Sarasota Paradise soccer hosts Breast Cancer Awareness Night
The Sarasota Paradise is partnering with the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation for Pink in Paradise Breast Cancer Awareness Night on Oct. 10 when the soccer club hosts the Richmond Kickers at 7:30 p.m. at Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch.
The Paradise will donate a portion of ticket sales to the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation. Fans and members of the community can support the initiative ahead of the game by making a donation through the Pink in Paradise fundraising page (tinyurl.com/59dy6za3).
"Pink in Paradise is about using our platform to bring our community together around an issue that touches so many families," said Ray Smetanick, VP of soccer operations. "We want October 10 to be a night where we celebrate survivors, stand alongside
those currently fighting breast cancer, and remember those we have lost."
A mobile mammography bus also will be on site at Premier Sports Campus starting at 3:30 p.m., providing screenings, and a series of activities to raise awareness and practical support will be available after the game. For tickets, visit tickets.sarasotaparadise.us. Supporters who cannot attend can still contribute at floridabreastcancer.org.
NAMI Walks event supports free mental health programs
The National Alliance on Mental Illness Sarasota and Manatee Counties is hosting its sixth annual NAMI Walks event to raise awareness about mental health on Oct. 10 from 8-11 a.m. at Payne Park in Sarasota.
The event supports NAMI's free mental health programs and services for more than 10,000 youth, adults, families, and caregivers in Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. Registration and donation information is available at NAMISarasotaManatee.org.
“Every year, one in five adults experiences a mental health challenge, either for themselves or a loved one,” NAMI CEO Colleen Thayer said. “When they do, NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties is there to help ... Our walk is a way for the community to come together as one and break the silence and stigma that too often surround mental illness.”
NAMI Walks will include music by DJ Bustin Justin, group jazzercise by Jazzercise Lakewood Ranch, a silent auction, exhibits by local mental and medical health care providers, and food trucks. Sponsors include the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, Lifeline Productions, Sir Speedy, North Port Behavioral Health, and Tidewater Total Mind Care.
Selby Gardens 2026 Orchid Show features Bradenton artist's work
Selby Gardens will present The Orchid Show 2026: Christian Sampson at the Downtown Sarasota campus on Oct. 10 through Dec. 6.
The show will feature a creative collaboration between the Selby Gardens team and Sampson, known for creative installations of color, light, and form using glass, acrylic, and dichroic film. A selection of Sampson’s works will be exhibited in the Richard and Ellen Sandor Museum of Botany & the Arts. Additional works will be in the gardens and in the Display Conservatory.
“The Orchid Show 2026 invites visitors to see orchids in an entirely new light,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, Selby Gardens CEO. “Christian’s vibrant works create a dialogue between art and nature, transforming our living collections through color, light, and form – the kind of discovery that happens when art and science inspire one another.”
Sampson, a Bradenton native, earned a BFA from Ringling College of Art and Design and an MFA from Hunter College in New York. His works have been exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, the Laguna Art Museum in California, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.
Sarasota County Tax Collector adds self-service MV kiosks
The Sarasota County Tax Collector's Office recently expanded access to self-service registration renewal kiosks, including the first kiosk location in North Port and five additional kiosks throughout Sarasota County.
Kiosks allow customers to renew their motor vehicle registration using a renewal notice or license plate number. Upon completing an eligible transaction, customers receive their registration and decal immediately. For more information, including eligibility requirements, visit SarasotaTaxCollector.gov.
The additional kiosk locations include Publix at Cocoplum Village Shops, 17179 Tamiami Trail, North Port; Publix at Venice Commons, 1445 E. Venice Ave., Venice; Publix at Sarasota Village Plaza, 3690 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota; Publix at Fruitville Farms, 1940 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Sarasota; Publix at Broadway Promenade, 1044 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; and Sarasota County Tax Collector Mid-County Office, 6100 Sawyer Loop Road, Sarasota.
Around and about
· Town Square University Parkway will host Fashion Show for a Cause: Runway of Hope, a free community event benefiting the TeamTony Cancer Foundation on Oct. 6 from 5-6:30 p.m. at Town Square University Parkway, 8450 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota. Info: 941-277-5048.
· The 2026-27 Sarasota Jewish Chorale musical season is underway and the organization is seeking more singers. Rehearsals take place Thursday evenings. For information, contact Herb Fox, president, at herbfox61@gmail.com, or Marcy Miller, membership chair, at marcymiller8081@gmail.com.
· Sample ballots for Sarasota County voters for the November 3 General Election are now available online. Visit SarasotaVotes.gov. Sample ballots also have been mailed to all registered voters (except those who requested vote-by-mail ballots). For more information, call 941-861-8619.
· Nik Wallenda's Wonderland Circus is seeking community support to provide free tickets for Sarasota-Manatee children in Title I schools, underserved families, first responders, and local charities. The circus is scheduled Nov. 21 through Jan. 2. Visit nikwallendafamilyfoundation.org.
· Tickets are on sale for All Faiths Food Bank's 20th annual Bowls of Hope fundraiser on Nov. 8 at 11 a.m. at Ed Smith Stadium (2700 12th St., Sarasota). The event supports the fight against food insecurity in Sarasota and DeSoto counties. Individual tickets and sponsorships are available by visiting allfaithsfoodbank.org/bowls-of-hope.
· The Sarasota Players has launched a six-month fundraising campaign to raise $500,000 for renovations to its new home, Payne Park Auditorium. Corporate, business, and community members can contribute directly to the longevity of Sarasota’s first performing arts organization. Information about naming opportunities is coming soon; new seats are already available for $250. Visit theplayers.org/PayneParkSprint or contact The Sarasota Players at 941-365-2494.
Submissions by Ryan Bailey, Jake Hartvigsen, Nancy Seijas-Kipnis, Amy Doran, Rabbi Elaine Rose Glickman, Skyler Betts, Robin Williams, Tyson Pruitt, Jesse Biter, Sharon Kunkel, and Amanda Heisey.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota Paradise soccer club to host Breast Cancer Awareness Night
