LAKEWOOD RANCH -- In a matter of just a couple of months, Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee and DeSoto counties stepped up to more than meet a Holiday Challenge Grant and infuse the Manatee County and Southwest Florida chapters of the American Red Cross with $232,014 in badly needed cash.
Issuing the challenge to match all donations up to $100,000 were the Slater-Kassan Charitable Fund of the Manatee Community Foundation, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, Neal Communities and CF Industries of Wauchula.
It was a case of east meets west, said Chuck and Jeannie Slater, of Anna Maria Island, representing the Slater-Kassan Charitable Fund. Jeannie Slater also chairs the Manatee Chapter of the American Red Cross.
“Our thrill is that the community, even in this difficult economic time, came through,” Jeannie Slater said at the Red Cross Challenge celebration party Thursday night at Fete Ballroom.
This was the largest matching grant in Manatee County in several years, said Nicole Rissler, director of development and community affairs for the local chapter of the Red Cross.
Donations were equally split between large and small donors, and most encouragingly, attracted 97 new donors who had never contributed to the Red Cross, Rissler said. More than 500 donors helped out.
Having the Red Cross in a high state of readiness is important to all residents, and especially to those who live on Anna Maria Island, which would face severe challenges in the event of a hurricane, Chuck Slater said.
Issuing the challenge grants is also an example of the importance of giving back to the Slaters’ six children and nine grandchildren, with a 10th on the way, Chuck Slater said.
Todd Pokrywa, SMR’s vice president of planning and an Manatee Red Cross board member, said his company is a stakeholder in the community and understands the need to be prepared in the event of a disaster.
The safety of residents would be a prime concern during any disaster and it’s important that the Red Cross have the resources it needs to help out, Pokrywa said.
The challenge grant also helped raise awareness of the need for disaster preparedness, he said. That can be a challenge, considering that the last significant storm threats to Manatee County were in 2004 and 2005, Rissler said.
While the fundraising spurt was substantial, it doesn’t mean the local Red Cross chapter is rolling in money. “This puts us back to where we should be,” said Bobbi Larson, CEO of the Manatee Chapter of the Red Cross.
The recession has been a drag on fundraising efforts by most nonprofits. In spite of that, when there is a disaster, “the American people are very generous,” Chuck Slater said.
James A. Jones Jr., East Manatee editor, can be contacted at 745-7021.
