANTHROPY SPECIAL MARKETING SECTION :: DONOR GUIDE TO GIVING

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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DONOR'S GUIDE TO GIVING

Senior Friendship Centers Foundation The Senior Friendship Centers Foundation, Inc. was created in 1992 as a nonprofit to ensure support for Senior Friendship Centers for generations to come. Periodic contributions from the Foundation are critical to Senior Friendship Centers’ operations and to support those in greatest need – the most frail, the most vulnerable, the most at risk.

As the funds managed by the Foundation grow, so does the capacity of our mission to promote health, dignity and quality of life throughout the journey of aging.

Legacy gi s are typically designated for the Foundation to help grow our resources and make us stronger. Senior Friendship Centers is a nonprofit organization serving older adults in four counties in Southwest Florida. We are the safety net for close to 15,000 seniors living in our service area, providing over a half million individual “units of service” to older adults in the areas of medical and dental services, caregiving, meals, exercise classes, lifelong learning, economic assistance, and socialization.

Through state and local partnerships, we are able to improve the health of thousands of uninsured seniors on limited incomes.

Our WishList Funding for programs and services that support seniors in need.

Help identifying seniors in need in our community.

Essential supply donations for seniors (see Amazon wishlist).

Volunteers including retired doctors/dentists and nurses, front desk greeters, retail/bistro workers, Friendship at Home and more.

Gifts for our endowment so we can continue to serve seniors in need into the future.

MISSION

The mission of Senior Friendship Centers is to promote health, dignity and quality of life throughout the journey of aging.

SARASOTA — 1888 BROTHER GREEN WAY, SARASOTA, FL VENICE — 2350 SCENIC DRIVE, VENICE, FL 941-955-2122 | FRIENDSHIPCENTERS.ORG

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Goodwill Manasota

Our WishList Donate

your gently used items & shop in our stores!

A end

a free Lunch and Learn.

Make

a philanthropic investment in our mission.

Goodwill Manasota’s local mission of “changing lives through the power of work” continues Goodwill’s 118-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.

Our mission stands on the conviction of Goodwill’s founder, Reverend Edgar Helms, who believed that “everyone has the potential to work, and work provides dignity and empowerment for all individuals.”Goodwill Manasota’s mission provides a variety of services and programs that address the unique needs of our local community and positively transform the lives of the individuals and families we serve, by offering them a “hand up, not a hand out” – not charity, but a chance.

Employment Impact: Goodwill Manasota provides meaningful, long-term employment opportunities to people who have long struggled to find work. Through education and training, we help them overcome barriers that result from disability, lack of education, poor language skills, or a myriad of other obstacles that have kept them from entering or remaining in the workforce.

Educational Impact: We provide opportunities for people to further their education and advance their careers. Our programs teach practical, real-world skills needed for success, skills that people might never gain without the help of Goodwill. Economic Impact: Goodwill Manasota has a positive local economic impact of more than $81.3 million, the impact of which is invested right back into the community. Environmental Impact: Each year, we protect and preserve our natural resources by diverting close to 40 million pounds of unwanted and unneeded goods that would otherwise end up in landfills, turn into useless trash and cause further pollution.

CORPORATE OFFICES: 2705 51ST AVENUE E. BRADENTON, FL | EXPERIENCEGOODWILL.ORG 941-355-2721 | CONTACTUS@GIMI.ORG

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Humane Society of Manatee County Humane Society of Manatee County is committed to leading Manatee County in fostering compassion and respect for animals through care, education and collaboration.

Humane Society of Manatee County is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit animal welfare organization that was originally formed in 1970, and today is regarded as the lead animal welfare agency in Manatee County.

The Humane Society of Manatee County operates a shelter, the Second Chance Adoption Center and a veterinary clinic / high volume spay and neuter clinic located at 2415 - 2515 14th Street W in Bradenton.

Each year, the Second Chance Adoption Shelter re-homes more than 1000 dogs and cats through adoptions. Many of the animals that enter our Second Chance Adoption Program are medically challenged or have behavioral issues. Each animal receives the highest quality of care, including medical treatment and behavioral training to complete the rehabilitation process and becoming adoptable. In September of 2015, the Humane Society of Manatee County opened a new 10,000-square-foot veterinary clinic on its campus to expand the high-volume spay and neuter clinic and provide high quality, low-to-moderate cost veterinary care for dogs and cats in Manatee County.

