Education Foundation of Sarasota County establishes Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief Fund

Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·3 min read
Athletes from Sarasota High School help with the cleanup on Monday at Concordia Lutheran Church. The athletes volunteered to go around to neighborhood churches and at school to help remove debris after the devastating effects from Hurricane Ian.
Athletes from Sarasota High School help with the cleanup on Monday at Concordia Lutheran Church. The athletes volunteered to go around to neighborhood churches and at school to help remove debris after the devastating effects from Hurricane Ian.

The Education Foundation of Sarasota County has established a Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief & Recovery Fund to accept monetary donations to support Sarasota County Schools and its 5,000-plus employees.

The ferocious hurricane caused widespread damage with areas in South Sarasota County receiving the district’s worst impact. Full assessments of damages to schools are underway, a spokesperson said, and will be ongoing as district officials access campuses and receive updates from teachers and school support staff.

“We are working in partnership with Superintendent [Brennen ] Asplen, the Sarasota County School Board, and the Education Foundation Board of Directors to align our collective efforts to help ensure our students can continue to learn, teachers can continue to teach, and schools can become operational as quickly as possible,” said Jennifer Vigne, president and CEO of the Education Foundation.

Visit edfoundationsrq.org/community/ways-to-give/hurricane-ian-relief-recovery-fund to make a donation.

Donors who wish to mail contributions are asked to make checks payable to the Education Foundation of Sarasota County and include Hurricane Relief Fund in the memo field. Checks can be mailed or dropped off at the Education Foundation’s LaunchPad4U location at 1413 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, Fla., 34236, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

“We know the indomitable spirit of generosity is more powerful than any storm could bring, and we appreciate the outpouring of concern we already are receiving,” Vigne said. “Our road to recovery will be long, but we will get there faster when we unite to help our schools, students, and teachers rise again.”

The Education Foundation of Sarasota County (EdFoundationSRQ.org) is an independent, philanthropic partner with Sarasota County Schools with a mission to enhance the potential of all students, promote excellence in teaching, and inspire innovation in education.

Relief concert at Van Wezel

The Sarasota Orchestra and Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall will hold a special concert on Friday at 7 p.m. with proceeds to benefit Hurricane Ian recovery efforts.

"Coming together to renew our spirits and support our neighbors is exactly what we need to do right now," said Mary Bensel, executive director of the Van Wezel. "We call upon our wonderful Sarasota Orchestra to again play that convening role in our community."

Tickets are $10-$25 and can be purchased at VanWezel.org/HurricaneRelief, by calling the Van Wezel Box Office at 941-263-6799, or by visiting the box office (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Ticket proceeds the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The Patterson Foundation is providing a dollar-for-dollar match for donations, up to $750,000. Additional donations may be made at the performance, or at cfsarasota.org/donors/support-our-community#donate.

Gulf Coast Foundation

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation has activated a Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief Fund to assist the entire region as emergency personnel continue rescue, recovery, and cleanup efforts.

For credit card donations, visit gulfcoastcf.org/disasterfund. All donations are tax deductible. Gulf Coast donors can make a gift through their Donor Advised Fund at bit.ly/3yeYwca or email kfulkerson@gulfcoastcf.org for more  information.

United Way South County

United Way of South Sarasota County, 4242 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice, is now a donation site for community members in need on Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Items that are needed most after Hurricane Ian: tarps, zip ties, contractor bags, garbage bags (all sizes), flash lights with batteries, batteries, propane cans, bug repellent, can openers, hand sanitizer, toiletry products, baby formula, baby diapers, baby wipes, adult diapers, sanitizing wipes, feminine products, and water flavoring packets. For assistance, call the UWSSC office at 941-484-4811.

The United Way of South Sarasota County also has activated a Hurricane Ian Recovery and Relief Fund to help with the immediate needs of the community. To donate, visit bit.ly/3RzicOW.

Submissions by Tracy Spalsbury, Muffy Lavens, Kelly Carlstein, and United Way.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Education Foundation establishes Hurricane Ian Disaster Relief Fund