Donate blood for a chance to win Taylor Swift tickets
SunCoast Blood Centers is launching a blood donor drive with a unique promotion: From now through Sept. 15, all registered blood and platelet donors 16 and older will be entered to win a pair of tickets to Taylor Swift’s "Eras Tour" on Oct. 20 at Hard Rock Arena in Miami.
“We are facing a dire blood shortage that could impact countless patients in our community,” said Don Campbell, CEO of SunCoast Blood Centers. “We are excited to offer this incredible opportunity for Taylor Swift fans as a thank you to our generous donors who step up during this urgent time.”
The promotion is available at any SunCoast Blood Centers location or at a blood drive. To schedule an appointment, visit suncoastblood.org or call 866-97-BLOOD. Donors of all blood types are needed but there is an urgent need for O-negative, O-positive, and platelets. For information, visit suncoastblood.org/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-ticket-giveaway
Commercial real estate broker appointed to Bay Park board
Ian Black, partner at Ian Black Real Estate and a fixture in the Sarasota-Manatee real estate market since the early 1980s, has been named to the board of the Bay Park Conservancy, the nonprofit responsible for designing and developing The Bay into Sarasota's signature 53-acre public park.
“Ian is a proven leader in our community who adds experience and expertise ... necessary to govern and balance ongoing operations of the existing park with the continued buildout,” said Jennifer Compton, BPC chair. "The Bay team continues to focus on providing park guests surprising, delightful experiences every day while also designing and building Phase 2 of the park and beyond.”
Phase 2, a 14-acre, $65 million development, is fully funded and underway with expected completion in 2026. The completed park will cost an estimated $175-200 million and will take approximately 8-10 years to develop over four or more phases. The first 10-acre phase opened in October 2022.
“The Bay is a heaven-sent opportunity for Sarasota to become an iconic location,” said Black, who also serves on the board for the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition and Sarasota Chamber. “The way that the city and BPC are approaching this project with conservation of 53 acres of city-owned land at the forefront is a great example of a public and private partnership. I’m delighted to be a part of the future of the park.”
Our Mother’s House gets new program manager
Aniko Barna-Roche has been appointed the new program manager at Our Mother’s House, a two-year Catholic Charities program for single mothers and their children in Venice.
Born and raised in Hungary, Barna-Roche's career began as an elementary school teacher. She pursued a degree in speech therapy, enhancing her ability to impact children’s lives through improved communication skills. Most recently she served as a program manager for The Salvation Army.
Barna-Roche's “extensive background in education and social services, combined with her passion for helping others, makes her the perfect fit for this role,” said Christopher Root, Catholic Charities CEO. "Our priority is to help homeless single mothers and their children achieve self-sufficiency."
To learn more, visitcatholiccharitiesdov.org, emailOMH@catholiccharitiesdov.org, or call 941-485-6264.
ALSO Youth director retiring; leadership search underway
Becky McDonough Wiemers, executive director of ALSO Youth, will be retiring at the end of 2024 as head of the 32-year-old organization serving LGBTQ+ youth and their allies in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Under Wiemers' leadership, ALSO Youth has gained momentum in the past few years, including funding growth, expansion of staff, and increased community outreach, resulting in increased youth and family participation.
For interested applicants for executive director, a job description and application are available at alsoyouth.org under the Get Involved tab or by emailing ed@alsoyouth.org. Questions can be directed to Sheila Weiss, president of the ALSO Youth board, at sheila@alsoyouth.org.
Around and about
· The Senior Friendship Centers monthly authors series “Joyful Journeys” continues on Aug. 15 from 5-6:30 p.m. with Dan Landon, author of “From the Back of the House: Memoir of a Broadway Theatre Manager.” Register at friendshipcenters.org/category/events.The free event (1888 Brother Geenen Way, Sarasota) includes discussions and a Q&A session. For information, call 941-556-3269 or visit FriendshipCenters.org.
· The World's Attic Thrift Shop, 700 N. Beneva Road in Sarasota, is offering 10% off orders during August on a wide range of back-to-school clothing, supplies, and other essentials. The community-focused organization donates a portion of proceeds to support local initiatives. For information, visit facebook.com/WorldsAtticSRQ, call 941-330-0065, or email info@worldsattic.org.
· The Suncoast Gluten Free Support Group meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., in Conference Room 1.The meetings are also held via Zoom. For information,contactswarezr9773@gmail.com, suncoastglutenfree@gmail.com, or visit the group's Facebook page.
Submissions by Lori Moran, Tanja Malkovich, Kasey Brennan, Catholic Charities, Manatee Chamber, Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman, Su Byron, Sharon Appe, and Robert Bolcik.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: SunCoast Blood Centers offers chance to win Taylor Swift tickets