From October 1, 2017 through September 31, 2018, more than 14,000 animals received medical care at the Humane Society of Manatee County Veterinary Clinic.

Expanding beyond high volume spay and neuter services and vaccines, the clinic has added wellness services, dental procedures, minor surgeries and has digital x-ray capability. Services continue to be expanded or added to meet the growing and changing needs of the community's dogs and cats.

2515 14TH STREET W, BRADENTON, FL | HUMANEMANATEE.ORG 941-747-8808 | INFO@HUMANESOCIETYMANATEE.ORG

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Our WishList Angel Fund Veterinary Clinic fund that is used to provide treatment for animals when their families cannot afford the cost of needed medical services.

Spay and Neuter Funding to provide these surgeries at low cost/no cost for lowincome residents 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.

Feral Spay and Neuter Funding for our TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) program for Feral and free-roaming community cats.

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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.

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 gi s 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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St. Martha Catholic School STR E N GT H I N FAI T H , E XC E L L ENC E IN K NOWLED GE, C H ARACT ER IN SERVIC E

St. Martha Catholic School offers challenging academics, through STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts, and math) curriculum, to students in Pre-K through 8th Grade. As a leader in the integration of technology, classrooms are equipped with mobile ViewSonic panels and all students utilize 1:1 technology.

In an effort to serve, students, staff and families work together to maintain high academic standards, develop Christ-centered relationships, and provide stewardship to Sarasota and the surrounding areas. Teachers at St. Martha Catholic School design units of study that challenge and empower students, creating an environment that encourages problem-solving, collaboration, student-led inquiry and hands-on projects. Classes in grades 2-8 integrate digital, collaborative workspaces through the use of Google Classroom. Students have access to a STREAM lab with Ozobots, Dot & Dash robots, CUE robots, Virtual Reali- ty, 3-D Computer Printing, Codapillar, Tiggly, Ozmo, SmartGurlz, and many other tech tools to learn coding and apply their learning creatively through digital design.

Our WishList Lego Robotics Kit for Each Classroom Updated Chromebooks Additional Security Cameras Additional Playground Equipment New Electric Piano

4380 FRUITVILLE ROAD, SARASOTA, FL STMARTHASCHOOL.NET | 941-953-4181 | INFO@STMARTHASCHOOL.NET | FACEBOOK: @STMARTHACATHOLICSCHOOL TWITTER: @STMARTHACS | ADMISSIONS CONTACT-MARIA SMITH, 941-552-3577 | MSMITH@STMARTHASCHOOL.NET

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Our WishList Funding for

Jewish families in need Support for the

local Holocaust survivor population and Holocaust education.

Scholarships

for teen travel to Israel.

Funding to provide books and music for Jewish children.

Support for

comprehensive Jewish programming for the community.

The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee For over 60 years, The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee has worked diligently to fulfill its mission: to strengthen Jewish life and identity in our community, provide for Jewish people in need, and promote support for Israel. We support programs that care for the vulnerable in Sarasota-Manatee, in Israel and around the world. We build community through strong relationships with partners in education, cultural arts, social services and area non-profits. The Jewish Federation is the only local Jewish organization focused on the whole – all of us thriving together. We are the center of Jewish life – serving as community convener; fostering an open exchange of ideas; developing programs and strengthening services that connect our constituents to their Jewish identity; and evaluating the effectiveness and impact of all programs and services. Our goal is to create a thriving community that embraces diverse individuals and offers meaningful Jewish experiences. By engaging both the Jewish and secular communities, we build relationships that allow us to broaden the menu of touch points through which individuals can connect – with the Federation and with one another. With your help, we will continue to work together to achieve our vision of a vibrant local Jewish community.

THE LARRY & MARY GREENSPON FAMILY CAMPUS FOR JEWISH LIFE 580 MCINTOSH RD, SARASOTA, FL 34232 941-371-4546 | JFEDSRQ.ORG

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Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County

Our WishList

DONOR'S GUIDE TO GIVING

Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County has been a leading youth-serving organization in Sarasota County and its surrounding area since 1970, and provides enriching a er-school and summer programs to thousands of youth, ages 6 to 18, in Sarasota, Venice, North Port and Arcadia. The organization’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need services the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The programs are designed to empower youth to excel in school, become leaders, adopt healthy habits and create plans for success a er high school graduation.

