Our family is committed to giving back to many causes and organizations in our area and frequently host charitable functions at the four Anna Maria Oyster Bar locations.
Not only do we throw great events, but we are also proud to participate in many local events for wonderful not-for-profits, professional organizations, and fundraisers in our community. We love giving back!
John and his wife Amanda have co-hosted (along with friends Stewart & Trudy Moon) the Horne & Moon Social for the past five years. This annual event raised funds for need-based scholarships for adults returning to school at University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, State College of Florida, and Manatee Technical College. The Horne & Moon Scholarship, administered by Manatee Community Foundation, had a phenomenal five-year run, and is now sustainable for a few years, allowing us to take a well-earned break from fundraising!
John and Amanda also host a national award-winning summer reading program called Dive Into Reading. Dive into Reading began in Summer 2017, inviting to our restaurants rising 2nd & 3rd graders at local Title I elementary schools, who were participants in the School District of Manatee’s Camp R.I.S.E program. The program included a hot breakfast and one-on-one time reading with a mentor.
Dive Into Reading’s mission is to improve children’s reading levels, instill a love of reading and combat “summer slide,” which tends to occur over summer break. Our program received an outpouring of community support, winning recognition and awards from the School District of Manatee County, Manatee Chamber of Commerce, and the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. It also proved successful with students completing the program demonstrating an increase in reading proficiency when they returned back to school.
Now gearing up for its third year, Dive Into Reading will be welcoming rising 1st graders as well as the 2nd & 3rd graders – approximately 450 children! Of course, that also means we will be recruiting volunteer mentors during the month of June…and beyond, if they would like. Please sign up to volunteer, mentor, and help our children find success in reading!
learn more about our community involvement
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