Anna Maria Oyster Bar is proud to announce that CEO John Horne & his wife, AMOB Royal Consort aka Director of Marketing and Philanthropy, Amanda Horne, were presented the Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation Bert South Philanthropic Award, awarded annually by the Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation to honor an individual, family or group who best reflects the Foundation’s philanthropic values.
Excerpts from the nomination forms were shared during the award ceremony, noting that, “John and Amanda Horne are uniquely deserving of this prestigious Kiwanis Award. From creating and funding a scholarship fund, to implementing a reading improvement program with Manatee County schools, their giving spirit truly embodies the Bert South Philanthropic Award.”
Along with a beautiful trophy, an extremely generous $10,000 grant was awarded – a first in the Bert South Philanthropic Award’s history – which will be split between two deserving organizations dear to our hearts, PACE Center For Girls and Dive Into Reading
John and Amanda Horne launched Dive Into Reading in June 2017 to improve children’s reading abilities while also learning important life skills, like table manners, intergenerational communication, and decision-making. The program became a collaboration between the Anna Maria Oyster Bar, the Manatee County School District, Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, Manatee County Libraries and many community partners. Even our restaurant suppliers pitched in to help provide students a hot breakfast before being paired, one-on-one, with volunteer mentors to read books in a fun and relaxing restaurant environment.
Volunteer mentors are still needed for the June 2019 Dive Into Reading program. The time commitment is 8:30-10:30 am one day per week, for 4 weeks during the month of June. All volunteers must attend a 90 minute mandatory informational and training session prior to your volunteer sessions. Multiple locations in the area are participating to help our Manatee elementary schools – and – to better fit your schedule.
In his acceptance address for the Bradenton Kiwanis Foundation Bert South Philanthropic Award, John Horne said, “50% of Manatee County kids cannot read at grade level. That’s a huge percentage and it’s easy to think, I’m only one person, what can I do?’ But, if a lot of ‘one-persons’ get together, we can make a dent in it. If we can make a difference in one life, we’ve been successful.”
This year we have opened our Dive Into Reading program to include rising 1st graders, along with the rising 2nd and 3rd graders, and we expect more to host more than 450 children. Join the “one-persons” and change our kiddos lives with us. Click here to sign up!
