Sarasota News Leader

10/19/2012

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Sarasota News Leader October 19, 2012 Siesta Seen Nickie Hartsock, director of the Youth Shelter, told me the facility has 20 beds to serve young people ages 10 to 17. The clients have a vari- ety of issues, she said. They may be homeless, runaways or foster children in between fami- ly placement. Some are dealing with truancy problems; others have behavioral issues, she said. The typical stay at the shelter is 10 to 14 days, Hartsock added. Martini had become aware of fundraisers for the shelter that had been taking place over the past several months, thanks to the generosity of Gecko's Grill and Pub in The Landings, 4870 S. Tamiami Trail, she added. "He came to us saying, '[The paddle] is what we would like to do'" to help, she said. "They rocked it," she added of Martini and Ward. "The kids were so impressed." Martini is a veteran of paddleboard challeng- es, having won and placed highly in competi- tions around the world, from Hawaii to Flor- ida to Australia. Over Memorial Day weekend in 2009, Martini and a friend, Abe Ucello of Siesta Key, pad- dled 36 miles down the length of the Sarasota County coastline to raise funds to support the nascent Junior Lifeguard Program sponsored by Sarasota County Parks and Recreation. Page 81 Robert Martini (left) is ready to start the event as Brad Ward heads out into the Gulf of Mexico. Con- tributed photo

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