BOARD CHAIR CORNER | Jeff Toale Greetings! I hope your summer was most enjoyable! This month the foundation is in full swing in preparation to host the grand finale event of our 25th anniversary celebration—The Soirée at the Ranch 2025! Our headline sponsor for the event is the Lakewood Ranch Country Club and we are thrilled to have them on board! The Soirée at the Ranch is Thursday, November 13, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm at the Lakewood Ranch Country Club. This is an event you do not wish to miss! Sponsorship packages are available so please contact our office at 941-208-6799 or info@LWRCF.org to secure your support and participation. The formal event will begin with a reception on the balcony with passed hors d’oeuvres, refreshments, and a silent auction of the most unique items! After the reception we will move to the upstairs banquet dining room where we will have a delicious sit-down dinner with red and white wines at each table, and enjoy the program which will include the recognition and honoring of the 2025 Humanitarian of the Year. Then we will have a live auction to help raise funds for the foundation and reach our goal of $250,000 for our anniversary. We look forward to seeing you there! By the way, the Humanitarian of the Year 2025 nominations are open! This is your opportunity to nominate deserving community individuals who are inspiring and have done much for our community. Click here for all the details and nomination form. Deadline for submission is September 12 at 5:00 pm. Please read The Board Walk which features one of our board members each month. This month is Keith Pandeloglou, president and CEO of Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. You will enjoy the article and getting to know him. The Builders Give Back section features Stock Luxury Homes this month. Please read the article and view the photographs of their beautiful homes. We thank them for their continued support of the foundation and our community. Gold Coast Eagle Distributing is our featured Community Business Partner. Please read the article about the company and get to know this community supporter! Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties, Epilepsy Services, and the State College of Florida Foundation Inc. are our first quarter 2025 featured grant recipients. You will be impressed with these nonprofit organizations. And last, but certainly not least, is The Dash Digest. Dash has been busy over the summer and is looking forward to cooler weather and the beginning of the fall season. Read what Dash is up to now, and he wants to invite you to sponsor and attend the Soiree at the Ranch grand finale event! Now, let’s Open the Door… to the September newsletter and all the great information that helps make LWRCF an incredible organization! Jeff Toale Chair of the Board Soirée at the Ranch Grand Finale 2025 Headline Sponsor—Lakewood Ranch Country Club When: Thursday, November 13, 2025, 5:30-8:30 pm Where: Lakewood Ranch Country Club, 7650 Legacy Boulevard, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202 This is the grand finale event of our 25th anniversary celebration and you do not want to miss it! It’s a formal attire event beginning with a reception and silent auction of unique and high-end items followed by a program and dinner. We will Open the Door… and welcome all our guests to this exciting event and recognize and honor the 2025 Humanitarian of the Year. You will enjoy a delicious sit-down dinner with all the trimmings along with wine at the tables and participate in a live auction. Sponsorship opportunities are now open; secure yours today by calling 941-208-6799. Mark your calendars now and more details are coming shortly. C. John A. Clarke Humanitarian of the Year Award Nominations The nomination period concludes on September 12. Please ensure all submissions are received by the closing date. Find more info here. Events will be posted on our website as details become available. THE BOARD WALK Our featured board member this month is Keith Pandeloglou, president and CEO of Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. Please read his message and get to know Keith.  I am the incoming chair for the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation. I first became involved with LWRCF when we were just a fund in 2018. At that time, I started a Founders 50 fund for my business, UTC Venture Group. My goal was simple – how to give back to a number of nonprofits without feeling as if I had to do the searching and vetting as to who best needed funds. This is where LWRCF came in. As a small business owner, we are constantly asked to help support our many deserving local nonprofits, and it can be a lot of work to determine where funds are needed. By partnering with the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation, we’re able to make one donation that is then allocated professionally and thoughtfully by our grants committee on a quarterly basis to those deserving nonprofits. In 2022, I was offered the opportunity to join the board, and have since served on various committees including the events committee and most recently chair of the HR committee. My role with the community foundation is a natural one, as my day job involves administering Lakewood Ranch Community Activities as its president and CEO, a role that I’ve gladly held for the past nine years. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my beautiful wife, Melissa, playing volleyball and golf, and watching Philadelphia sports. BUILDERS GIVE BACK This month we feature Stock Luxury Homes. They are great supporters of the foundation as well our community. Please read their article and view the gorgeous photographs of several of their model homes. Stock Luxury Homes is proud to be a featured builder in the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation’s Builders Give Back program. Stock Luxury Homes is the acclaimed luxury homebuilding division of Stock Development. For more than 20 years, Stock’s name has been synonymous with exceptional craftsmanship and incomparable lifestyles. Recognized as one of the leading developers and builders