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Sarasota Garden Club January 11, 2018 -- In its 90th plus year, the Sarasota Garden Club continues to encourage the beautification of our community by recognizing outstanding landscaping for over 50 years! Annual awards are presented to those properties which met the criterion of attractive curb appeal. SGC has been focused on keeping Sarasota beautiful with these important awards. (See attached list of Nominees for Awards to be announced January 31st at the Awards Luncheon at SGC!) Members of the Civic Beautification Committee canvas the Sarasota county zip codes looking for the outstanding landscaping continually maintained and developed to enhance the environment. Businesses, public buildings, churches, and places of worship, home owners associations, parks and recreational areas are all eligible. (See list of Committee Members.) Each committee member has surveyed an assigned zip code searching for properties which meet these criteria. Photographs are taken and then reviewed by all committee members to determine the winners. Winners are notified and invited to an Awards Ceremony held at the Sarasota Garden Club. There will be 5 site grand plaque awards! Special landscaping awards categories are: SUNCOAST AWARD for the most outstanding landscaping continually maintained COMMUNITY AWARD for a group that has joined together in community beautification COMMERCIAL AWARD for an attractive commercial property suitable to its environment RE-DEVELOPMENT AWARD for a community area that has been redesigned PRESERVATION AWARD for maintaining the natural preserve area of their community Besides keeping Sarasota beautiful, the Sarasota garden Club also engages in Bayfront Planning and many programs that benefit youth to assisted living centers. Members do the Holiday Decorations at The Ringling Ca'd'zan. Members maintain the Blue Star Marker & Doughboy Statues. It is an honor to receive The Key to the City this year for our care of these gardens! SGC gives back to the community with a juried flower show and is open to the public 7 days a week to tour our beautiful 14+ volunteer-maintained gardens. The active and involved members embrace the SGC and there are programs and events almost every day. The historic mid-century modern building at 1131 Blvd. of the Arts is also a venue for rentals and weddings. Our club members receive The Blooming Chatter with updates on Programs and Events! There is always something going on at SGC! Call 942-955-0875 if you would like to receive The Blooming Chatter! CBC Committee Members - Chair Anita Laesser, Co-Chair Pat Bonarek, Cj Danna, Armand Houze, Michaelene Houze, Linda Houze, Susan Kershaw, Jennifer McCann, Christy May, Andy Papineau, and Sue Strickland. The Sarasota Garden Club, Inc. is committed to this belief with its policy of “GOOD LANDSCAPING IS GOOD BUSINESS!” This attracts increased entrepreneurial activity and business investment along with fostering a desirable community as a place to live, work and play. And the Civic Beautification Award Nominees for 2017 (in Alphabetical Order) Are: Benderson Development at UTC Bijou Café Bird Key Park Carrabba's Italian Grill Cityside Apartments Cook Spring Company Cove Cleaners Day's Inn First Lido Beach Condominiums Grove Pointe Hampton's on Palmer Ranch Highland Oaks Judge Lynn Silvertooth- Judicial Center Legends Gated Community Five Meadows Communities Chandlers Forde Hadfield Greene Highland Oaks Pipers Waite Winslow Beacon Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy Mote Ranch Homeowners Assn. Orchid Beach Club Four Palmer Ranch Communities Cobblestone Deer Creek Glenridge Serenade Stonebridge Sarasota City Hall Sarasota County Fire Dept. #10 St. Patrick's Church St. Thomas Moore The Swift Building University Place HOA Urfer Family Park The Grand Plaque Award Winners will be announced at the January 31st Awards Luncheon to be held at the Sarasota Garden Club 1131 Blvd of the Arts. Others will be awarded certificates. Mark your calendar = The Club has 2 major fund raisers coming up: Shivoo Fashion Show Luncheon Feb. 9 and Gardens in Paradise Mar. 17, 2018. Please explore our gardens and the website! SarasotaGardenClub.org and like our facebook page! ### Let me know if you would like the photos of last year’s Sarasota Garden Club Civic Beautification Grand Prize Winners on the next page!? ChristyMayRE@gmail.com