Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library benefits from Music on Main

Although those in attendance were all "Jack'D Up" about attending Music on Main, they might not have known that the Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library were benefitting from their good time.

Each month, an area nonprofit is chosen to benefit from Music on Main. For the March event, which featured the band "Jack'D Up," it was Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library. 

Sue Ann Miller, the president of the Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library, said the funds they collected on Friday will go toward stocking the Friends' bookstore that will be in the library when it opens late this year. The funds eventually earned in the store will benefit the library.

The Friends originally were scheduled to benefit from Music on Main last fall, but the event was rained out. Miller was thrilled with the nice weather on Friday that helped to draw thousands of patrons.

Members of the Lakewood Ranch Library, such as Lakewood Ranch's Barbara Kaprielan, were telling those who strolled past on Lakewood Main Street about how exciting it is to have a new library.

“Just being part of this has woken my brain up,” Kaprielan said.

Most of those in attendance just were happy about great weather and good music.

“We’ve lived here for six months, and we absolutely love where we’re at,” said Lakewood Ranch’s Bob Vershelst, who said he likes the “friendly and family atmosphere, and of course the weather” in Lakewood Ranch.

Vershelst said his former home of Ohio was expecting a major snowstorm on Friday. 

Myakka City’s Tara Fullmer said she and her husband John Fullmer live on 10 acres in Myakka, so Music on Main is one of the few events that convince them to join the crowd.

“Now we have more humans around us than animals,” she said. 

She said they try not to miss Music on Main. “There is always amazing dancing,” she said. “They really brought in superb bands consistently.”