Every two years, our community comes together for 24 hours to donate what we can to charitable organizations serving Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. 

Last time, in 2020, with the pandemic raging and our future unknown, the Historical Society thought the need for human services was more pressing than the need to save the very fabric of our history. We could wait for the help: people couldn’t. So two years ago we asked our supporters to think People First Then Buildings.

Now, in 2022, we come to ask history-lovers, our members, and our supporters to join us in the effort to save the Crocker Memorial Church. Many of you have followed, and participated in, the saving of the west wall of the Church, and for that we are most thankful.

But a building, of course, has four walls (and in this case, a steeple, a portico with columns, a flight of stairs and handicap ramp) which are in ongoing need for preservation. We now face the daunting task of raising funds for the east wall. The window sills are rotting and need to be replaced so that the original windows can be saved.

The Historical Society is proud to have been one of the original charities invited to join the Giving Challenge in its first year, and happy to join the over 700 area nonprofits participating in this year’s Giving Challenge, a 24-hour online event between noon Tuesday April 26 and noon Wednesday April 27. During this time, your gift of $25 to $100 will be doubled by The Patterson Foundation.

Since 2012, the Giving Challenge has acted as a catalyst for connection and provided more than $59 million in unrestricted funding in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties.