Movers and Shakers: Designing Daughters of Sarasota to Transform Restaurant Into Modern-Day Havana Club for Fundraiser

SARASOTA – Designing Daughters of Sarasota (DesigningDaughtersSarasota.com), a charitable organization of young professional women dedicated to enhancing the community and cultivating the next generation of philanthropists through strategic granting, is hosting Hot Havana Nights, its annual fashionable gala, on Friday, April 22 at 8 p.m.

Attendees will step into a savvy modern-day Havana club where a surprise performance awaits. The event will feature Cuban hors d’oeuvres, mojito and cigar rolling bars and high-energy salsa and top 40 tunes at Servandos in Sarasota.

Directly benefiting the Designing Daughters of Sarasota’s grant program, all proceeds will be awarded to local nonprofit organizations. Last year, the group raised $43,000 and handed out 13 grants between $1,600 and $5,000 to local nonprofits.

”Last year’s event was very successful,“ said Kelsey Alholm, an event co-chair and a member of Designing Daughters of Sarasota. ”The more we raise, the more we are able to give back to our community. Every dollar represents an opportunity for additional grants, and we couldn’t raise the funds needed without the support of our members, sponsors and all of our community partners.“

The event co-chairs are Alholm, Meghan Buchanan, Lauren Graham Wohlwend and Ashley Markley. Individual tickets are $95 and sponsorships are still available at www.DesigningDaughtersSarasota.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on the day of the event.

About Designing Daughters of Sarasota

Shelley Lister, then a Designing Women Boutique board member, founded Designing Daughters in 2009. The charitable organization was formed as a committee to attract younger supporters and to help the organization with its fundraising efforts. Along with founding President Nikki Taylor, past Presidents Jane Thompson and Montana Taplinger and current President Jennifer Rust and others, the committee grew far beyond expectations.

As of January 2015, because of this growth, Designing Daughters of Sarasota partnered with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to maximize its giving potential. Designing Daughters of Sarasota’s goal is to give grants to several local charities each year and with almost no overhead. Designing Daughters of Sarasota is made up of an impressive list of local, young and influential women who are well connected in the community and have been very successful in forming strategic alliances and getting underwriters to cover the expenses for these events.