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Sarasota News Leader April 12, 2013 Page 49 SARASOTA COUNTY NAMED 2013 ALL-AMERICA CITY AWARD FINALIST Sarasota County has been named one of 20 finalists for the All-America City Awards, a nationwide contest established by the National Civic League that recognizes communities demonstrating innovation, civic engagement and cross-sector collaboration. Sarasota County won the award in 2006. This year's All-America City finalists were selected on the basis of initiatives that honor and benefit military veterans and their families, a county news release says. Sarasota County's submission focused on the first-of-a-kind partnership between The Patterson Foundation and the National Cemetery Administration, which resulted in the following: to those who have made the greatest sacrifices, and support for their families. Our society will not flourish if we do not meet the needs of our youth, and a project like the Institute for the Ages could revolutionize how we age as a society. Community partners like The Patterson Foundation are crucial to the success of such ambitious projects," he added. Since its establishment in 2010, The Patterson Foundation has focused on supporting collaboration locally and beyond, according to Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation, in the release. "From the first-ever partnership with the National Cemetery Administration to construct Patriot Plaza at Sarasota National Cemetery, • Patriot Plaza, a ceremonial amphitheater at to the inspiring community partnerships that Sarasota National Cemetery. are forming to honor veterans and their fam• Legacy of Valor, a community-connecting ilies, we're proud of how our community campaign to honor veterans and their fam- comes together to create new realities," said Jacobs in the release. ilies. Once described by pollster George Gallup as a "Nobel Prize" for civic accomplishment, the All America City Awards have been given to more than 600 communities since their inception in 1949, the release notes. Cities, neighborhoods, towns, counties and metropolitan regions are all eligible to apply. Sarasota County joins Miami Lakes and Fort Lauderdale as "One of the most important roles local govfinalists this year. The National Civic League ernment can play is as a facilitator, to create will name the winners June 14-16. opportunities where individuals and organizations can bring reality to vision," said Sarasota For more information, contact the Sarasota County Administrator Randall H. Reid in the County Call Center at 861-5000 (TTY: 7-1-1), release. "As a society, we owe a place of honor or visit www.scgov.net. Sarasota County also highlighted its collaborative community work at the North Sarasota Library "to foster intelligence, integrity and inspiration in the neighborhood's youth; and a community-driven effort to establish the Institute for the Ages as a global test-bed for aging innovation," the release adds.