The Friends of Sarasota County Parks, Inc. purpose statement:

To maintain an association of persons interested in the park and recreation system; to focus public attention in a positive manner on the system’s services, facilities, and needs; to help promote the use and enjoyment of the system’s services and facilities; to develop supplemental funding for the system; to actively support the policies and procedures of the Sarasota County Parks and Recreation system in the community and to assist in the future stability of these activities. Further examples include:

1. To promote, solicit and encourage contributions from community organizations, both private and public, and from individuals, of money, real and personal property and other objects or items of value, by donations, dedication, gift, grant, bequest, devise or otherwise, which contributions might be beneficially devoted to the public use in the establishment and development of existing and future recreational facilities, parks and open spaces.

2. To acquire, by purchase, gift, bequest or devise real and personal property, or any interest therein, to be used for providing public parks and recreational facilities in the County of Sarasota, Florida.

3. To own, manage, use, develop and dispose of the property described above and to transfer real and personal property, or any interest therein, to Sarasota County Parks and Recreation system or any other governmental unit or agency able to receive and administer the same for public parks and/or recreational purposes.

4. To promote and encourage organizations and individuals in interests and endeavors leading to the preservation of open-space, park, recreational activity and/or environmental lands, for the enjoyment of our residents and their guest, of the entire Sarasota County, and to the physical and spiritual recreation of present and future generations.

5. To establish local “Friends of Parks” committees, participate in Florida and National Recreation and Park Associations, encourage Adopt-a-Park groups and Volunteer-in-the-Park programs and establish a connection between local, state and national advocacy efforts.

6. In general, and subject to the limitations herein set forth, to exercise all of the rights and powers which are now or may hereafter be conferred on corporations not for profit under the laws of the State of Florida or which are necessary or incidental to the powers so conferred, or conducive to the purposes of the corporation, providing always that such powers may be exercised by an organization as illustrated above in the introduction.