SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – The 30th Brunch on the Bay, the signature philanthropic event for the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, raised more than $400,000 for student scholarship on Sunday, March 2.
A sold-out crowd of almost 575 guests strolled the grounds of a remade campus and gathered under a large tent staked in front of the new Student Center and Atala Residence Hall to enjoy fine dining and drinks from 21 local restaurants and caterers.
The total raised — $402,550 — came from ticket sales, sponsorships, and proceeds of a paddle raise.
Over the past three decades, Brunch on the Bay has awarded $1.2 million in scholarships for some 2,500 local students.
Brett Kemker, at the first Brunch on Bay since he was named interim regional chancellor of the campus in January, said Brunch guests, and the entire community, have had a “profound” impact on USF Sarasota-Manatee graduates.
“And it is not only your financial support during Brunch, it is the continuing partnership and opportunities you create for our students,” Kemker said.
Alison Frate, a senior who will graduate debt free with a marketing degree in May and start law school in the fall, thanked attendees for her Brunch on the Bay scholarships.
“Brunch scholarships have allowed me to focus on my studies and pursue academic opportunities instead of working long hours to pay for tuition,” Frate said.
The success of this year’s Brunch on the Bay was a credit to many, especially after it was postponed by four months after three hurricanes hit the region last fall. That includes the 21 local restaurants and catering firms that served food and drinks to Brunch guests on Sunday.
All of the restaurants and other sponsors signed up for the original date in November remained part of Brunch on the Bay after it was rescheduled — a testament to the popularity of the event, the resilience of the community and its support for USF Sarasota-Manatee students.
Five of the businesses — Michael’s on East, Drink Katy’s, Pier 22, Mattison’s and Gold Coast Eagle — have been at every Brunch on the Bay since 1994.
USF Credit Union was the title sponsor for Brunch on the Bay, which was co-chaired by Bill Mariotti, a USF Sarasota-Manatee alumnus and a member of the Campus Board; and Scott Olthoff, president of CORE Construction Florida, the construction manager for the new Student Center and Atala Residence Hall, which opened in August.
Numerous past chairs and co-chairs, current and former USF officials and local political leaders were among the guests Sunday.
Charles Baumann said many people in the community were not familiar with USF Sarasota-Manatee when he chaired the first Brunch on the Bay in 1994. Many considered USF Sarasota-Manatee as only a “commuter” school, and the current campus did not even exist until 2006.
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