- April 18, 2024
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Selah Freedom hosted its first fall fundraiser with a chairman (rather than a chairwoman — though he had plenty of help in the good hands of Co-Chairwomen Donna Koffman and Tammy Karp) Nov. 15 at The Westin Sarasota.
That chairman was Marko Radisic, the team principal at Precision Driving, who helped Rocking the Boat Against Sex Trafficking attract more male guests than Selah Freedom is used to seeing at its fundraisers.
Marko told guests that the name of the event came from his original idea to host the fundraiser on a yacht. He quickly deemed that idea impossible, however, when he realized that guests would have to take their shoes off to party on deck. Marko’s not afraid to go barefoot, but as the king of Sarasota shoe style (and as a self-professed lover of high heels, particularly on his beau, Ashley Kozel), he decided it wouldn’t work.
However, event presenting sponsor PNP Wealth Management loved the idea so much it decided to host a follow-up party onboard a yacht this spring (date is to be determined). The catch? Only top donors are invited.
Philanthropists Debbie and Tom Trimble recently returned to Sarasota, and their friends — especially their YMCA family — embraced them with open arms.
Friends Margaret Wise, Kim Githler, Stanley Kane, Margot and Warren Coville, Linda DiGabriele and Sherry and Tom Koski hosted a welcome back bash Nov. 15 at the Sarasota home of Margaret Wise. The evening was in celebration of the couple, with a special focus on Debbie for taking on the role of senior vice president of major gifts and planned giving for the Sarasota Family YMCA.
“For me, the evening felt like a collective warm embrace welcoming us home as my husband, Tom, and I begin our life here again,” Debbie said. “The past seven years away have been an incredible journey for us, first in La Jolla, (Calif.) and then NYC, but we believe, and last night proved, that there is no place like our beloved Sarasota.”
About 100 people attended the party, and the outpouring of love warmed Debbie’s heart.
“We are thrilled to be back, and I feel especially honored and privileged to be of service to this very special community through my work at the Y,” she said.
Safety first ... On the cover of our section you might have read about the condom-covered gowns on the runway at Leaving in High Style: A Fashion Luncheon celebrating Barbara A. Zdravecky. But did you know it took designer Eric Cross more than 1,000 hand-stitched and decorated condoms to assemble the gown?
Giving thanks ... It’s that time of year when we take the time to appreciate the good things and people in our life, and that’s exactly what Take Stock in Children did at its donor appreciation party Nov. 16 at Michael’s Wine Cellar. Mentor and donor Jan Sirota wanted more people to know about TSIC, so he invited some of his closest friends to attend an intimate evening with the staff and some of the program alumni. Another mentor, Debbie Seitl, and Wayne Seitl asked to help and secured sponsorship from the Janice Kelley Foundation to host the event at the cellar. TSIC graduates Andrea Lee and Nick Pecora shared their stories, and graduates Kailey Willams and Coy Carter also attended. Proceeds from the evening will go towards four years of college tuition for a deserving student in Sarasota County.
Changes like the wind … There were many surprises in store for guests at Jewish Housing Council Foundation and Aviva’s Keep the Dream Alive dinner Nov. 13 at Aviva — A Campus for Senior Life. Perhaps the most entertaining (right up there with the performances by singers and dancers from Manatee Performing Arts Center), was the Israeli flag that kept fluttering into Chairwoman Lori Solomon’s face while she sat onstage listening to her Co-Chair Michael Scott speak. The flag’s movements were as majestic as they were menacing, but a volunteer quickly came to her aid to restrain the flag from flowing.
