When Yasemin Chain reached the podium at Polo Grill to accept her Sandies' award for being the "2015 Networking Queen," she presented a message that could have been the theme of almost every award presented on Friday.
"Connecting people and helping them is something I love to do," said Chain, of ComCenter.
The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, had to be proud of its members' choice awards as the nine major winners all talked about helping people in general and building a stronger community.
Winning Sandies were:
One of a Kind Award: Janet Arena, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
Rising Star Award: Courtney Grovatt, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ray of Sunshine Award: Maria Hussey, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Networking King Award: Mike Wick, Gator Air Conditioning & Plumbing.
Networking Queen Award: Yasemin Chain, ComCenter of Lakewood Ranch.
Young Professional of the Year Award: Heather Williams, Kerkering, Barberio & Co.
Bull By The Horns Award: David Fink, Halliday Financial.
Best Rancher Award: Brad Cranston, PostNet of Lakewood Ranch.
Volunteer of the Year Award: Susan Abbott of C1 Bank.
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One of a Kind winner Janet Arena of Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall walks to the stage to accept her award from Manatee County Commissioner Betsy Benac.
Courtney Grovatt of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Rising Star Award and poses with presenter Dom DiMaio, the CEO of Synovus Bank.
Ray of Sunshine winner Maria Hussey of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation shares a laugh with the crowd.
Ray of Sunshine winner Maria Hussey of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, shows off her Sandie Award.
Mike Wick of Gator Air Conditioning & Plumbing carries off his Networking King Award.
Yasemin Chain of ComCenter of Lakewood Ranch won the Networking Queen Award and poses with presenter Peggy Kronus of Willis Smith Construction.
Heather Williams of Kerkering, Barberio & Co., poses with her Young Professional of the Year award.
David Fink, with Halliday Financial and Friday's master of ceremonies, accepts his Bull by the Horns award from presenter Kirk Boylston, the president of Lakewood Ranch Commercial Realty.
Volunteer of the Year Susan Abbott of C1 Bank shows off her Sandie award.
David Fink of Halliday Financial shares a moment with Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance Executive Director Heather Kasten.
Elizabeth Boyers of Kona Ice and Val Wheat of Running With Scissors LLC., do some networking before the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance's Sandies' awards luncheon at Polo Grill.
Don Swartz of Wagner Realty gets a point across with co-worker Cassandra Burns before the Sandies' awards.
Darren Inverso of Norton Hammersley, Lopez & Skokos spends time networking with Jag Grewal of Ian Black Real Estate. Both were Sandies' finalists.
Diane Lee of Wagner Reality visits with Laura Adcock an architect for WBRC.
