(May 30, 2018, Sarasota-Manatee) The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee has received a cornerstone lead gift from community philanthropist Larry Greenspon, creating The Larry Greenspon Family Campus for Jewish Life and The Larry and Mary Greenspon Sports Complex. The gift will be used for the redevelopment of its 32-acre campus on McIntosh Road in Sarasota.
“It’s difficult to fully express our gratitude to Larry for this very impactful gift,” says Michael Ritter, the Federation’s board president. “Larry has always been a visionary and passionate believer in Israel, Judaism and our Sarasota-Manatee Jewish community. He is a role model, a trendsetter and someone who shares our vision of what Jewish life can and should be now and in the future. Our entire community will benefit from Larry’s generosity.”
For many years, Larry and Mary Greenspon have been strong supporters of the Federation. Most recently, they were the lead sponsor of the well-attended Israel@70 community programs and Larry was also honored with the Federation’s “Man of Valor” award. A Chicago native who has lived in the Sarasota area for over 20 years, Larry says, “I am impressed with the Federation’s vision to create a much more extensive multi-use campus for Jewish life in Sarasota-Manatee. I am honored to connect my family’s name to that vision and look forward to seeing it become a reality.”
The Greenspons are also major supporters of the Israel Tennis Centers (ITC), a non-profit that brings tennis and education together to shape the character and transform the lives of 20,000 children annually at its 14 tennis centers throughout Israel. Larry Greenspon is a former international chair of the ITC and his leadership, passion and philanthropy has helped thousands of vulnerable Israeli children, both Jewish and non-Jewish, recognize their potential and realize their dreams. Through tennis, the children improve their physical and healthful wellbeing and develop life skills, including self-confidence, independence, trust in peers and authority, teamwork, focus, goal setting and problem solving. Since 2001, Larry Greenspon has chaired and generously supported more than 16 years of ITC exhibitions in Sarasota and Longboat Key. In 2017, Larry and Mary Greenspon announced the dedication of Israel’s premiere tennis center in Ramat HaSharon that was named in their honor.
During the last several months, Federation management and its board have been working on plans to both refurbish and redevelop its campus. Formal announcements regarding a community-wide capital campaign and other related initiatives will be forthcoming later this year.
About The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee
The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to save Jewish lives and enhance Jewish life in the Sarasota-Manatee region, in Israel, and throughout the world. In addition, the Federation is responsive when worldwide catastrophes occur. For more information, call 941-371-4546 or visit www.jfedsrq.org.