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East County | Neighbors

Naples' Kaata Mrachek and Bradenton's Laurence Lederer dance to the beat during the inaugural Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival Dec. 7 at Waterside Place.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • December 8, 2024
All smiles after blues festival in Lakewood Ranch

Top talent, perfect weather leaves music fans thrilled at Waterside Place.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Jerry Downs ran his 5K with a Santa hat on during a brisk Saturday morning at The Haven of Sarasota.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • December 8, 2024
Local runners show their holiday spirit at the Jingle Jog 5K in Sarasota

The 27th annual event supports The Haven and is presented by the Manasota Track Club.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Katherine Pike and Rosemarie Tamunday attend the Palm Aire Women's Club luncheon at the Palm Aire Country Club Dec. 5.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • December 6, 2024
Palm Aire club hosts a merry luncheon

Members of the women's club donated toys to Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center and enjoyed a holiday choir performance.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Lakewood Ranch's Pam Hazelwood shows off her ornament in progress.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 30, 2024
Ornament workshop kicks off the holidays in Lakewood Ranch

Arts A Blaze Studio hosted A Very Merry Ornament Workshop at The Grove.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
  • By Manatee Community Foundation
  • November 30, 2024
Five Things You Didn't Know About Manatee Community Foundation

As we move forward, we hope to closely partner with our donors, fellow foundations, government officials, the business community, and our esteemed nonprofit partners — because philanthropy is a team sport.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Sponsored Content
Volunteers Terry Dale and Carol Glider, both of Bradenton, stand on either side of Tidewell Foundation President Delesa Morris as they pack meals during the fifth annual Meal Drive Nov. 27.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 29, 2024
Tidewell Foundation volunteers give back during Thanksgiving

More than 500 meals delivered to those in need during the holidays in Manatee, Sarasota, DeSoto and Charlotte counties.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Sarasota's Omar Delgado said he was going to "justify the meal" with a Thanksgiving morning run at the Florida Turkey Trot.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 28, 2024
A slice of turkey and a side of love at the Florida Turkey Trot in Sarasota

The beloved event drew 3,693 entries for the 5K and hundreds more for the kids races at Nathan Benderson Park.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Chris Snow, Debbie Snow, Ginger the dog, Lynette and Dennis Castiglia, Knox the dog and Kim and Sally Schoeffel bring the manger scene to life during Peace Presbyterian's Carols, Candles and Living Nativity on the Path in 2023.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • November 27, 2024
Destruction turns into inspiration for Peace Presbyterian Church's Peaceful Path

Church members use debris from Hurricane Milton to create decorations for the path for the church's living nativity.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
This rendering illustrates what the housing complex will look like once built. The larger building will serve as a community center.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 27, 2024
Harbor58 nonprofit is a safe harbor for youths in foster care

East County nonprofit Harbor58 provides mentoring and resources for high school students and young adults in the foster system.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Heather Hackett has been named the 2024 C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian Award recipient.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 25, 2024
Heather Hackett named Lakewood Ranch Humanitarian of the Year

During disasters, Heather Hackett measures up with Local Relief.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Glad Wags marketing coordinator/field manager Csenge Csicsek with her dog, Uka; Glad Wags founder Chris Cooper with her dog, Ivy; and office/field manager Amanda Gunter with her dog, Bodhi.
    By
  • Marty Fugate, Su Byron
  • November 21, 2024
Lakewood Ranch is full of places focused on catering to canines

From gourmet treats to holistic care, explore the best local resources for your canine companions.

  • East County
  • Business
There are more than 110 species of lemur and 98 percent are threatened with extinction, including the critically endangered red ruffed lemur.
    By
  • Emily Leinfuss
  • November 21, 2024
Lemur Conservation Foundation provides oasis for an endangered species

The Lemur Conservation Foundation has been protecting and conserving lemurs — among the most primitive of primates — for nearly 30 years.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
The home’s bold exterior design, classified as “farmhouse modern,” offers a mix of bold elements softened by wood accents.
  • By Robert Plunket
  • November 21, 2024
State-of-the-art model home offers a master class in contemporary design

John Cannon's farmhouse modern Wild Blue model home, Pindari, blends the latest in styles, mixing farmhouse elements with contemporary design.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Mark and Brenda Coates have been helping run Beds for Kids for several years from their east Manatee County home.
    By
  • Eric Snider
  • November 20, 2024
Lakewood Ranch charity provides beds for children — and a message of love

Behind a stubborn surge in demand, a local nonprofit focuses on fulfilling a surprisingly large, yet essential, need: building beds for kids.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Mill Creek's Heather Caudill has her shells on display in the foyer of her home. She has collected hundreds of shells since 2020.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • November 20, 2024
Mill Creek to host community market in east Bradenton

Artist Heather Caudill turns shell collecting into works of art for Mill Creek Market Fair.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
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Latest in East County

1
Santa (Steven Trudell of St. Petersburg) gets the runners fired up just before the start of the 2025 Jingle 5K Dec. 12 in Lakewood Ranch.
  • December 13, 2025
More than 500 runners go the distance in Lakewood Ranch's Jingle 5K
2
Nicholas Savarese, a teacher who has a background in chemical engineering, judges junior Lillian Pevzner-Downer's project on the comparison of conventionally grown crops with chemicals and pesticides versus organically grown crops at the Lakewood Ranch High School Science Fair.
  • December 12, 2025
Lakewood Ranch High revives its science fair
3
Greenbrook's David, Hannah and Jaime Marco all had a part in creating Jaime Marco's new book “Unfunkt: Quiet the Noise. Ignite the Light.”
  • December 12, 2025
Readers can shed the funk with Lakewood Ranch author's 'Unfunkt'
4
SMR's new coffee table book, "Lakewood Ranch — A Legacy of Living with the Land" is available locally and on Amazon.
  • December 10, 2025
'Lakewood Ranch — A Legacy of Living with the Land' is a fun history lesson
5
Carrie Walden, the Project Edge classroom instructor, is teaching 10 students including Mia Pardella and Justin Torres in the Project Edge program at MTC East.
  • December 10, 2025
MTC program teaches students with disabilities skills to enter workforce

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