Scholarship support 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

3130 FRUITVILLE ROAD, SARASOTA, FL 34237 941-366-3911 | BGCSARASOTA.COM

Cat Depot Cat Depot's mission is to save lives, find loving homes, and provide resources and education to improve the destiny of homeless cats.

Cat Depot, a nonprofit, free-roaming adoption, rescue, and education center, is recognized for its progressive design and commitment to helping homeless, abandoned, and injured felines. In 2019, Cat Depot found loving forever homes for 1,424 cats and ki ens.

Our WishList Wet and Dry Cat Food for the Community Food Bank

Photos courtesy of Laura Towle.

2542 17TH STREET, SARASOTA, FL 34234 941-366-2404 | WWW.CATDEPOT.ORG HOURS: MONDAY – FRIDAY, 11 AM TO 7 PM AND SATURDAY – SUNDAY, 11 AM TO 5 PM SRQ MAGAZINE

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Powder Ki en Formula (KMR) for Ki en Season Contributions Towards Our Veterinary Assistance Program

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Our WishList

Scholarships for Circus Summer Camp & Sailor Circus Academy

The Circus Arts Conservatory Since 1997, The CAC has been delighting audiences young and old through world class circus artistry, providing humor therapy to assisted living communities, and preserving Sarasota’s unique Circus Arts heritage. However, engaging students through the circus arts in educational programs that incorporate 21st Century Skills designated by the NEA as critical - collaboration, teamwork, creativity, imagination, critical thinking and problem solving - is what we do best.

Funds for New Covid-19 Sanitation needs for the Sailor Circus Arena Support for CAC Connects Virtual Programming

2075 BAHIA VISTA ST., SARASOTA, FL 34239 | 941-355-9335 CIRCUSARTS.ORG

Ear Research Foundation Hearing loss is the third most common disability that affects about 48 million individuals in the United States. The Ear Research Foundation is dedicated to Research, Education and Community Care to support children, adults or seniors with hearing and balance disorders. We believe everyone should have access to quality ear care because good hearing is essential to one’s life. Together, we can help those who have lost hope. With your contribution, you can change a life through the Gift of Hearing.

Our WishList Your gift can help support our mission, such as our Community Care programs: Your $50 a month or $600 in a year gives 3 underinsured individuals quality medical service Your $100 a month or $1,200 in a year can provide someone a much-needed hearing aid

1901 FLOYD STREET, SARASOTA, FL 34239 JODEL VELARDE (941) 556-4219 | JVELARDE@EARRF.ORG | EARRF.ORG

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A $100 a month or $1,200 in a year from 4 donors can help fund a new Otoacoustic Emission (OAE) to ensure a preschooler’s ears are healthy and ready to learn

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Our WishList

Neuro Challenge Foundation

DONOR'S GUIDE TO GIVING

Neuro Challenge Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers, today.

Build a community of support by providing Parkinson’s specific resources to people with PD, and their caregivers.

Educate the medical community locally and nationally on how to identify and better treat people with Parkinson’s.

Serve the estimated 9,500 people diagnosed in our region, with access to services that will directly affect how they are living with Parkinson’s today. We currently provide services to over 2,700 people.

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722 APEX ROAD SUITE A, SARASOTA, FL 34240 941-926-6413 | NEUROCHALLENGE.ORG

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PUNK ROCK BETTY Former punk-inspired fashion designer Nicole Malabot has picked up her sewing machine again to create face masks out of long-forgotten fabric stored in her garage. Her masks also feature an added layer of protection, as she obtained Halyard H600 medical-grade fabric to sew in as added filtration. Inspired to act by her sister who is a trauma nurse, Nicole has created over 400 masks for both children and adults. Donating to women’s shelters, personally to people with health issues and healthcare workers, you can find Nicole’s masks for sale at her and her husband’s food truck around town, Mouthhole BBQ. “Resiliency is being able to continue on with your life even though there are no guarantees of what will happen,” says Nicole Malabot. “We’ve worked hard these past two months with our BBQ business and making masks. I shop three to four days a week, so I’m constantly out there. There are times when I’ve broken down in my truck realizing the gravity of our situation. But I put on a straight face and do what needs to be done in order for us to move forward. It’s worth everything to be able to provide a home-cooked meal to our customers and to make masks that will provide some level of protection. It’s what we do. We move forward.”

