- July 1, 2026
-
-
Loading
Loading
In October 2019, Esplanade’s Kristin Sciuto decided to attend her first meeting of the Lakewood Ranch Women’s Club.
She heard about it from a person in her fitness class and she attended alone not knowing what to expect.
That day she remembered holding a baby alligator.
“We got to hold it and they took a picture, so I sent it to my family saying ‘I joined the women's club and here’s my new baby!’” Sciuto said. “I thought this was pretty fun.”
Although the baby alligator was a one-time guest, it kick started her involvement in the club. She is now the communications chair who keeps members up to date on all of the events and key information.
The club gave me an opportunity to meet wonderful people, learn new skills, and participate in my new hometown,” Sciuto said. “I’ve had the opportunity to explore our area, hear many interesting speakers, and see great performances while being among friends.”
The Lakewood Ranch Women’s Club has spent nearly three decades building community. It was initially founded as a way to welcome new residents to Lakewood Ranch and has now grown to a 240-member organization. It is a mix of social activities, special interest groups, and raising money and awareness for local nonprofits.
Country Club's Marylee Danahy, a member of the club for 20 years, has served in a variety of roles in the women’s club, including membership chair, corresponding secretary, communications chair, and more.
“It originated out of a welcoming and warm and friendly community,” Danahy said. “Then you get a bunch of women together and they wanted to help other people in Manatee County that they knew were not as fortunate. It's continued along those same tracks of trying to maintain that fun, friendship, and community service.
Country Club East’s Barbara Thornton, a member of 13 years and the membership chair for six, said she heard about the club from chatter in her neighborhood and it sparked her interest.
“I was a teacher, so I've always been in a women's field,” Thornton said. “I missed that when I moved here, so joining a women's club filled that niche.”
Thornton said she enjoys being the voice for the club for new members to join and appreciates how much the club has evolved. She said the most activity used to happen in January and February, but now it is all year round.
Gathering the members’ interests is a large part of what Thornton does, especially at the two new member events per year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Often gathering the interests turns into the formation of special interest groups within the club such as a book club or a canasta club.
“I send a welcome letter with information and hope that they will join a committee or get involved,” Thornton said. “Involvement in the club is what makes the club. If you just sit back and wait for somebody to tell you what to do, that's not going to work.”
Sweetwater’s Barbara Joseph, who has been a member for two years, said the warmth she felt the first meeting convinced her to join.
“Right away, you start to feel like you're part of an organization,” Joseph said. “The way they go about the registration, the welcoming, and interaction with the people are important.”
Country Club’s Andrea Burr, the president of the women’s club, said she is always aiming to come up with fresh ideas to draw in new members.
“You can't have a bad conversation,” Burr said. “They all bring something from their backgrounds – where they lived, what type of career they had, family members. There's always something you have in common and you draw on that.”
Burr said everyone comes together naturally despite their different backgrounds.
"These women are resilient, strong, and some of the most fun people I’ve ever been around," Burr said. "There’s nothing more rewarding than volunteering alongside them to give back to our community. Best of all, I’m always learning something new which keeps it inspiring and engaging."
