Author: Jasmine

Southwest Florida’s premier private homebuilder, Neal Communities, recently donated $8,000 to various organizations in the Venice community.

Neal Communities gave $5,000 to sponsor the Venice High School Volleyball Association; $1,500 as a platinum plus sponsor of the Venice Moose Lodge Golf Outing benefitting Special Olympics; $500 as a season sponsor for the Venice Vikings Football & Cheer program, and $500 as a Silver Sponsor of the Women’s Sertoma of Venice Sun Fiesta.

“We truly appreciate the continued support from Neal Communities over the years,” said Jeff Reynolds, a member of Venice High School Volleyball parental advisory board. “It is through such purposeful and sustained donations from companies like Neal Communities that help make the Venice High volleyball program one of the most competitive in the state of Florida and further enhances our community.”

Neal Communities has a philanthropic culture and a core belief that “Where You Live Matters.” This latest giving is part of more than $7.5 million Neal Communities has donated to local charities and causes throughout Southwest Florida.

“We encourage our employees to get involved in organizations that matter to them and make a difference in the community, and we are dedicated to supporting those efforts,” said Pat Neal, founder and chairman of Neal Communities. “We place a special focus on organizations that help people, especially young people in the community, or those that make our region a great place to live.”

For more information about Neal Communities, visit NealCommunities.com.

Neal Communities recently provided $25,000 to assist with relief from the effects of Hurricane Ian.

“There are so many organizations that are assisting with the storm recovery and helping people get back to a sense of normalcy after Hurricane Ian,” said Ivory Matthews, vice president of community and governmental affairs for Neal Communities. “Specifically, the organizations that we are supporting have either directly assisted our employees with their own personal recovery or they are directly assisting the communities in which we serve.”

Neal Communities donated $2,500 to All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota County, which has helped distribute food to families throughout the region; $2,500 to Meals on Wheels in Manatee County to specifically assist those in Myakka City; $5,000 to The Bridge Church and Samaritan’s Purse, which have partnered to assist residents in Venice, Englewood and North Port with tarping roofs, tree removal, debris cleanup and other services; $7,000 toward the Florida Disaster Fund, and $8,000 to the American Red Cross serving in both Charlotte and Lee Counties.

Neal Communities employs 300 residents throughout the region, from Tampa to Naples. After the storm hit, the organization surveyed its employees to identify who was impacted and in what way. Once the company made sure those most severely affected were taken care of, it began the process of making donations to those organizations making a difference in the area. “Employees were kind enough to tell us who was helping them,” Matthews said. “In the South Region’s case, we learned what organizations were front and center in the area.”

Neal Communities, based in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, is Southwest Florida’s largest and most established locally owned and operated private builder. During the company’s 50-year history, it has built over 19,000 new homes in more than 90 acclaimed communities from Tampa to Naples. With a core belief that “Where You Live Matters,” Neal Communities has given more than $7.5 million to local charities throughout Southwest Florida and is committed to the communities where they live, work and build.

“There are so many heroes who are making an impact in our region and in the lives of people who were affected,” said Pat Neal, founder and chair of Neal Communities. “I’m thankful that we, as a company, are able to help some of the organizations that are directly making a difference in the recovery.”

For more information about Neal Communities, visit NealCommunities.com.

Raylene Gaines knows first-hand what it is like to see people she loves fight cancer. She has had several people in her life impacted, including her uncle, mother and best friend.

Her passion to help those she loves defeat the disease drives her to lead a team each year during the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Her son, Shane, follows suit and raises his own funds to support the cause.

“There are so many people that I know that have been affected by cancer,” Gaines said. “I will probably never quit doing this because it just means so much to me.”

This year’s walk took place on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota. More than 245 teams raised $418,350 to assist the American Cancer Society with breast cancer research and services. Funds will continue to be raised throughout the rest of the calendar year.

The noncompetitive three-mile Walk is designed to heighten awareness about the risk of getting breast cancer and raise money to help the American Cancer Society. Funds collected also help women gain access to mammograms.

Gaines, who is the office manager at Charlene Neal PureStyle, lead a team sponsored by Neal Communities. The team, called Building Hope with Pink Pride, consisted of friends and employees of Neal Communities. While the team’s 40 members raised funds individually, Neal Communities also contributed $2,500 to the cause. This was the 12th year that Neal Communities sponsored a team. In total, the team raised $6,249.

“We are happy to support such a worthy cause in our community which raises funds to help with cancer research and provide needed services,” said Pat Neal, founder and chairman of Neal Communities.

For Gaines, Neal Communities’ continued support means a lot. She almost lost her own mother a few years ago to breast cancer. Thankfully, she said, her mother is now in remission.

Gaines said her son, Shane, walks each year to support his family and their battles against the disease. While his grandmother on his mother’s side survived, he lost his great grandmother on his father’s side to breast cancer. Gaines said Shane makes an extra special showing at the Walk, typically wearing outlandish pink clothing including a woman’s bra on the outside of his shirt, to show his support. She said it is always fun to see what Shane wears each year as he makes his walk.

“It’s just a great cause, and it is very pink,” she said – referring to the crowds of people who all wear pink as they walk. “It brings awareness. Just getting the word out in conversation about how prevalent breast cancer is and how much it affects us all is an incredibly important result of the Walk.”

For more information about the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, visit www.MakingStridesWalk.org/SarasotaManatee.

Neal Communities sponsored Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s signature gala, Oceanic Evening, to assist with world-class research, conservation of the area’s natural resources and promote science education.

Neal Communities provided a $6,000 sponsorship for the event, which took place on October 29 and supports Mote’s research programs focused on the understanding of manatees, sea turtles, sharks and coral reefs and on conservation and restoration efforts of those species and their ecosystems.

