COMMUNITY BRIEFS
Bradenton native earns award at Naval Supply Corps School
Navy Ensign Vanessa Alvarez of Bradenton recently received an award for her performance while training to join the Navy Supply Corps.
Alvarez, who graduated from Bayshore High School in 2005, received the Navy League Honor, Courage, Commitment Award while attending the Basic Qualification Course at Naval Supply Corps School in Newport, Rhode Island. Alvarez graduated from the course on March 29.
Alvarez, who also earned a degree from MidAmerica Nazarene University in 2009, joined the Navy 13 years ago and serves as a supply officer.
Girl Scouts earn their mental wellness and first-aid patches
HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital and the National Alliance on Mental Illness Sarasota and Manatee Counties recently teamed up to help local Girl Scouts earn their mental wellness and first-aid patches.
Therapists and nurses from the hospital and NAMI provided a special workshop for girls from Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida in grades 4 through 12. The girls learned coping skills, self-care, how to seek help when needed and how to support others. The Girl Scouts also toured the hospital emergency room, learned first-aid and made first-aid kits.
The mental wellness patch program is part of a national program developed in partnership by HCA Healthcare Foundation, NAMI, and the Girl Scouts of the USA Program Advisory Committee. For more information, visit girlscouts.org/en/activities-for-girls/forevery-girl/mental-wellness-patches.html.
Port Charlotte businesswoman, author to sign children’s book
Katherine Baumgartner of Port Charlotte,
founder of eco-friendly Ocean Family Games Inc., will be signing her children’s book, “OCEARCH Sharks in the Ocean,” during the Shark Tooth Festival at Centennial Park in Venice on April 13-14.
Baumgartner, who has been diagnosed with a reading disability and autism, founded Ocean Family Games in 2018 with a mission to create educational ocean-themed products. A percentage of sales go to shark and turtle research and education.
“I have faced numerous challenges on my journey to writing this book, but through perseverance, determination, and a belief in my vision, I have succeeded,” Baumgartner said. “My hope is that my story can serve as inspiration for others who may be struggling on their own paths.”
“OCEARCH Sharks in the Ocean” is available on Amazon and from Ocearch.org. For more about Ocean Family Games, visit oceanfamilygames.com.
Temple Emanu-El announces Meltzer Israel Scholarship Fund
Temple Emanu-El benefactors Barbara and Philip Meltzer have established the Stephen Meltzer Israel Scholarship Fund.
The fund, named for the Meltzers’ son, will support youth traveling to Israel for study and enrichment – primarily in summer or semester programs – and welcomes further contributions to expand its reach. The fund’s first recipient is Temple Emanu-El member Rachel Mintz, currently spending a semester of high school in Israel at the Union for Reform Judaism’s Heller High.
“Stephen Meltzer was a lifelong Jewish camper, staff member, youth adviser, teacher, song leader, songwriter and performer,” Senior Rabbi Brenner Glickman said. “He died unexpectedly in 2009 at the age of 45. This gift has the ability to be transformational in the life of a teenager.”
For more information about the Stephen Meltzer Israel Scholarship Fund, contact the Temple Emanu-El office at 941-371-2788.
Around and about
● The Neuro Challenge for Parkinson’s Foundation Cause for Hope fundraiser is April 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Michael’s On East in Sarasota. The event, which will honor Neuro Challenge founder Dr. Dean Sutherland, includes immersive experiences showcasing Neuro Challenge programs and services. For tickets and sponsorships, visit NeuroChallenge.org/Cause4Hope.
● The Warm Mineral Springs/Little Salt Spring Archaeological Society will hold its monthly meeting on April 9 at 7 p.m. at North Port Community United Church of Christ, 3450 S Biscayne Drive. Guest speaker: Archaeologist Jeffrey M. Mitchem. The group offers monthly presentations on archaeology, history, paleontology, and related subjects. wmslss.org
● The Venice Shark Tooth Festival, hosted by Venice MainStreet, is April 1314 at Centennial Park, 200 W. Venice Ave. The event features live music, food, and family activities and vendors selling shark teeth and other beach-themed merchandise. Free admission and parking as well as a trolley available to and from offsite parking. venicesharkstooth festival.com
● The 26th Sarasota Film Festival is underway through April 14 featuring over 200 films, including features, documentaries, shorts and kid-friendly options. The festival also hosts conversations with film stars, celebrity guests, events, parties and educational programs to support the art of filmmaking. sarasotafilmfestival.com
— Submissions by Gina Taylor, Ashley Craig, Ocean Family Games, Monica Yadav, Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman, Aimee Chouinard, Michelle Calhoun, Maddy Kraftchick, Joel Kaiman and Kate Ritz De Michieli