My husband and I are on the board of directors for a large nonprofit organization.
Each year, we have a weekend gala to raise money for different organizations.
One place that is near and dear to my heart is Siesta Key Beach. My wife and I have been living in Sarasota, Florida for our whole life. My wife grew up over by the bridge and I grew up a mile from our current home. We knew each other in elementary school, and we saw each other again in college. When I was a kid, I spent every moment at the beach. I rode my bike down to the pier and spent most of the day trying to catch fish. When I was old enough to start surfing, my parents got me lessons and a cool board. One of my favorite places to visit is Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota. There is a lot of active marine life in the area like jellyfish, sharks, dolphins, and other fish. Each year, Sarasota County and Siesta Key is visited by more than 300,000 tourists. That is a great deal of foot traffic. Over the past year, several dead fish and wildlife have washed ashore. The largest problem is companies dumping waste runoff into the water system. It causes many different localized issues. There is a lot of algae in the water known as red tide. My wife and I are hoping to raise a lot of money and awareness during the next gala. There are a lot of projects under way to keep Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota from becoming a wasteland.