WORDS: Shannon Evans
MAIN PHOTO: City of Bradenton
Once you’ve lived in Florida long enough, you likely don’t bother with daily weather updates. From May to November, it’s hot, with those predictable 4 p.m. thunderstorms rolling through. From November to April, it’s less hot, and, if we’re lucky, we might get a day or two we call “chilly.” It’s predictable. There’s usually no need to scrutinize the forecast.
The exception, …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Margaret J. Wheatley once said, “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” In the heart of Manatee County, the Bradenton Kiwanis Club has harnessed this power for change, weaving a legacy of care and connection for over a century. And among all the causes this service club cares about, children and families rank high.
The word …
WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
When I sat down to chat with Maribeth Phillips, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee (MOW), she was in the midst of handling their Stuff The Bus event, providing meals and supplies for our community after two back-to-back devastating hurricanes, prepping (and promoting on The Suncoast View television show) for their annual fundraiser Empty Bowls in Lakewood Ranch, gathering wrapping paper …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
Who says the most exciting plays happen on the field? Tampa Bay Buccaneer #95 C.J. Brewer traded the playbook for a storybook as he promoted literacy at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature.
On September 10th, downtown Bradenton’s Bishop Museum buzzed with excitement as the Bucs defensive lineman stepped into the spotlight, reading Mary the Manatee by Suzanne Tate to an eager group …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
In a lively preschool classroom, excited children gather around a tub of water. Four-year-old Jackson grips a shiny metal spoon.
“What do you think, friends—will it sink or float?” the teacher asks as Jackson carefully drops the spoon into the water. It plummets to the bottom with a soft thud, and the class erupts in chatter. Next, Jackson picks up a bright rubber duck. He holds his …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
For nearly five decades, the Manatee Area Youth Soccer Organization (MAYSO) has been more than just a soccer program—it’s been a community where kids thrive. Founded in 1976, MAYSO serves boys and girls across Manatee County, prioritizing fun, teamwork, and character development. Whether through recreational leagues or competitive teams, the organization believes every child deserves a chance to play the world’s favorite sport. MAYSO …
WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
The Honorable Shirley Groover Bryant, Mayor of Palmetto, has called the city home her entire life. As the youngest of six, Mayor Shirley, as most locals call her, spent much of her childhood helping in the family business, Groover’s Grocery, and now has her office near to the home where she was born and raised.
She graduated from Palmetto High School and Manatee Community College …
WORDS & PHOTOS: Robyn Bell
My name is Robyn Bell, and this year, I had the honor of being selected for the Dr. Art Engelhard Student Exchange Program. This program, offered through the Hernando De Soto Historical Society, allows local students to visit Bradenton’s sister city of Barcarrota, Spain, and learn firsthand about the history that unites us while being fully immersed in the Spanish culture.
During my time abroad, …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
In the Outpatient Pediatric Therapy clinic of Manatee Memorial Hospital (MMH), you’ll see children at play. Board games and puzzles, climbing frames and swings—the kids are in their element. But they’re also hard at work.
“Therapy is play, because that’s how children learn,” says Director Elizabeth “Liz” Brown, M.S., CCC-SLP. “It’s their job. Adults come to work and type on a computer; kids go to work and …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak, goes the Hopi proverb.
For Michele Mercier, owner and director of Dance University in Lakewood Ranch, dance not only speaks the language of the heart but helps its students find an identity—and discover community. In the seven years since it opened, this family-owned studio has produced a family-like environment among its students, fostering close-knit …
WORDS: Rachel Spivey
The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County (ELC) proudly leads a life-saving initiative funded by the Manatee County Government. The Sleep Baby Safely project, initiated by the Children’s Services Advisory Board (CSAB) and spearheaded by Board Chair Connie Shingledecker, is making waves in our community. The CSAB, a group of dedicated members acting under the Manatee County Code of Ordinances, recommends programs for funding to the Board …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Katelyn Disbro
On a quiet street in Bradenton Beach, among stately homes and rental cottages bathed in bright pastels, one property is not like the others. That’s because many of its residents wear fur, feathers, shells, and even scales. Here, Wildlife Inc. Education and Rehabilitation Center preserves and protects native wildlife, with its ultimate goal of releasing native species back into the wild.
Founded in 1988 …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
MAIN PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
“A college education will adversely affect a woman’s health and fertility.”
Wait. What?
In the late 1900s, women pursuing higher education battled against widely circulated myths like the one above. For women who had obtained a college degree, opportunities were scarce. But in 1881, a group of women rolled up their sleeves and decided change would begin with them.
It started with …
WORDS: Shannon Evans
PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
On her 19th birthday, Veronica Thames (then Veronica Lequeux) boarded a plane and reluctantly said goodbye to her old life. Tears flowed in this movie-like scene, with her friends and boyfriend waving her off at the bottom of the escalator. She traded the cool winter of cosmopolitan Buenos Aires for the comparably sleepy town of Boca Raton, Florida, in sauna-like July. It was …
Tom Bennett Park | 280 Kay Rd, Bradenton, FL 34208
WORDS & PHOTOS: Wendy Dewhurst
It was an exciting morning at Tom Bennett Park for the much-anticipated ribbon cutting and grand opening for the fully ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant Bradenton Kiwanis Playground located at 280 Kay Road in Manatee County.
In 2022, the Kiwanis Club celebrated its 100th anniversary. To celebrate the huge milestone, the then-incoming president, Neil …
