► Easterseals Southwest Florida, in Sarasota, received a $10,000 economic mobility grant from Bank of America for Easterseals Academy, a K-12 academic program for students with intellectual and/or physical disabilities, including autism. (Pictured above)
► Affordable Lock & Security, based in Tampa, acquired Sarasota Lock and Key which marks the 9th location.
► Kathleen Sullivan, vice president of programs for Children First, in Sarasota County, received the Aubrey Puckett Memorial Award from the National Head Start Association, representing more than one million children and families nationwide.
► Construction began on a $120 million building at the Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, at 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., in east Manatee County.
► New College Foundation added A.J. Janson, an active member of the Sarasota community for over 20 years, and Mike Rahn, a lifelong resident of the Sarasota/Manatee area, to its Board of Directors for 2024-2025.
► Neal Communities Chairman Pat Neal was presented with the 2024 Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award and combined the $150,000 honorarium that accompanies the award with an additional $200,000 raised by the company to donate a total of $350,000 to the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.
► The Princeton Review recognized New College of Florida as one of America’s Best Value Colleges for 2024.
► The Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation awarded a $444,869 grant to Sarasota’s Resilient Retreat to expand its free mental wellness services in the community.