Sarasota NAACP Announces 2026 Freedom Awards Gala Honorees
Annual gala will recognize student achievement, community service, education, public service, business leadership and lifetime achievement on October 1.
By C.S. Howard
The Sarasota County Branch NAACP will hold its annual Freedom Awards Gala on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at The Ora Premier Event Center, 578 McIntosh Road, Sarasota.
This year’s theme is “We, the People,” a reminder that equal rights, quality education, accessible health care, and diversity, equity and inclusion remain within reach when communities work together.
The 2026 Freedom Awards honorees are:
- Rising Star Award: Chloe Truewell
- President’s Awards: Boxser Diversity Initiative, Dan and Litten Boxser, and the late Rev. Dr. Brock Leach, who will be honored posthumously
- Business and Industry Award: Margie’s Market of Newtown, represented by Nelle Miller, president and CEO of All Faiths Food Bank
- Community Service Award: Rhonda Calahan, president and CEO of Queens of Domestic Violence Awareness
- Public Service Award: Patrick Robinson, chief security officer and director of SafeSRQ
- Education Awards: Kiarra Womack and Earl Young
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Raymell Grimes
2026 Freedom Awards Honorees
Chloe Truewell — Rising Star Award
Truewell is a 12th-grade student at Booker High School. She is active in several organizations and programs, including the Law Academy, the AICE program—Cambridge’s Advanced International Certificate of Education Diploma Program—and College for Every Student’s Brilliant Pathway Ambassador program.
Boxser Diversity Initiative, Dan and Litten Boxser, and Rev. Dr. Brock Leach — President’s Awards
The Boxser Diversity Initiative has spent more than 15 years fostering understanding across diverse communities and building connections through shared histories and mutual respect.
The late Rev. Dr. Brock Leach was a prominent minister, nonprofit leader, educator and former business executive in Sarasota. During his career, he held several leadership positions, including president and CEO of Frito-Lay North America and CEO of Tropicana Products.
Margie’s Market of Newtown — Business and Industry Award
All Faiths Food Bank opened Margie’s Market in Newtown in March 2026. The market provides a dignified shopping experience and additional resources in the heart of Newtown.
The program is designed to reduce transportation barriers and create a culturally responsive resource hub for area residents. Nelle Miller serves as president and CEO of All Faiths Food Bank.
Rhonda Calahan — Community Service Award
Calahan is president and CEO of Queens of Domestic Violence Awareness, an organization she founded in 2019 after becoming a survivor of domestic violence.
Patrick Robinson — Public Service Award
Robinson is chief security officer and director of SafeSRQ. He is also a former public safety director and deputy city manager for the City of Sarasota.
Kiarra Womack and Earl Young — Education Awards
Womack serves as coordinator of Scholar Selection and Experience at the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. She previously served for five years as senior scholarships manager at the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation.
Young has worked in education and philanthropy for more than 15 years. He is the scholarship manager for the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation and previously served as president and CEO of the Booker Promise Foundation.
Raymell Grimes — Lifetime Achievement Award
Grimes began her career in public education in the segregated Sarasota County School System, where she worked as an administrative assistant at Amaryllis Park Elementary School.
Despite the inequalities that existed at the time, she recognized the positive influence that both support staff and instructional personnel could have on young people and the broader community.
During her 32 years in education, Grimes served in numerous capacities and made a lasting contribution to Sarasota County’s public-school system.
About the Sarasota County NAACP
The Sarasota County NAACP has been on the front line of civil rights advocacy since 1952. Over more than 70 years, the organization has remained an important part of the Sarasota community and the broader movement for the advancement of African Americans.
The branch has participated in significant local civil rights efforts, including beach caravans and wade-ins in 1955 to challenge segregation at Sarasota beaches. In 1985, the organization was involved in a federal lawsuit challenging the voting process in City of Sarasota elections. The case led to the election of the city’s first African American official.
Today, the Sarasota County NAACP continues to advocate for political, educational, social and economic equality for all residents.
Event Information
Event: 2026 Freedom Awards Gala
Presented by: Sarasota County Branch NAACP
Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Location: The Ora Premier Event Center
Address: 578 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, Florida
For additional information, contact the Sarasota County NAACP office at 941-355-2097 or email Sarasotanaacp5132@gmail.com.
Trevor D. Harvey is president of the Sarasota County NAACP. Cynthia S. Howard is banquet chairperson.