“We not only care about protecting and preserving the natural resources on land, we also care about protecting our natural resources within our oceans,” said Pat Neal, founder and chairman of Neal Communities.

Mote Marine Laboratory is one of the oldest marine research laboratories in the Sunshine State. The lab first opened in 1955. While the Lab’s beginning years primarily focused on sharks, Mote’s research has expanded to include other areas of research such as studies of human cancer using marine models, the effects of human-made and natural toxic substances on humans and on the environment, the health of wild fisheries, developing sustainable and successful fish restocking techniques and food production technologies and the development of ocean technology to help better understand the health of the environment.

With a core belief that “Where You Live Matters,” Neal Communities has given more than $7.5 million to local charities throughout Southwest Florida and is committed to the communities where they live, work and build. Over the years, Neal Communities has championed academic, athletic, cultural, environmental and philanthropic programs that support the arts, community, non-profit and educational organizations.

“Mote is instrumental in a variety of marine research and conservation efforts. Their research not only benefits our local environment, but their education programs help generations understand the role that everyone can play in aiding marine life and helping our planet,” said Ivory Matthews, Vice President of Community and Government Affairs. “We were proud to be sponsors of this year’s Oceanic Evening event to support a research organization that is making a difference.”

For more information about Mote Marine Laboratory, visit mote.org. For more information about Neal Communities’ community support, visit NealCommunities.com/where-you-live-matters.

The Bradenton community celebrated a groundbreaking on Oct. 11 at Lewis Park to recognize the construction of the city’s first ever all-inclusive playground experience, which will provide recreational and active-living opportunities for every child in the region.

The $415,000 ADA-compliant playground was made possible through a partnership between the City of Bradenton and the Rotary’s Suncoast Playground Projects, Inc., which obtained community donations from organizations, businesses and individuals.

Among those who donated, Neal Communities, as a company, contributed $75,000 to the project, and Neal Communities President Michael Storey contributed $15,000 of his own personal funds.

“We’ve all heard the familiar sounds of a playground where kids are laughing and shrieking and playing. To be denied as a kid is not fair,” Storey said. “We are truly happy that — as both an organization and through my own family — we could help make this playground a reality for everyone.”

Once completed, the playground will be the only purpose-built destination of its kind in Manatee County, serving children of all ages and abilities in the immediate region. The playground will include separate play areas for ages 2 to 5 and for ages 5 to 12. The playground also will include a section of swings – including one that can accommodate a child in a wheelchair.

Lewis Park is considered a neighborhood park with shade trees, walking trails, two gazebos and grills. It is situated on First Avenue West between 30th and 31st Streets.

The project was spearheaded by Rotary Clubs of Manatee County, a network of several Rotary clubs in the area. Rotary’s Suncoast Playground Projects, Inc. was formed and launched a capital campaign in 2016, after a grandmother approached the club to help her grandson, Easton, who is confined to a wheelchair. She explained to the Rotarians that there was no playground in Manatee County for Easton to enjoy, said Tom Norton, who heads the Rotary’s Suncoast Playground Projects, Inc.

“Our Rotary Club was very interested in helping, so we put together a plan,” Norton said.

Neal Communities was one of the first major contributors to the campaign, he said. “It was Neal Communities who kickstarted our capital campaign with their donation. They gave us a great shot in the arm to get us going.”

Afterward, more donations started to come from businesses and individuals. Norton said that once the fundraising was completed, they were thrilled to learn that the City of Bradenton was interested in putting a playground at Lewis Park.

“The entire Rotary’s Suncoast Playground Projects, Inc. team is profoundly grateful for every contribution, large and small, that we have received,” Norton said in a release from the City of Bradenton. “Our mission of providing an inclusive playground that every child can enjoy is becoming a reality. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get closer to that goal.”

For Easton, the playground has been a long time coming, said his mother, Jennifer Crofoot. Born with spina bifida, Easton will never walk. Although that has not slowed the charismatic, naturally happy boy, she said. “He can do anything that his friends can do; he just has to do it differently,” Crofoot said. “In fact, when he was a little kid, some of his friends would go home and tell their parents that they wanted a wheelchair, too.”

Crofoot said it was her mother who first approached the Rotary Club for help with a playground for Easton. At the time, she and her mother didn’t realize they would be starting a seven-year campaign. “The City of Bradenton has been incredible. We’re glad everything is happening now, as it should,” Crofoot said. She is hoping to host Easton’s 12th birthday at the playground in January.

“I’m thrilled this is finally coming to fruition,” Crofoot said. “Most people would have walked away years ago from this. But the Rotary stuck through, and Pat (Neal) and Mike (Storey) both got the ball rolling with their big donation. We’re really grateful for that.”

The City of Bradenton was proud to come on board and offer a place for the specialized playground, said Mayor Gene Brown.

“Working with the Rotary Club on this ADA compliant playground is something the City of Bradenton and all of its residents can be proud of,” Brown said. “We want no child to be excluded from enjoying our neighborhood parks. We are so grateful for the efforts of the Rotary Club, and we can’t wait to see our children enjoying this beautiful park.”

Councilwoman Marianne Barnebey echoed the Mayor’s thoughts. She represents the city’s Ward Two, the district where Lewis Park is located. “The City of Bradenton is working to upgrade all of its neighborhood parks to be ADA compliant,” she said. “We are grateful to the Rotary Club for its donation of almost a half a million dollars to support the City in this effort to convert Lewis Park to have a playground that all kids can enjoy. Having a community partner to do this means that we can get to other parks sooner. We are thrilled to be able to offer community parks that will serve all children who want to use it.”

For more information about the City of Bradenton’s parks system, visit CityofBradenton.com/ParksRec.