wcw NOVEMBER 2020

out& about
Sarasota Opera
Sarasota Opera will not be silent
this fall, with a series of performances
including the first live-streamed
concert from Sarasota Opera House
and two live outdoor performances at
the downtown Sarasota and Historic
Spanish Point locations of the Marie
Selby Botanical Gardens.
The concerts will feature sopranos
Hanna Brammer, Anna Mandina,
and Caitlin Crabill, tenors Andrew
Surrena and Samuel Schlievert, baritone
Alexander Boyd, and bass Young
Bok Kim, accompanied by Jesse Martins
and George Hemcher at the piano.
In addition to these concerts, “HD
at the Opera House” presentations
are continuing, and the OperaMobile
will roll again with free 20-minute
performances throughout the greater
Sarasota area in early November.
Sarasota Opera’s first live-streamed
performance is on Friday, November
13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sarasota Opera
House, featuring favorite opera selections
by Verdi, Rossini, Puccini, Wagner,
and Mozart, accompanied by piano.
A limited number of tickets will be
available for an in-person, distanced
audience at $25-45. Tickets for the live
stream are $10. The live stream will be
available for viewing for two weeks.
Two outdoor concerts featuring
songs celebrating nature and accompanied
by piano are on Tuesday, November
17 at 5:30 p.m. at Marie Selby
Botanical Gardens downtown Sarasota
and on Thursday, November 19
at 5:30 p.m. at Historic Spanish Point.
The musical program will be identical
at both garden locations. Attendance
at each concert will be limited
to 100 people, with tickets at $35.
On November 9 and November 10,
the Sarasota Opera will again bring
beautiful music to the community via
the OperaMobile, with two singers
and a pianist who will perform a free
20-minute concert at select locations
throughout the Sarasota area. For
locations, visit SarasotaOpera.org.
To ensure the safety of all attendees
of Sarasota Opera’s Fall Season events,
all seats will be reserved and distanced.
Face masks will be required at
all performances, and attendees will
be subject to a temperature check.
Print-at-home and mobile tickets are
now available and ticket buyers are
encouraged to purchase tickets before
arriving at the theater. Tickets will be
self-scanned at the theater, limiting
contact with ushers and staff. Concessions
will be closed, but ticket holders
may bring their own water bottle.
Visitors to the Opera House will note
enhanced safety and cleaning measures,
as well as signage for traffic flow
and distancing. The air conditioning
system has been optimized for better
air circulation and filtration.
Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Avenue,
Sarasota. Visit SarasotaOpera.
org or call the Box Office at (941) 328-
1300 for tickets or more information.
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Fundraisers
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The Artful Lobster is on Saturday,
November 14, 11:30 am – 2
pm. The Artful Lobster is The Hermitage’s
signature
fundraising event,
and the only benefit
to take place on their
historic Gulf front
campus on Manasota
Key. With a
lobster feast catered
by Michael’s On
East and live entertainment
featuring
Hermitage Fellows,
the Artful Lobster
is anticipated as the
season kick-off for
many across our
community. Tickets:
941-475-2098 ext 5.
This year, they’ll
celebrate the legacy
of Nelda and Jim
Thompson, longtime
Hermitage supporters
and champions
of Manasota Key.
In addition, they’ll host a special celebration
honoring the Thompsons on
Friday, November 13.
Safe Place and Rape Crisis
Center (SPARCC) is hosting its annual
golf tournament, Scramble
for SPARCC, at Longboat Key Club,
Harbourside Golf Course on Monday,
November 16. The tournament raises
funds to help provide life-saving,
free and confidential programs and
services for survivors of domestic and
sexual violence.
Entry fee is $175 and includes
green fees, individual carts, a boxed
lunch, beverages and player awards.
Registration opens at noon with a
shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. to kick
off the 18-hole scramble. In addition
to the golf tournament, there is also
a closet to the pin contest, longest
drive contest for men and women,
helicopter ball drop for 50/50, and an
outdoor awards celebration.