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DOGPERFECT MORE THAN JUST A STORE-IT’S AN EXPERIENCE! Learn more about DOGPerfect and how they’re helping the local pet community at DOGPerfect.com

Walk into any DOGPerfect and you’ll be welcomed by the colorful and inviting ambiance that offers a multitude of nooks and crannies to explore. Products are neatly arranged throughout the store, with friendly and knowledgeable team members available to answer any questions, especially questions on how to choose a good dog food for your pup. DOGPerfect carefully selects the highest-quality dog foods, treats, and chews along with toys, beds, crates, leashes, and

other essential products for your pup. The store carries a large variety of raw and frozen food options for your pup, along with top-quality kibble, freeze-dried, canned, broth, and toppers. In addition to its great selection of pet supplies, the store offers full grooming, a self-serve dog wash, training, and a DOGPerfect Arena designed to host training classes and events. The DOGPerfect Arena provides an interactive experience for pet parents to bring The Green at Lakewood Ranch 11605 SR 70 East Lakewood Ranch, FL 941.803.4496 M-Sa: 10am-6pm Sun: 11am-6pm

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their dogs in to socialize and play with other pups while shopping at the store. One of DOGPerfect’s core values is helping to get dogs out of shelters into forever homes. They recently launched a substantial give back campaign to support local pet related organizations, including offering a complimentary package full of perks to pet parents who adopt a new furry family member.

DOGPerfect is a local, independently owned company with 3 convenient locations.

The Square at University Town Center 5419 University Pkwy University Park, FL 941.803.4464 M-Sa: 10am-6pm Sun: 11am-6pm

The Landings of Sarasota 4820 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 941.564.0094 M-Sa: 10am-6pm Sun: 11am-6pm

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compiled by ariel chates | photography by wyatt kostygan

Pets We Love.

A ROUNDUP OF THIS YEAR’S PAW-SITIVELY PAW-ESOME ANIMAL FRIENDS.

Now more than ever, we are looking for stories to put smile on our faces, and nothing does that faster than hearing about the incredible bond we have with our pets. They’re always there when you need a positive paw, motivating meow or a well-wishing woof. We invited our readers to submit their furry friends to our Pets We Love program for a chance to have their debut. The pets selected to be featured this year have a special sparkle thatmake them stand out from the pack. A pig who loves to redecorate, a special friend who helped her owner overcome struggles with mental illness and a loveable, tree-climbing pup are just some of the companions you’ll meet.

Thank you to DOGPerfect who partnered with us on this program and provided treats and toys for the SRQ photo shoot. Each pet got to go home with their own prize and the rest of the products were donated to Nate’s Honor Animal Resuce and the Humane Society of Manatee County. Above: David Binder’s Gracie, the pug.

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GRACIE THE SNUGGLE PUG, 13-YEAR-OLD BLACK RESCUE PUG

“Gracie is a lovable black pug rescue, one of three I adopted when my dear friend lost her battle with cancer. She’s blind, among other health issues. But she’s lovable and loves to snuggle,” says owner David Binder.

“Being blind is no obstacle for her. Wherever I am in the house, she finds me. Even behind closed doors. She gets very excited at dinnertime and loves to eat. It’s a pug thing!” *Unfortunately, Gracie and her owner, David, were unable to attend our photo shoot in person as they’re stuck in Georgia due to the tragic passing of David’s mother, Charlotte Engstrom, 83, to COVID-19. Community and loving local is the cornerstone of SRQ, and we wanted to be sure Gracie didn’t lose her spot on our Pets We Love list, so Gracie’s adorable pug mug is seen here in the wonderful photos taken by David’s daughter Katie of Daniels Den Photography. Gracie and David Binder shown to the right and Gracie on the previous page.

REMY LEADER OF THE PUPHIVE, 11-MONTH-OLD BLONDE COCKAPOO

“When Remy was no older than five months, we were watching The Pink Panther starring Steve Martin and Beyoncé.

Throughout the first few minutes, Remy was sleeping, but suddenly Beyoncé appeared and sang a simple note, and Remy perked up, ran to the TV and perched himself up on the TV stand so he could look directly at the Queen B herself.

Since then, he is a part of the hive!” recalls his owner Juliana Harris.

