Sarasota County All-American County Award Records 2004-2008

Collection

Identifier: MSS 252

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains records of Sarasota County's participation in the All-America County Awards (AACA) in 2004-2006 and 2008. Included are eleven CDs, newspaper clippings, financial documents, applications, event programs, correspondence, ephemera, photographs, and various organizational event papers. The CDs feature presentation material from the 2005 All-America County Awards. The newspaper clippings detail the county's award in 2006 and various community stories used to support the application to the AACA. The majority of the correspondence is from other cities congratulating Sarasota County on becoming a finalist and winning the competition.

Dates

Creation: 2004 - 2008

Biographical / Historical

Between 2004 and 2008, Sarasota County submitted several applications to participate in the National Civic League's All-America City Award Competition. The All-America City Award Program recognizes community building and highlights the importance of citizens, nonprofits, businesses, and governments collaborating to overcome obstacles and achieve tangible results. Sarasota County was a finalist in 2004, 2005, and 2006. Representatives from the county attended the All-America City Awards in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008. The county utilized different themes in each of the applications. In 2005, the county chose the theme "Hand in Hand," and a community celebration was held at Booker High School featuring a performance of the new "Hand in Hand" theme song. The 2006 application focused on the "Building Community" theme and showcased three community-building stories: Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship Team (NEST), A Special Time & Comfort Connection, and home computers for students. Sarasota County was one of 10 winners in 2006 and received the All-America City Award Certificate and designation. Sarasota County was the first county in Florida to receive the All-America City Award in forty years. The county received congratulations from other cities all over the country, and multiple events were held to honor the achievement. In honor of the designation, the county commissioners signed a proclamation declaring July 1st-7th, 2006, as "All-America County" week. Sarasota County has since received one more All-America County Award in 2017.

Extent

.75 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

General

The Sarasota County History Center collects historical records and publications that were created over a broad span of time by a wide variety of individuals and groups. Some of the content in these collections may contain language or imagery that today would be considered negative, inappropriate or offensive. The contents of these historical collections do not necessarily reflect the views, beliefs or policies of the History Center, the Department of Libraries and Historical Resources or Sarasota County Government. These materials are made available to the public strictly for research and educational purposes.