SBI, Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix will go on

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By Justine Griffin

Published: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 2:01 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 2:01 p.m.


SARASOTA - The Suncoast Super Boat Grand Prix will take place in Sarasota again this summer, after the Sarasota County Commission on Tuesday voted unanimously to provide $79,000 for the event.

The county will also provide $3,500 in so-called "in-kind services" to support the race.

Festival officials had set an April 11 deadline to raise the money or shelve the boat races, which are held over the Independence Day holiday weekend.

Suncoast Charities for Children, the group behind the boat race and festival, has held the event each summer for nearly three decades but struggled this year to generate necessary financial support.

"Very few Sarasota businesses came forward to support us or donate since we announced we were struggling to find the funding," said festival director Lucy Nicandri. "We are very fortunate that we got the county to approve this."

In March, the county offered $28,500 to help cover costs, but race officials said the amount was not enough. The charity also received a $15,000 grant from Visit Sarasota County, the county's tourism agency, said Virginia Haley, the agency's president.

The city of Sarasota also donated more than $38,000 in in-kind fees, Nicandri said.

Longtime sponsors Sarasota Ford and Gold Coast Eagle Distributing have also donated to the event this year. Gold Coast's donation totals $35,000.

It is uncertain whether county commissioners will budget money for the boat race in the future. Commissioners said Tuesday during a meeting in Venice that this year's funding includes a stipulation that the charity not seek additional county money, other than sanction fees, Nicandri said.

[Bobcat]

[Ratickle]

That's good news. It has sure been there a long time.