Maryland Girl Scout donates to Sarasota hurricane relief

Sarasota County has received millions of dollars in hurricane assistance since three storms washed ashore and devastated large portions of the community in 2024.

But without the efforts and caring of a Baltimore fifth grader, that assistance would be under the current total.

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Nora Vavere, a Girl Scout for six years in Maryland, learned about the effects of Hurricane Milton on the Sarasota area last fall and wanted to help. So, she sold lemonade and hot chocolate from October to April and sent the profits to the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, along with a hand-written note.

All $77.04 of it.

 “I wanted to donate this money to the Community Foundation to help people who were in the hurricane get food, rebuild, have water and a home, and be safe with their families,” she wrote.

Beyond the financial help, Jay Young, the Foundation’s vice president of philanthropy, said the act epitomizes the organization’s mission.

“Nora’s compassion, her selflessness, and her generosity deeply moved all of us at the Community Foundation,” said Young. “We believe strongly that anyone can be a philanthropist, and Nora proves it. Through the simple act of selling lemonade and hot chocolate, she shows that everyone can give back in some way.”

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According to a release from the Foundation, the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund began in 2022 in partnership with The Patterson Foundation as Hurricane Ian made landfall. Since then, it raised nearly $10 million through the fund to help residents rebuild and recover. Nora’s donation will boost the fund just as another Atlantic hurricane season begins.