“Unity Award” Winners Receive Honorariums from Community Foundation of Sarasota County to Support Nonprofit Causes, Promote Equality, Diversity, Inclusion

Categories: BELONGING AND CULTURE: Uniting Community, Nonprofits,

SARASOTA, FL – In honor of Sarasota Magazine’s 11th annual “Unity Awards” that celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion in our community, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County has awarded honorarium grants from its President’s Fund to each of this year’s award winners.

The recipients include:

  • Michael Kinsey, Dwight Josey and Jim Minor for connecting others through the “Support Sarasota-Manatee Black-Owned Businesses” Facebook group
  • Sarah Hernandez for advancing social justice and racial equality
  • Phillip Tavill for helping infants, toddlers, and their families through Children First
  • Joe and Mary Kay Henson for inspiring philanthropy from food inequality to education to emergency funds
  • E. Scott Osborne for advocating for gender equality in Sarasota and across the globe
  • Dr. Randall Morgan for dedicating his career to promoting health care equity
  • Queen Zabriskie for convening conversations about race at New College and beyond
  • Trevor Harvey for fighting to improve and give voice to the lives of people living in Newtown

I’m in awe at the tenacity, hard work, and passion for enduring change each and every one of these exemplary leaders brings to their work in our community,” says Roxie Jerde, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “By challenging our worldviews and leading with empathy, these award winners are building bridges that help others succeed and find hope. These actions are more than commendable, they’re life-changing.”

The awards were presented Tues., Feb. 23 during a free virtual celebration livestreamed on social media, and are featured in the magazine’s February issue, which can be found online here.

“As all of today’s winners demonstrate through their efforts, in the face of crisis we are far from powerless,” says Jerde. “One act of kindness, one life touched at a time, each one of us can be a catalyst to bring others together and build the community where everyone belongs and thrives.”

The Unity Awards were first presented by Sarasota Magazine in 2010 and has continued every year since. The awards honor people who are “champions of diversity” and build bridges by promoting respect, acceptance, cooperation, and tolerance with a goal of equality among racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, ability, age, and socioeconomic groups.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is committed to improving the lives of all people. We believe the strength of our community is in its diversity. Together, we strive to address issues and create opportunities so all people can achieve their full potential. To learn more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, visit https://www.cfsarasota.org/about/diversity-equity-inclusion.

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About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $421 million in more than 1,500 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $48.9 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $323 million to area nonprofit organizations to our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.