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OUR ORGANIZATION
FOUNDERS, MEMBERS
& BOARD
Service Club of Manatee County is a united group of women whose sole purpose is to support child-ren who reside in Manatee County. Each year, Service Club raises money to help underprivileged children in Manatee County through private donations and our only fundraiser, For the Love of Children Gala. Service Club has been an active charitable organization since 1927 with our Active and Sustaining Members volunteering their time each year to make our only fundraiser a huge success.
Our mission is to support children who reside in Manatee County by raising and distributing funding for the benefit of those who are in need of food, shelter, clothing, health services, or educational services.
Service Club receives grant requests from local non-profit charitable organizations who are committed to improving the lives of local underprivileged children. Our Grant Program Committee thoroughly evaluates each request, personally interviews each organization, and presents their recommendations for funding to our membership for final approval. In 2023, Service Club distributed $132,000 to 32 agencies and programs serving the needs of children in Manatee County.
On March 16, 2024, Service Club will hold its only annual fundraising event, For the Love of Children, with the theme "Boots & Bling". This lively indoor event will take place at the Manatee County Fairgrounds in Palmetto with entertainment, delicious food and dancing. There will be live and silent auctions, a mission moment, and opportunities to win other exciting items.
Check out the "Get Involved" tab on our website to see how you can join us.
SERVICE CLUB'S HISTORY & FOUNDERS
In 1927, Manatee County was a small community struggling through the Florida Depression just before the Great Depression. Ballard Primary School was the only elementary school in Bradenton at that time. A group of Manatee County women noticed children coming to school without lunches and banded together to make sandwiches and cookies, which they delivered confidentially to the school for those children. These women were the founding members of Service Club of Manatee County.
In the 1940s, when the school lunch program became a part of the school system, these women focused on providing school lunch money, clothing, and shoes for the needy children throughout the community. Support for this effort soon came from the rest of the community, which gave financial support and
helped in Service Club's fundraising activities. Some of the fundraising activities were bridge parties, luncheons, rummage sales, dinners, teas, golf tournaments, fashion shows, and evenings at the movies. After World War II, the federal government assumed responsibility for the school lunch program, and Service Club looked to help local children at Children's Haven (now called The Haven), a local center for developmentally disabled children. The same generous impulses that started the lunch program were followed by an even wider concern for the welfare of needy children in matters of health. Local dentists and physicians agreed to provide dental care and eyeglasses and even tonsillectomies for children in need. In 1963, Service Club held its first Antique Show at the Bradenton Municipal Auditorium.
For 54 years, Service Club held an annual Charity Antiques Show. Each year approximately 40 Active Members, and many of our over 100 Sustaining Members, come together to prepare and present our event, now named For the Love of Children Gala.
MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
It is such a privilege to be President of the Service Club of Manatee County. We are a group of about 40 dedicated women, in Manatee County, with the sole purpose of helping children in need. The Service Club of Manatee County was started over 97 years ago and is one of the longest serving clubs in our area. Our goal is to support the children who reside in Manatee County, by raising and distributing funding for the benefit of those who are in need of food, shelter, clothing, health services, or educational services.
Serving with these amazing, compassionate and like minded women has been a pleasure, and built many new friendships. With a common goal to help our youth become all that they can be, and in doing so, build a better future and community for us all. Having one fund raiser a year, can be a challenge in our current times, however, each year we have been able to raise close to $150,000, and aid over 30 area charities. Through our Boots & Bling Gala Event, we had an exciting time at the Palmetto Fair Grounds, with live music, a mechanical bull, delicious entrees and desserts from local restaurants and lots of fun and games. We have already planned to have our next gala on
March 16, 2024, and look forward to another incredible time with families, friends and sponsors.
We are proud to share that the Service Club of Manatee County has also been nominated and a finalist for 2 years in a row, as a Small Business of the Year Non Profit organization. It is truly awesome to see the dedication and growth in this club and I feel blessed to be this years President.
Cheers to 97 Years!
