Final showcase luncheon of the year honors ballet volunteers

Another season came to a close April 10 when Friends of the Sarasota Ballet members and supporters gathered at Michael's On East for the final Showcase Luncheon of the year.

The April luncheon was different than previous months in that it played host to the Volunteer Appreciation Awards and End of Year Reports, which honored Friends of the Sarasota Ballet President Janice Kunkel and members Alison Jones, Phyllis Myers, Phyllis Schaen, Shelia Vincent, Barbara Long, Betsy Wollman, Kay Aidlin, Laurie Hofheimer and Sandy Miranda — each of whom was presented with an engraved key chain.

Retiring committee leaders Fran Nitschke, Lydia Landa and Pat Golemme were also recognized for their work and each awarded with a potted orchid.

Special guests Aundria Castleberry and Sandra Frank of All Faiths Food Bank were special guests, and were recognized for providing snacks to the Dance Next Generation youth participants. Several guests brought non-perishable food items to donate to the food bank, and others utilized the donation envelopes on their tables.