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East County | Neighbors

Sarasota resident Dana Crispin and her 4-year-old son Zayden are eager to pose with Dora from "Dora the Explorer" and Valerie Frizzle from "The Magic School Bus."
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • August 3, 2025
Back to School Bash at The Mall at UTC in Sarasota builds excitement

A scavenger hunt for school supplies, dance performances, face painting and more made for an eventful day at the mall.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Lakewood Ranch's Brandy Britton is a member of the Bradenton Woman's Club. She was recruited at a Music on Main event last year.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • August 2, 2025
Music on Main is a place to connect in Lakewood Ranch

The monthly event features music, vendors and information about clubs and activities.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Curtis Marxen drives a disc down Hole 3 at Bob Gardner Community Park July 21.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • July 30, 2025
Lakewood Ranch nonprofit promotes disc golf

The East Manatee Disc Golf Club plays Monday nights at Bob Gardner Community Park.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Dari Oglesby, the executive director of Nate's Honor Animal Rescue, and Sharon Pindar, the medical director, are thrilled with a $125,000 grant from The Bishop-Parker Foundation.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • July 29, 2025
Nate's Honor Animal Rescue receives $125,000 grant from Bishop-Parker

The grant will help Nate's get its new care clinic staffed and running.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
  • By Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor
  • July 28, 2025
Financial Focus® You Have an Estate Plan — Whether You Know It or Not

If you own anything — a home, a car, a savings account, even a pet — you already have an estate plan.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Sponsored Content
Campers and staff members get soaked by the giant bucket of water.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • July 26, 2025
Summer Skills Camp in Lakewood Ranch gives kids with special needs a lift

Lift ABA hosts the camp, that includes field trips to places like the Waterside Park splash pad.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Lakewood Ranch resident Madeline Phillips, 4, felt like a superhero while she was running through the foam during a party at the Creative Child Learning Center in Lakewood Ranch.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • July 25, 2025
Good, clean fun at the Creative Child Learning Center in Lakewood Ranch

The children described the piles of foam as a snow mountain, clouds and pineapples.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
A goat serves as the best friend of Winnie the Moo at the Farmhouse Animal and Nature Sanctuary. A larger pasture will be available to them after a $50,000 grant from the Bishop-Parker Foundation.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • July 23, 2025
Myakka animal sanctuary lands important grant

The Bishop-Parker Foundation has gifted Farmhouse Animal and Nature Sanctuary $50,000 to complete hurricane damage repairs.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
The Lake Club Women's Giving Circle members Lauren Hirsch, Cinda Krouk, Barbara Najmy, Jennifer Alokeh and Joy Stone sit in front of their record haul of 550 pairs of sneakers donated to The Twig.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • July 22, 2025
Lake Club Women's Giving Circle proves its sneaker drive is a great fit

The Lakewood Ranch group collects 550 pairs of new sneakers to benefit The Twig.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
The Hearts of ODA camp was led by Camela Giraud, the director of collaborative learning and education outreach at ODA. She was assisted by co-facilitator Colby Heidke, who is a 2025 ODA graduate and also the founder of the Sarasota Mobility Alliance.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • July 18, 2025
Hearts of ODA camp in Lakewood Ranch provides volunteer time and talent

The student campers have volunteered at nonprofits such as All Faiths Food Bank and Meals on Wheels.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Killdeer are dedicated parents known for their 'broken-wing' display, feigning injury to lure intruders away from their chicks or nest.
  • By Miri Hardy
  • July 15, 2025
New life thrives in Myakka’s habitat restoration zone

Plants and animals continue to respond favorably to re-created floodplain marshes.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Lakewood Ranch resident Stephanie Chen brought her daughters Aurora Chen, 3, and Stella Chen, 6 along with family friend Lola Nguyen, 7, to Waterside Park for a "girls night out."
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • July 12, 2025
Waterside Place feels the energy during Movie in the Park

The monthly event in Lakewood Ranch is sponsored by Grace Community Church.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Meeks is 2 months old and up for adoption.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • July 10, 2025
A merry Barks and Brews at University Town Center draws people and pups

The monthly fundraiser celebrated Christmas in July at The Green in Sarasota.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Deena King says the Lakewood Ranch market is full of buyers who don't care if their art matches the sofa and the drapes.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • July 9, 2025
Fine arts gallery tests the waters in Lakewood Ranch area

Expressionist painter Deena King brings her brand of art to the border of Waterside.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Three days after moving to Lakewood Ranch, Waterside resident Erin Mason found the LWR Girls Who Walk club, which was started by Paige Venuto of Lakewood Ranch Community Activities.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • July 9, 2025
LWR Girls Who Walk creates a sense of community through fitness

The Lakewood Ranch club began in March and has 140 members.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
« 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 »
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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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