From The Observer by Leslie Dwyer. Link to original article.
The Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle brought sponsors and recipients together to look back on 2024.
The corner room in The Lake Club’s Grande Clubhouse was meticulous on the afternoon of Feb. 27 when the Lake Club Women’s Giving Circle held its annual Celebration of Women, Philanthropy and Community.
The sun was shining in through large glass windows overlooking the veranda. Chatter bounced off the walls. Macarons and parfaits were artfully displayed on tiered trays, among a feast of appetizers and sweets. Servers circulated through the room, topping off glasses and taking plates.
“We live in a bubble here (in The Lake Club),” board member Nancy Lepain said. “And two miles away from us, people are suffering in poverty and children don’t have food. It’s our responsibility to help in any way we can to make their lives a little better.”
The group doesn’t simply write checks from the bubble. They were recognizing the volunteer hours, food and clothing drives and also the $33,000 given to nonprofits across the area in 2024.
The event brought together sponsors, such as Jared Hermann with Morgan Stanley, and grant recipients, such as Maribeth Phillips, CEO of Meals on Wheels Plus of Manatee.
When Meals on Wheels held a cereal drive in May 2024, the club collected 152 pounds of cereal.
“Considering how light cereal is, that was a lot of boxes,” Vice-chair Jennifer Alokeh said. “This evening is a celebration of the tangible impact we’ve made in our community through our grants, outreach initiatives and collective power of women coming together for a shared mission.”