Sarasota’s Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation donated $325,000 to Mote Marine Laboratory (mote.org) to help the organization construct its new research and education facility in Summerland Key. The gift pushes Mote’s fund-raising total to more than $1.5 million and will allow Mote to begin construction of the facility in January 2016. The new space will more than double Mote’s research and education space in the Keys, allowing the lab to expand its research on damaged coral reefs and to find new ways to address threats such as ocean acidification and climate change.

 

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Professional Plumbing & Design (proplumbingdesign.com) donated $18,000 in labor and materials to help bring to life Marlene’s House, the newest group home at the campus of Community Haven for Adults and Children with Disabilities (communityhaven.org). The company donated all plumbing labor and materials for the 4,800-square-foot home, which includes five bathrooms, a large kitchen and laundry room.

 

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The PNC Foundation (pnc.com/pncfoundation) donated $12,000 to Children First (childrenfirst.net) to support its educational programs, which serve hundreds of at-risk children and their families in Sarasota County. The PNC grant will specifically enhance early learning programs for children ages six weeks to five years. During the past year, PNC employees have also volunteered more than 100 hours at Children First sites, helping in the classroom, spreading mulch on playgrounds, assisting at events and helping with administrative tasks.

 

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BMO Private Bank (bmo.com/privatebank/us) awarded Any Given Child Sarasota (facebook.com/AnyGivenChildSarasota) with a $5,000 grant to support the nonprofit’s work providing Sarasota County students with access to an arts education. The organization offers students access to theater and musical performances, museum visits and other arts experiences and helps secure funding for teachers and schools to better integrate arts education into their curriculums.