IF HE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE High on

Life: Remy’s Grand Adventure of Making Friends with Everything

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OFFICER THE PROFESSIONAL PIG, EIGHT-YEAR-OLD PINK AND BLACK MINIATURE PIG

Officer The Mini Pig is a “house pig” who is usually easy to please. He loves food, sunshine, green grass, a comfy bed—and Mommy. However, should more than one of these things be missing, “we will have a depressed li’l pork butt to contend with,” jokes owner Lee Volpe.

“When I leave on a cloudy or rainy day, I typically come home to find that Officer has rearranged the house in his spare time. It looks as if someone broke in and redecorated. Dining room chairs are now a part of the living room motif. Decorative pillows are littering the floor, cause let’s face it, they look better there. Pantry doors are wide open, for that ‘lived-in’ feel. Right in the middle of it all, usually sound asleep after all his hard work, is Officer!” Not only is he a part-time decorator and “banana enthusiast”, Officer The Mini Pig, can now add children’s author to the list. Officer’s Pig Tales is an encouraging series of fundamental lessons taught through the tales of a misfit pig. His first book in the series, This Is Me, is a valuable lesson of self-acceptance and the meaning of happiness.”

IF HE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE

Officer’s Pig Tales…Where Pigs Fly

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POLARIS DOG WONDER, THREE-YEAR-OLD MINI BLACK LABRADOR

“She was trained for 18 months by Southeastern Guide Dogs but instead em-‘barked’ on a new career as a brand ambassador!” shares owner Mikael Hansen. *Polaris’ cousin Mr. Max was initially selected for our Pets We Love competition, but he is stuck in California with owner Kristina due to COVID-19. Though they couldn’t make it, they got us in touch with Mr. Max’s new “family” member Polaris!

MARGO THE TREE WHISPERER, THREE-YEAR-OLD BLACK, WHITE AND BROWN BORDER COLLIE MIX

“If you’ve seen a dog climbing up the trees at our Sarasota parks, you’ve probably seen Margo,” shares owner Gina White. “It all started with a casual squirrel chase, but after some training to keep her from hunting bushy-tailed creatures, her love in the treetops remained.

To Margo, there’s no greater joy in life than climbing the many branches of a majestic live oak. Just don’t even think about saying ‘climb that tree’ when there is no tree to be found; she’ll lose her mind!”

IF SHE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HER, IT WOULD BE Let’s Climb a Tree: Navigating

Life’s Ups and Downs with Margo

Product from DOGPerfect, left to right: Tall Tales Natural Bunny Toy, $8,99; Pink and Brown Crinkle Squirrel; Doggie Chicken Chips; Zippy Paws Seahorse Coral Reef Hide Toy, $15,99; Zippy Paws Jumbo Stuffed Taco, $10.99; Red and Blue Kong Wubba Cloth, $7.99; Barking Brunch Plus Avocado Toast Squeaky, $9.99; Zippy Paws Burrow Penguin Igloo, $13.99; Blue Kong Dura Treat; Zippy Paws Storybook Snugglerz Squeaky Unicorn, $10.99; and, Tall Tales Maryland Blue Crab Pull Toy, $12.99.

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FELIX THE COLD STONE CONNOISSEUR, BLONDE, WHITE AND BLACK ICELANDIC SHEEPDOG

“Felix is a firm believer in eating ice cream every day,” says owner Gina Pribil. “His favorite time he ever got ice cream resulted in the most adorable photo because he was riding with the top down of the car, letting that wind fluff his fur, was with his grandpa (second-favorite person on this planet) and knew he was on his way to Cold Stone for a pup cup with peanut butter. He has such a personality and lovesthe camera.

Poses every time he notices one.”

IF HE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HER, IT WOULD BE Felix the Fluffy

Butt—The Fluffiest Little Icelandic Sheepdog

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MAXIMUS THE PLANT PUP, ONE-YEAR-OLD RED MERLE, MINI AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD

“Maximus loves nature, people and naps. If there is a bird chirping or bee buzzing, he watches and listens intently,” shares owner Annelise Adams. He has to say hello to everyone who passes, and will try everything he can to get you to notice him.”

IF HE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE

Adventures of Maximus—But First Let’s Take a Nap

DINO & SAMMY THE BONDED BROTHERS ONE-YEAR-OLD RESCUE CAVALIER TWINS

“Dino and Sammy are rescue twin brothers. They were adopted together because they were inseparable and because The Cavalier Rescue required it,” says owner Victoria Varela. “After much love and patience to overcome their fears, they are now living their best life on Siesta Key. My older cavalier passed over the rainbow bridge and they have been mending my broken heart, so we really rescued each other!”