For registration and sponsorship
opportunities, visit www.sparcc.net/
events or email Communications
Manager Ning Qin at nqin@sparcc.net.
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It’s time to enjoy life with friends at
Glow Table Dinner, a sit down dinner
at Lakewood Ranch on Friday, November
6, 7-9:30 p.m. Enjoy a festive
outdoor dining experience showcasing
LED Glow Tables and quality food,
drinks, and service from The Grove.
Enjoy cirque performances rotating
from table to table between meal
courses and let the evening come
alive with your friends.Tickets can be
purchased in groups, by table size, to
accommodate 4, 6, 8, or 10 people. A
limited number of single tickets are
also available and will be seated based
on available capacity. Tickets are $160.
Three course fine dining dinner
with a selection of four entrees to
choose from. Complimentary beer,
wine and Champagne included.
A delightful evening of entertainment
including DJ service by SRQ
Beats and a variety of talented cirque
performers exhibiting their skills
on a rotating basis between meal
courses. Glow Table Dinner location:
Just off Main Street in front of GROVE
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On November 9 and November 10, the Sarasota Opera will again bring
beautiful music to the community via the OperaMobile, with two singers
and a pianist who will perform a free 20-minute concert at select locations
throughout the Sarasota area. For locations, visit SarasotaOpera.org.
Restaurant & Ballroom, 10670 Boardwalk
Loop, Lakewood Ranch. Info:
www.glowtabledinner.com
The region’s new Thanksgiving family
tradition is a go for this year with a
few changes. The third annual Florida
Turkey Trot, a community run/walk
event at Sarasota-Bradenton’s Nathan
Benderson Park, will be both a two-day,
in-person run and a virtual event.
Staggered starts for the on-site run/
walk will ensure social distancing
and runner safety. Runners will select
and schedule their start time from
time blocks 4-5 p.m. Thanksgiving
Eve—that’s Wednesday, Nov. 25—
and 7-10 a.m. Thanksgiving morning.
Participants are encouraged to register
early and secure their preferred
start time, since the number of participants
per time block is capped.
Virtual run/walk participants
may choose their own time and
place, then report their finish time
afterward. All participants will receive
a race shirt, runner’s face covering
and finisher medal. Proceeds
benefit the park. Registration is open
at floridaturkeytrot.com.
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Sarasota Out of The Darkness
Walk is on Sunday, November 15, 6
a.m. - 2 p.m. This is an event of the
American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention. When you walk in the
Out of the Darkness Walks, you join
the effort with hundreds of thousands
of people to raise awareness
and funds that allow the American
Foundation for Suicide Prevention
(AFSP) to invest in new research, create
educational programs, advocate
for public policy, and support survivors
of suicide loss. Location is Nathan
Benderson Regatta Island. For
more info, email tsullivan@afsp.org.
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UN Women USA Virtual Walk
UNiTE to End Violence Against
Women and Girls runs November
25-December 5. This is an international
fundraiser organized annually
by the UN Women USA Gulf Coast
Chapter, Sarasota. Walk with UN
Women USA to raise funds and awareness
about violence against women.
Why walk? Because
35 percent of
all women worldwide
experience
physical or sexual
intimate partner violence
during their
lifetimes.
Register now on
Rallybound as an
individual or a
team. Participate
from Nov. 25 - Dec.
5 in engaging and
fun activities. Walk
anytime and choose
your distance. A
couple of miles
with your dog and a
friend? With family
after Thanksgiving
dinner? A company
team walking
outdoors?
End your successful
campaign on Saturday,
December 5, by joining them on
Zoom. Learn about local efforts to
combat violence, recognize all our
walkers, and announce prizes for our
top fundraisers. Each year, the Gulf
Coast Chapter UN Women USA for
UN Women walks to raise awareness
about violence against women - and
to raise funds for programs to combat
the problem. For information, visit
unwomenusa.org/gcc/winter-walk or
contact Debby Jennings at debbyjennings@msn.com
or 941-744-6419.
