Good News Friday: Good Deeds - June 13, 2014
Goodwill Manasota is partnering with Kirk Pinkerton, P.A. to award scholarships to veterans through the Kirk Pinkerton Veterans Scholarship Fund, which currently gifts $2,500 per year to veterans in Sarasota and Manatee counties. Goodwill Manasota screens and manages the cases of potential scholarship recipients. The nonprofit is seeking applications from active veterans with a good academic history. For more information, visit experiencegoodwill.org.
Manatee County Search and Rescue is launching a new program called Project Lifesaver, designed to help first responders find individuals with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, Autism spectrum disorders or Down Syndrome using a transmitter about the size of a watch. Boar’s Head corporate and its employees have donated $22,000 to bring the program to Manatee County. To keep Project Lifesaver funded, Manatee County Search and Rescue will hold a yard sale fund raiser on Saturday, June 28 at Conley RV. Donations of clothing, tools, artwork, electronics, money and more can be taken to 704 Cortez Road W. in Bradenton. For more information about Project Lifesaver, contact [email protected] or call (941) 524-6490 ext. 2.
The Animal Rescue Coalition has reached more than 60 percent of its capital campaign goal following a kickoff gift of $300,000 made by Joanna Pace Brackett and David Brackett in February. To date, $545,000 has been raised, including a challenge pledge of $100,000 to cap ARC’s campaign goal of $800,000. The funds will be used to establish a high-volume, low-cost spay and neuter clinic east of I-75 near the Fruitville Library.
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County, through the Cyril and Dorothy Veinott Memorial Fund, awarded the Sarasota Concert Association a $4,500 grant to help the organization support the utilization and evaluation of Seat Advisor Box Office software and ticketing system.
Gateway Bank donated $1,000 to Visible Men Academy of Bradenton for the purchase of 300 books for a classroom library during the 2014 Giving Challenge. In addition, the bank sends an employee to read stories aloud to kindergarten students for two hours per week in an effort to encourage student reading development.
Six thousand BMO Financial Group volunteers spread out across the U.S. and Canada volunteering in nearly 400 projects that supported hundreds of organizations during the bank’s annual Volunteer Day. In Sarasota, volunteers sorted donated cans and fresh produce at All Faith’s Food Bank, which will help feed families in need in Sarasota and DeSoto counties.