IF THEY HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER THEM, IT WOULD BE Puppy Rat Pack!

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MISS JJ LITTLE MISS MAYOR, FIVE-YEAR-OLD RESCUE PUP

HAZEL, OLLIE & MENINA ALL ARE MIXED RESCUE DOGS, 6, 7 AND 9 YEARS OLD

“All three of our dogs are rescues. Hazel and Ollie (brown and blackand-white) were my fiancé’s dogs that she rescued while attending FSU,” says owner Ty DeMeza. “They both came from the panhandle area and were looking for a great home. Our newest addition is Menina who has a great story. She was a “pot cake dog” in the Bahamas, or as we may know them, a street dog. After word got around that a local was threatening to harm her if she continued coming onto his property, a local woman who operates a dog sanctuary took her in. Then in 2019, the devastating hurricane Dorian swept through and Menina was one of close to 100 dogs that this same woman saved during the storm. After the storm passed the woman worked to find homes for them in the U.S.—including Menina who also had a litter of puppies. All the puppies were adopted in the states but no one wanted Menina, not even as a foster. My fiancé and I decided to start fostering dogs and she was our second one.

The rescue said she was one of the hardest dogs to find a home for because she was always showing signs of sadness or fear and was on the older side. So of course, with breaking hearts, we decided to give her a foster home. Within an hour of being at our home and meeting Ollie and Hazel, her ears went from down to up and she began running and playing. No more than three weeks after taking her in as a foster we knew her home was with us so we adopted her into our family. And on March 21 she, Ollie and Hazel walked down the aisle with my fiancé and I at our wedding. Adopt don’t shop.”

“It was the July Fourth holiday and she was the last one left in her litter, I agreed to foster her over the holiday,” recalls owner Jessica Hershey. “Three days later, they called me to bring her back to the shelter . . . ‘nope, not gonna do it, smitten, she belongs with me, I’m in love, when can I make this official?!’ Fast-forward five years. This girl is my constant companion, my medicine, my snuggle spoon. She is the unofficial mayor of the neighborhood. If a garage is open, she will stop dead in her tracks and investigate the situation to see if anyone is in there that might want to give her some love. Some even have treats ready for her since everyone knows her walking schedule.”

IF SHE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HER, IT WOULD BE From Barn to Bougie: One Rescue’s #Tail

IF THEY HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER THEM, IT WOULD BE

Our Crazy Lives: It’s dog dance party time.

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COPPER “TUNIE”, BOGGLE (BEAGLE/BOSTON TERRIER, COLORATION- BRINDLE

“In 2014, my grandmother bought me a Lamb Chop (the television character) stuffed animal for Christmas,” shares owner Kate De Michieli.

“However, it turned out to be a dog toy and not a stuffed animal. We all got a good laugh out of it and I ended up passing it along to Copper to have.

He became obsessed with the toy and ripped it to pieces, but would still carry the lamb head, arms and legs all around the house. My mom now buys him a new one almost every year. This past Christmas, my husband and I saw a jumbo Lamb Chop dog toy (bigger than Copper) at the store, so of course we had to buy it. On Christmas, we gave it to Copper and as he pulled it out of the gift bag and started freaking out, he ran across the house with it and flung it on to the bed with it in his mouth. It was so funny because the thing was as big as him and he just took off with it.”

Copper’s Lazy Day Where Will he Sleep Today? My husband and I joke he’s half cat.

He loves to curl up in a ball and sleep, and loves to lick.

IF HE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE

LUNA THE HAPPINESS HEALER, LUNA (LOONS, LOONEY TUNES, BUBS), TWO-YEAR-OLD BEAGLEMAN (BEAGLE AND DOBERMAN)

“First of all, Luna is not a pet. She’s a massive soul whimsically trapped in a dog costume,” jokes owner Erika Cain. “Loons is incredibly sweet and supportive, but she’s not quite sure if she is a tiny lap dog or a grand savage beast. In the dog park, she’s scrappy and holds her own with the big guys, but when she connects with seniors or individuals who are mentally or physically ill, she’s tame and loving. She’s afraid of her own shadow, orange construction cones and men with hats, but she’s fearless when it comes to jumping for the ball and running laps. Luna is one of my heroes. The happiness she adds to my life helped save me from a mental illness. She reminds me to live in the moment, to appreciate all that is good and to have the courage to jump for joy!”

