Virginia Sanders turns 93

Longboat celebrity Virginia Sanders celebrated her 93rd birthday today.

“I try to forget about the numbers involved because it gets pretty scary, but I’m still here, and I’m plugging away,” Sanders said.

An active Longboat Key Garden Club member, Sanders celebrated at a club luncheon at the Ringling Museum.

Sanders moved to Longboat Key in 1976 and has been active in many local environmental initiatives, including heading the Sister Keys Conservancy, her proudest accomplishment on the Key. She also worked on turtle conservation, helping to establish recycling on the Key and volunteering at Mote Marine Aquarium.

“My husband used to have a saying that old age is not for sissies,” Sanders said. “You have to get used to a lot of things and try to go on doing what you’ve always done, but I still smile. I’m happy to be here, and I hope to make it to 100.”