Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key meets for Lawn Party update

Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key President Michael Garey started off the club's Sept. 30 meeting with some good news for the upcoming Lawn Party: The Doris M. Carter Family Foundation will match the club's fundraising with $20,000 put toward the 50/50 raffle. 

Children's Guardian Fund Executive Director Svetlana Ivaschchenko delivered the news and said that the foundation has been a supporter of the organization in the past. Children's Guardian Fund will be the beneficiary of the Kiwanis Club Lawn Party on Dec. 4, and the club is busy gathering other supporters who are willing to donate to grow the funds that will go towards supporting the Sarasota nonprofit, which helps foster children in the area.

Garey, who is also the co-chairperson of the Lawn Party, provided an update on the club's planning and offered an outlook on the next 45 days as they head into October. A checklist of the myriad tasks to complete revealed a lot ahead, but the club has already determined raffle prizes, a site for the party, several sponsors, ticket pricing and two presenting restaurants. It also has a website set up. 

"This was a great month and from where we stand, we have a lot of momentum," Garey said. 

As of now, the club has $19,000 in committed sponsorships between the Longboat Key Foundation, Bronze sponsors Design World, SecurAll and Wright Way Emergency Services and Publix and Waste Management. Member Woody Wolverton and wife, Sue, made a personal donation of $5,000 to the Lawn Party during the meeting, as well.