By Rusty Chinnis
Salon (noun) – a conversational gathering of notables held at the home of a prominent person.
On Saturday afternoon, Suncoast Waterkeeper held its Suncoast Salon fundraiser at the Sarasota home of Anna Maria residents Bill and Debbie Partridge. The event was a sellout and attracted some of the area’s most ardent protectors of the Sarasota Bay watershed, including the event sponsors, Beachside Management, The Mikki and Walter Frank Family Charitable Fund, Manatee Community Foundation, Whistanfox LLC and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.
The event was held on the lawn behind the oldest home on Sarasota Bay and was greeted with fabulous weather, a full moon and a beautiful sunset. Tents were placed on the lawn and themed with the organization’s work to protect the Sarasota Bay watershed. The event was catered by Harry’s Continental Kitchen and a wonderful evening of music was provided by The Hedges. The Salon aimed to spark excitement and to increase commitment to the area’s natural resources. The invite-only event created a unique opportunity for clean water supporters to engage on important local issues and speak to local leaders.
The mission at Suncoast Waterkeeper (SCWK) is to protect and restore the waters on the Florida Suncoast for the benefit of all through community and stakeholder engagement, environmental monitoring, advocacy and responsible legal action. Our goal is clean water for all.
SCWK has curtailed sewage spills, stopped industrial pollution, informed the public about the safety of recreational waters and tackled one of the largest local environmental disasters of our time – the Piney Point phosphate dump. Since 2019, the organization’s members have settled eight Clean Water Act citizen suits; five acted against municipalities illegally spilling over 1 trillion gallons of sewage and three aimed to stop industrial facilities from illegally discharging heavy-metal-laden stormwater. Combined, the suits contributed more than $500,000 for environmental projects and hundreds of millions of dollars to improve infrastructure.
The salon proved a wonderful opportunity for like-minded protectors of Sarasota and Manatee waters to get together for an evening of discussion, food, music and camaraderie on Sarasota Bay. It also raised funds for the organization to continue its efforts to protect the area’s ecosystem and economy. To help with the mission, join the organization, volunteer and donate at www.suncoastwaterkeeper.org.
