Giving Challenge features a red carpet

Two area nonprofits merged fundraising efforts with a walk down the red carpet Sept. 20 with their canine friends beside them. 

Sea of Strengths Academy, a school for students with learning disabilities, and the Humane Society at Lakewood Ranch partnered for a night of fun posing for screaming fans and enjoying great food and drinks at The Mall at UTC's Kona Grill. It was all to raise funds during this year's Giving Challenge.

The Giving Challenge is an event organized by the Community Foundation of Sarasota. More than 500 non-profits from Manatee, De Soto and Sarasota counties are participating this year with hopes of encouraging the community to give. It kicked off today at noon and runs through noon, Wednesday, Sept. 21.

At Kona Grill, families were able to dress their dogs up in necklaces, sunglasses and other funny trinkets, then pose on the red carpet.

"Our goal this year was to really inform people on the community foundations," said Cheryl Johnson, a resident of Lakewood Ranch and volunteer at the Humane Society of Lakewood Ranch. "Not only for us, but for all of the non-profits involved in this."

Donations still can be made at givingpartnerchallenge.org.