December 18, 2024

Guardian Angel: The Many Pursuits of Kathleen F. Cellura

Photo credit: Maggie Martinez At 87 years, Kathi Cellura has energy that belies her age. She moves around her villa with apparent ease, presenting meticulously arranged collections of angels,…

May 28, 2024

A Heart Needs a Home

Claudia Barnett remembers the first place she truly felt at home. In truth, her address was in the small town of Leonia, New Jersey. But her heart was at home in New York. Specifically, her gr…

December 20, 2023

Putting the “Fun” in Fundraising: the Flanagans and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County

The high school sweethearts’ love affair with Sarasota began in 1999. Former Chicago and Silicon Valley residents Tom and Nancy Flanagan visited this charming coastal city for vacation a…

April 28, 2023

Celebration of life set for former ambassador who retired to Sarasota

To Ronald Gault, his friend – the late Jim Joseph – was a man for all seasons, with an uncanny ability to engage in debate on a broad range of ideas and react to them almost with a…

April 3, 2023

Investing in the Future: Drs. Wharton and the Community Foundation of Sarasota

It was six years ago when Sarasota Scene first got to know Drs. Richard Wharton and Lou Bertha McKenzie-Wharton. At that time, they were recognized for helping provide scholarships to the firs…

March 3, 2023

Power Couple: Guided by their faith, David and Adie Rubin are brightening the way for others and themselves with their generosity.

Good Hero philanthropic award recipient David Rubin and his wife Adie have deeply impacted our community through thoughtful charitable giving with a focus on uplifting others through education…

November 2, 2022

A Godmother to the Arts: Flora Major and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County

Coming to America Flora Major was born and raised in Budapest, then Communist Hungary. Philanthropy came naturally and was the norm among friends and family. Nobody had any money to speak of a…

June 16, 2022

Masala Giving Circle awards $20,000 in grants to support the African American community in Sarasota and Manatee Counties

SARASOTA - June 29, 2022 Masala Giving Circle has announced the recipients of their 2022 grants. FUNducation, Inc. will receive a grant of $10,000 for their project, “Betty J. Johnson No…