Lakewood Ranch Rotary preps for Walk for Water event

+Walking for water awareness

The Rotary Club of Lakewood Ranch is gearing up for its annual Walk for Water event to raise awareness about the global need for clean water and money for clean water projects.

The event will start at 9 a.m. March 30 at Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota. During the approximately 1-mile walk, participants will carry a bucket with water to symbolize the burden that millions of women and children in developing countries bear every day as they collect dirty water for use in their homes.

Registration is open. Donations of $15 per person are recommended. Children ages 8 and younger walk for free.

Proceeds will help bring clean water to more than 1,000 families in Villa Talandracas, Peru.

To register, visit lakewoodranch-rotary.com.
 

+ Garden club sprouts yard sales

Residents of Greenbrook, Summerfield and Riverwalk in Lakewood Ranch will hold yard sales from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 16 with a rain date of March 17.

The Lakewood Ranch Garden Club is organizing the event and handling event promotion.

Families who wish to participate must register at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall, 8175 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. Registration costs $5. For more information, email [email protected].

+ Bagging funds for charity

The Palm Aire Women’s Club this month will host its annual Book, Bag, Scarf and Jewelry Sale Book Sale March 13-15. 

Club members Barbara Link and Sammy Ulbrick have been working all year to organize the event and leading collections of books, bags and scarves. Donations are still being accepted and can be dropped off at the Palm Aire Country Club at 9 a.m. March 3 or you can contact [email protected] for alternate arrangements.

The public can come purchase gently-used books, bags, scarves  and jewelry and help raise money for charity during the sale. It runs noon to 8 p.m. March 13 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 14-15, at the Palm Aire Country Club.

Nate Jacobs and the renowned Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe will entertain at the book sale luncheon March 15. Luncheon tickets cost $25. For information, email Barbara Link at [email protected].

+Dance showcases cultural heritage

Ladies and guests of the American Asian Women’s Association celebrated their cultural heritage with a special dinner celebration March 2.

The group’s annual Orchid Ball, held this year at the Sarasota Event Center in Sarasota, featured a sit-down dinner, live music and a presentation of authentic Asian ethnic dances from countries such as Vietnam, Philippines, China and more. 

Proceeds from the event benefited SPARCC (Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center), the Food Bank of Manatee County and the AAWA Scholarship Fund at State College of Florida. 

+Teed up for success

The 18 hole Women's League of Lakewood Ranch recently held two events to raise funds for Breast Health Sarasota. Breast Health Sarasota is an organization that helps uninsured and underinsured men and women to receive breast health services in Manatee County. The first event, "Corks for a Cause,” was held in November and raised nearly $5,000.  The second event, "Think Pink,” was held Jan. 29 at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club.  

Weather conditions were perfect and more than 160 golfers participated in a step aside scramble. Golf was followed by dinner and a silent auction.  

Fran Mastrelli chaired the event. The event raised about $25,000.