First Monday at Mercedes Draws 400 People

By: Laurey Stryker, Initiative Manager

Living on the Suncoast Magazine, the Arts and Cultural Alliance and the Education Foundation of Sarasota County came to Mercedes-Benz General Manager Ernie Withers with an idea and a purpose: Mondays at Mercedes (M at M), an event series to raise awareness, friends and funds for the Education Foundation of Sarasota County’s EdExplorations.

They are shouting out that every new or increased dollar to help children explore and learn from Sarasota’s cultural riches will be matched, dollar for dollar, by The Patterson Foundation.

Some 400 people signed up – who knew that this inaugural Mondays at Mercedess (there will be more on a monthly basis) would be so enthusiastically embraced? I think General Manager, Ernie Withers knew and is so generously sharing his friends on behalf of Sarasota's public school students.

The evening includes performances by students and community arts groups to showcase how cultural experiences become part of the DNA of students and inspire learning while seeing working artists.

I’ll have an opportunity to encourage folks to leverage their funds through The Patterson Foundation’s matching challenge in the ambiance of the gorgeous Mercedes showroom.  I’ll be telling the group that this may be best investment opportunity around – 100 percent return on money dedicated to students having high-quality, classroom-connected experiences with long-term payoffs.  Pledges of new or increased donations made now for the next 3 years garner the 100 percent match when they are paid.