Sincerely,
Jennifer Scott, President
Service Club of Manatee County Florida, Inc.
ACTIVE MEMBERS
Amick, Janene
Arnold,Sharon
Baillie, Elizabeth
Bedford, Deidre
Bell, Kathy
Bell, Valerie
Cohen, Beth
Colavito, Debi
Flanagan, Donna
Frame, Sally Ann
Gurucharri, Jean
Heibner, Louise
Himelberger, Lori
Jennings, Barbara
Kidder, Lori
Klein, Rebecca
Lane, Marlo
Law, Sandy
Lawson, Jamie
Lodwick,Barbara
Long, Randee
Marlar, Martha
Morgan, Corry
Moseley, Susan
Partenheimer, Nora
Pierce, Elizabeth
Pierro, Cindy
Ritchie-Hubbard, Susan
Scott, Jennifer
Shepard, Juliet
Shoemaker, Diana
Smith, Teri
Sokos, Lisa
Thrasher, Natalie
Wiles, Karen
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PAST PRESIDENTS
1927-36 Unknown
1937-38 Pearl Bispham
1938-39 Sarah Leach
1939-40 Evelyn Chaires
1940-41 Marian Green
1941-42 Lia Payne
1942-43 Stella Cox
1943-44 Bobbi King
1944-45 Doris Zoller
1945-46 Lucy Dye
1946-47 Anne Kelbert
1947-58 Unknown
1958-59 Blanche DuBois
1959-60 Sarah Leach
1960-61 Carolyn Juinkin
1961-62 Margaret Wentzel
1962-63 Unknown
1963-64 Ruth Harris
1964-65 Elizabeth Dye Diem
1965-66 Anne Quillian
1966-67 Lois Taylor
1967-68 Helen Turner Matthews
1968-69 Avalon McKenna
1969-70 Sally O'Shea
1970-71 Dorothy Horton
1971-72 Betty Burnett
1972-73 Eleanor Ganey
1973-74 Eulia Stathis
1974-75 Mary Lilla Miller
1975-76 Sheila Leach
1976-77 Elizabeth Page
1977-78 Janie Wilson
1978-79 Anne Doss
1979-80 Rachel Harrison
1980-81 Janet Grimes
1981-82 Barbara Knowles
1982-83 Mary Burnett
1983-84 Virginia McInnis
1984-85 Flavia Preston
1985-86 Jean Shelton
1986-87 Bette Jane DesChamps
1987-88 Georgette Knowles
1988-89 Barbara King
1989-90 Ginny Kinney
1990-91 Alice Trice
1991-92 Bettye Sue McCurry
1992-93 Karen Stewart
1993-94 Mary Louise Gerard-Becker
1994-95 Linda Diem
1995-96 Sherry Bellino
1996-97 Myra Choate
1997-98 Mary Stoll
1998-99 Susie Walters
1999-00 Sheila Jackson
2000-01 Mary Middlebrooks
2001-02 Doris Bassett
2002-03 Mary Beth Bustle
2003-04 Missy Eckenrod
2004-05 Jacquie Braxtan
2005-06 Janice Hamlin
2006-07 Ann Day
2007-08 G. Lee Jones
2008-09 Patsy Pomeroy
2009-10 Polly Gaar
2010-11 Connie Dolin
2011-12 Vicki Zulanas
2012-13 Marcia Wallace
2013-14 Susan Mitchell
2014-15 Eileen Hoffner
2015-16 Sandy Scroggins
2016-17 Nina Richardson
2017-18 Michele Grimes
2018-19 Krista Bloomberg
2019-20 Krista Bloomberg
2020-21 Sandy Law
2021-22. Barbara Lodwick
2022-23 Natalie Thrasher
President: Jennifer Scott
Vice President: Martha Marlar
Recording Secretary: Sandy Law
Corresponding Secretary: Carmen Eurice
Treasurer: Valerie Bell
Assistant Treasurer: Jean Gurucharri
Reporter: Marlo Lane
Parliamentarian: Janene Amick
Immediate Past: President: Natalie Thrasher