IF SHE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HER, IT WOULD BE

Identity

Crisis—The Experimental Faces and Phases of Luna

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SPARROW THE QUEEN OF HALLOWEEN, ONE-AND-HALF-YEAR-OLD SABLE/WHITE ROUGH COLLIE

“Sparrow has never met someone she doesn’t like,” says owner Brittany Bruski. “Her favorite holiday is Halloween because all the kids in the neighborhood come to see her!”

IF SHE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HER, IT WOULD BE Miss

Sparrow’s Neighborhood

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TEDDY “THE LITTLE LOCKSMITH,” TWO-AND-A-HALF-YEAR-OLD BLACK RESCUE FROM CAT DEPOT

“Teddy is like no other kitty I have ever had.

The folks at the Cat Depot didn’t think he would survive as he was so tiny when he arrived. At first they named him “Paper Clip” because that is how much he weighed!” explains owner Elaine Perangelo. “He is the smartest kitty I’ve ever had. I have child locks on all of the cabinets, as he likes to open them!”

IF HE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE Theodore, The Prince of Cheer

TACO BELL AND FENWAY THE RESCUERS, TWO-YEAR-OLD BLACK AND WHITE DOMESTIC AMERICAN SHORTHAIRS ADOPTED FROM CAT DEPOT

Named for their pet parent’s favorite places, these two were rescued as kittens by a “guardian angel who discovered them discarded in a box alongside Route 75,” says owner Jennifer Hardwich. “They’ve also got some tricks up their sleeves and know how to give a high five and how to play fetch.”

IF THEY HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER THEM, IT WOULD BE Adventures of

Taco and Fenway

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BEAUREGARD “THE KNIFE BANDIT,” TWO-YEAR-OLD BLACK GREAT DANE

“We rescued Beauregard when he was seven-months-old and 90 pounds. Already, he was tall enough to remove items from the kitchen sink! Twice, soon after we rescued him, we found knives around the house. I had concerns that I was going to have to disarm him one day, so I asked his trainer what to do. He said, ‘Stop leaving knives in the sink.’ That seems to have worked for us. When you can’t train the dog, train the owner!” muses owner Allison Archbold.

IF HE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE Ouch: Adventures with

a Not-So-Gentle Giant

Product from DOGPerfect, left to right: Chicken and Waffle Squeaky, $12.99; Einstein Pets Sweet Potato Treats, $9.99; Gibson’s Dog Cowboy Bacon and Paririe Bacon with Bison treats, $9.99 each; Einstein Pets Luau Time treats, $9.99; Tall Tails Frisbee; Cup of Coffee and Donut, $15.99; Pupcake Bottle of Wine Plushie, $13.99; Manatee Squeakie Toy, $17.99; Tall Tails Orange and Gray Infinity Tug Ring, $23,99; and the Hot Dog Squeakie, $9.99. You can purchase these items at one of three locations in Lakewood Ranch, University Park and The Landings; dogperfect.com

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ASPEN AND KOTA THE CUDDLE BUDDIES, ALMOST TWO-YEAR-OLD BLACK LABRADOR/PIT MIX AND EIGHT-YEAR-OLD WHITE AND RED-NOSE PIT BULL

“When we first rescued Aspen, she needed to be crate-trained whenver we left the house. Kota is older, so he’s fine outside of the cage. Whenever we would leave, Kota would put himself in the cage with Aspen because he didn’t want her to feel alone. They’re so sweet together,” says owner Skye Rose.

TANK THE TAX COLLECTOR, EIGHT-YEAR-OLDSHORTHAIR TRICOLOR MIXED RESCUE

“Tank runs the house. Anything left on the kitchen counters is fair game, so it’s led me to be tidier in my daily life,” says owner Samantha Solie. “I got him a week after I closed on my house, so I figured we’d settle in at the same time. Eight years later, he’s eaten shoes, furniture, a metal name tag, even my taxes one year!

He may be a big boy, but he’s basically a big baby.”

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IF HE HAD A SHOW NAMED AFTER HIM, IT WOULD BE Tank Talks,

with the slogan “The loudest voice gets all the attention (and treats!)”

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