The University of South Florida
has the 27th annual Brunch on the
Bay at the Sarasota-Manatee campus
now on Jan. 24, 2021. Attendees
will enjoy great cuisine, fellowship
with friends and have the opportunity
to invest in the future of the
community by supporting student
scholarships. Elizabeth Moore is
chairperson of the 2021 event.
To reserve a table sponsorship
or purchase tickets to Brunch, visit
the 2021 USF Sarasota-Manatee
Brunch on the Bay sponsorship
page. Out of consideration for the
safety of the community, new social
distancing measures are being diligently
considered as plans continue
for Brunch on the Bay. Visit https://
www.sarasotamanatee.usf.edu/giving/brunch-on-the-bay.
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LWR 2nd Annual Mindful Triathlon
is on November 14, 9:30-11:30
a.m. at Bob Gardner Community Park.
Join in for a re-imagined “Mindful
Triathlon,” benefitting the Brain
Health Initiative. Racers will complete
a virtual ‘mindful’ morning of a 5k
run/walk, followed by an upbeat yoga
session, and guided meditation by The
Yoga Shack.
Schedule of events:
• Nov. 12 and Nov. 13: Registration
packet pick-ups (TBD)
• Monday, Nov. 9-Saturday, Nov. 14:
Complete your virtual 5k before
meeting at the park for parts 2 and 3
of the triathlon.
Day of Event (Nov. 14) at Bob
Gardner Park:
• 9:30am- Bring your mat and join
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us for some upbeat, socially distanced
yoga
• 10:15am- Find your inner peace
with a guided meditation.
• 10:45am- Event close and food
trucks open for business
$30 registration fee includes the
virtual 5k, and in-person yoga and
meditation, a t-shirt, and a medal.
Wind down after your triathlon with
a yummy snacks from food trucks Deli
Deli Sandwich Co. and Bowl’d Life.
Yoga and meditation flows will be
socially distanced. Bring your own
mat, towel, and water bottles.
Hosted by Lakewood Ranch, The
Brain Health Initiative Suncoast and 3
others. Tickets: runsignup.com/Race/
FL/Bradenton/LWRMindfulTriathlon.
Lectures
and Classes
The New College Foundation, offers
New Topics, a lecture series showcasing
national speakers from a broad
range of disciplines exploring topical
issues. To mark New College’s 60th
anniversary, this year’s series features
noteworthy alumni whose New College
experience prepared them for
lives of note and careers of impact.
The series runs through March and
will be presented via the Zoom platform.
Each lecture will be presented at
5 pm. Tickets are $10, and all proceeds
go to fund student scholarships.
Speakers Princeton University’s
Center for Economic Policy Studios
senior research scholar William
Dudley speaking on “Challenge and
Response: Facing Hard Choices in
a Time of Economic Crisis” on November
12, R. Derek Black, Allison
Gornik and James Birmingham on
the topic of “Inclusion at any Cost?
When New College was ‘Home’ to a
White Nationalist” on January 27,
Cuban-American attorney, consultant,
and human rights advocate Lincoln
Rafael Diaz-Balart on the topic
of “Reflections on a Congressional
Career; Lessons for Today’s Politics”
on February 18 and “ Cybersecurity
and Civil Liberties” by the ACLU’s
surveillance and cybersecurity counsel
Jennifer Granick on March 18.
Registration required. Go to ncf.
edu/new-topics or call the New College
events hotline at 941-487-4888.
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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
at Ringling College has its 2020
Fall Semester through November
20. OLLI at Ringling College’s fall
documentary film series, CONNEC-
TIONS: Exploring Today’s Global
Issues, is an opportunity for students
to connect to many of today’s pressing
global issues via the penetrating
perspectives of contemporary documentary
films. The moderator of the
series is Julie Cotton, a member of the
Advisory Council’s Strategic Program
Committee, executive coach, and
aficionado of documentary films.
The last film that will be screened
via Zoom is on November 10 (Liyana).
Following the screening, participants
can engage in a Zoom chat with the
moderator and one another about the
film’s content and impact, as well as
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NOVEMBER 2020 WEST COAST WOMAN 7