Unity Awards 2019

Meet the Winners of Our 2019 Unity Awards

We’re a closer, brighter place thanks to the winners of our 2019 Unity Awards.

01/24/2019 By Susan Burns, Cooper Levey-Baker, Isaac Eger, Kay Kipling, Megan McDonald, and Ilene Denton Photography by Everett Dennison

Unity Awards 2019

Dr. April Glasco Helps People Who’ve Hit Bottom Start Over

Having found her own second chance, Glasco wanted others to have theirs, too.

01/24/2019 By Kay Kipling

Unity Awards 2019

Claudia Baeza Gives Free Yoga Classes to Those Who Need Them Most

"Years of therapy did not help me this much.”

01/24/2019 By Megan McDonald

Unity Awards

Pam Fazio Goes to Bat for Manatee County’s Special Olympics Athletes

Fazio oversees more than 300 athletes age 8 to 70, coaching bocce, bowling and swimming, and training potential new coaches across Southwest Florida.

01/24/2019 By Ilene Denton

Unity Awards 2019

Mary Braxton-Joseph Taps Into the Magic of Live Theater to Spark Cross-Cultural Connections

Braxton-Joseph is sharing stories about diversity through live theater.

01/24/2019 By Kay Kipling

Unity Awards 2019

Because of Hector Tejeda, Students Dare to Dream of—and Enroll in—College

Tejeda has helped 400 students enroll in college.

01/24/2019 By Isaac Eger

Unity Awards 2019

Demetrius Jifunza Helped 1.6 Million Floridians Win Back Their Right to Vote

Jifunza founded the Sarasota chapter of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, the statewide organization behind Amendment 4, a measure created to restore voting rights to most felons after they have completed their sentence.

01/24/2019 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Unity Awards 2019

Shannon Fortner Started a Festival That Unites Thousands for Sexual and Gender Equality

Fortner believes the Harvey Milk Festival has changed hearts, minds and lives, including her own.

01/24/2019 By Isaac Eger

Unity Awards 2019

Bob and Pat Gussin Keep Seniors Healthy, Promote Literacy and Send Kids to College

The Gussins have more energy than a roomful of preschoolers and see opportunities around every corner.

01/24/2019 By Susan Burns

Taste the Tropics

Four Tropical Salads to Try

Up your fruit intake with these four tasty dishes.

01/03/2019 By Staff

Health care

Grant Will Help Mental Health Program for Children

Compeer Sarasota was recently awarded a $95,000 grant to serve children 5 to 17 years old.

12/27/2018 By Staff

Year in Review

Our Editors' Favorite Stories of 2018

11 pieces that made us proud.

12/27/2018 By Staff

Go Wild

Desperate to Get Back to Nature? These Five Camping Experiences Suit Any Outdoor Enthusiast

Whether you're a camping novice or a tried-and-true pro, you've got options.

11/30/2018 By Su Byron

The Shaper

Expert Surfboard Maker Juan Rodriguez Shapes a Living and a Life From Catching Waves

“People in general want to be a part of something. Surfing is tribal.”

11/30/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

The Giving Sea

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Jack E. Davis on the Gulf of Mexico, History and Hope

Before Davis, no one had told the story of the Gulf.

11/29/2018 By Isaac Eger

Best Lunches

A Day in the Life of a Jimmy John's Delivery Driver

Intrepid food reporter Cooper Levey-Baker finds out what it's really like delivering all those sandwiches.

10/26/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Best Lunches

Sad Desk Lunch, Be Gone!

Take your midday meal from bad to rad with these simple upgrades.

10/26/2018 By Megan McDonald

Best Lunches

8 Killer Sandwiches

We scoured the region for the tastiest of this lunchtime favorite.

10/25/2018 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Housing Hope

Three New Affordable Projects Address Sarasota’s Workforce Housing Dilemma

Forty-two percent of the households in Sarasota County are cost burdened, which means that they pay more than 30 percent of their family’s income in rent or for a mortgage.

10/25/2018 By Nancy Joy Cook

Cowgirl in Training

Arcadia High Schooler Savanah Nelson Is a Champion Goat Tier

Nelson, who originally qualified in sixth grade, spends hours every day practicing slow-motion tying with goats so she can secure their legs without hurting them.

09/26/2018 By Vanessa Blankenship