- December 26, 2024
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Bob Smith holds his Humanitarian of the Year award surrounded by his daughter Amanda Tullidge Smith, wife Julie Smith and Diane Brune. He said the three women have been the biggest inspiration for him. (Photos by Jay Heater)
Bob Smith showed that the Humanitarian of the Year from the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance touched his heart.
In his yearly fundraising drive for Stillpoint Mission, Bob Smith has raised more than $235,000 to help the poor.
Chef Jason Hernandez of Blade and Tine Culinary Consulting tells the crowd about a dining experience where he comes to the winning bidder's home and prepares a meal for a large group.
Heather Hernandez (far left) and Jason Hernandez (far right) of Blade and Tine meet with winning bidders Bill and Bonnie Franklin of Lakewood Ranch. The Franklins won the bid at $3,600.
Starla Armstrong, John Fain and Angela Massaro Fain came to support the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund at Wine & Giving.
Lakewood Ranch's Christine and Wade McKelvey try out various appetizers at the Wine & Giving event.
Dennis George of Lakewood Ranch makes his way through the buffet line during Wine & Giving.
The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund's Wine & Giving was sold out at 260 people.
Lakewood Ranch Community Fund Board Member Morgan Bentley runs the live auction part of the event.
Maribeth Phillips, the president and CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus Manatee, was on hand to support the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund.
Ava and Dmitriy Antipov of Rosedale were checking out the auction items at Wine & Giving.
Palmetto's George Cooper and Sabrina Misiaszek, who represent JFCS of the Suncoast, check out auction items.
Bearadise Ranch owner Monica Welde holds the basket she donated to support the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund. The basket included a tour of the Myakka facility.
David Parraga and Dmitriy Antipov celebrate after Antipov landed the top bid on a bourbon experience for $2,400.
Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance President and CEO Brittany Lamont and Grapevine Communications owner Allison Imre share a laugh during the Wine & Giving event.
Lakewood Ranch Community Fund Board Member Bryan Boudreaux enjoys a shrimp from the tray of Gage Basiletti of the Esplanade Golf and Country Club.
Grapevine's Erin Sharp, Allison Imre and Nicole Miller enjoy the wine at the Wine & Giving Event at the Esplanade Golf and Country Club.
Lakewood Ranch's Rudina and Kyle Stalnaker and Adrian and Karitza Lozano support the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund at Wine & Giving.
Rich and Karen Medford, owners of Sirius Day Spas of Lakewood Ranch and University Park, enjoy a glass of champagne at the beginning of the Wine & Giving event.
Lakewood Ranch's Ken and Anne Donovan are fairly new to the community and were enjoying the Wine & Giving event hosted by the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund.
As Lakewood Ranch's Christine McKelvey made her way through one of the buffet lines at the Esplanade Golf and Country Club with her husband Wade, she paused to consider a fact shared by several others at the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund's first Wine & Giving event.
"I love this," she said. "I didn't know about the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund."
On Thursday night, the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund reintroduced itself to the community with its first major event since it stopped having its annual gala in 2017.
It was a smashing success as Wine & Giving was a sellout at 260 attendees.
"We are getting so many more people who are new to the community," said Lakewood Ranch Community Fund President Nicole Ryskamp. "We had all these newcomers and they invited their friends, their co-workers, their colleagues. And we were able to give them information about what the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund does."
Ryskamp said she loved the atmosphere.
"The party is back," she said. "People were excited and they want to be out. They want to be back to socializing. We couldn't have provided a better party venue for a philanthropic, socializing evening."
Capping the night was the celebration of Lakewood Ranch's Bob Smith being selected as the 2022 C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian of the Year.
"I am humbled beyond measure," Smith told the crowd, which included his wife Julie and his daughter, Amanda Tullidge Smith. "This is an unimaginable privilege."
He thanked former Lakewood Ranch Community Fund President Diane Brune for being an important "link to the chain" that led to his wife's and daughter's involvement in the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund.
"The selfless service of these three women inspired me," he said. "Amanda is God's greatest gift to me after Julie."
Also in attendance was Gene Tischer, the president of the board of Bradenton's Stillpoint Mission, which has received more than $235,000 from Smith's annual fundraising drive that began in 2012. Smith said the $235,000 translates to 1,305,555 pounds of food for the poor.
He said he is most grateful to live in Lakewood Ranch, surrounded by "Unselfishly, gobsmackingly, good friends and neighbors."
Ryskamp said the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund's goal was to raise $50,000 for the event and she said that was accomplished, although the proceeds have not all been counted yet for a final number.
"Everyone who came up to me said, 'Wow, this was awesome.'" she said.
Ryskamp said the event was the result of the hard work of event coordinator and Board Member Nancy Sykes and Executive Director Adrienne Bookhamer. She also noted that Board Member Morgan Bentley was exceptional as the master of ceremonies who led the live auction part of the event.
The Lakewood Ranch Community Fund presented 21 grants during the program that totaled $50,000 and a special $10,000 grant to the Lakewood Ranch Library.
