 Sarasota's OUT Award winners:
FAVORITE LOCAL LGBTQ ANNUAL EVENT: Harvey Milk Festival FAVORITE LOCAL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION: ALSO Youth FAVORITE LOCAL LGBTQ ACTIVIST: Nate Quinn FAVORITE LOCAL HAIR SALON: d. cole hair design FAVORITE LOCAL FITNESS CENTER: CRUNCH FAVORITE LOCAL REALTOR: Robert Krasow Realtor with Michael Saunders & Company FAVORITE AREA MUSEUM OR GALLERY: The Ringling FAVORITE AREA ATTRACTION: Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT: Clasico Sarasota FAVORITE LOCAL BARTENDER: Hunter Vance FAVORITE LOCAL BAR: Barrel 87 FAVORITE LOCAL LGBTQ NIGHTCLUB/BAR: Elevate - Level 2 at Starlite FAVORITE LOCAL HOTEL: Aloft Sarasota FAVORITE LOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY or AGENT: ALandCHUCK.travel FAVORITE LOCAL COFFEE SHOP: Pastry Art FAVORITE LOCAL HAPPY HOUR: Barrel 87 FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMING ARTS VENUE: Manatee Performing Arts Center FAVORITE LOCAL ACTOR: Brian Craft FAVORITE LOCAL ACTRESS: Corinne Woodland FAVORITE LOCAL MUSICIAN/BAND: Eduardo Correa FAVORITE LOCAL SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONALITY: Mattyson Barksdale FAVORITE LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER: Barbara Banks FAVORITE LOCAL DRAG PERSONALITY: Brianna Summers FAVORITE LOCAL ADULT NOVELTY STORE: Giggles Sarasota 2017 OUT ICON AWARD: Beneva Fruitville   Dylonn Cole is the owner of d.cole Hair Design. He has been creating hair magic for the last 8 years in his trendy salon located in Laurel Park. Though, during the Holiday's, Dylonn creates a different type of magic. The type of magic that makes Christmas... Christmas! Imagine an unsuspecting mother going into K-mart days before Christmas to make their final layaway payment on toys and clothing for their children. A Layaway that probably has been months in the making, only to find out that their balance is zero! It's the same magic we experience when we were young and find that Santa has mysteriously entered our home while we were sleeping and left us presents! Dylonn's magic of helping families pay off holiday layaways has been happening for the past 4 years. "I was inspired to do it when my best friend told me about someone else doing it" Dylonn Said. "...we started the following season and haven't stopped since!" "The cashier told her that we had just paid off her layaway right in front of us... |
| Last year Dylonn paid off 6 layaways totaling over $900. "The Staff is excited to do it again this year" Dylonn said. We asked Dylonn if he ever experienced meeting any of the families he's helped? "We have met a few people and it's been amazing," Dylonn answered. "The first time we did it, we were standing at the layaway counter and noticed a very pregnant mother with a two-year-old toddler patiently waiting their turn. We told her to go ahead of us so she didn't have to keep waiting. We walked around the store for a few minutes while she did her thing, and then came back to continue paying things off. The cashier told her that we had just paid off her layaway right in front of us. She left crying because of how much it meant to her! I knew we would never quit doing it after that." |  |
"We also had one single mother actually come into the salon and bring us flowers and tell us that she wouldn't have been able to finish paying for the gifts for her children if it wasn't for our generosity!"
The d.cole salon family is helping to make this season more magical. "The feeling of knowing that our clients, as well as the salon here, care enough about children to make this happen is the best feeling ever! I have always remembered Christmas as being magical as a child" Dylonn said. "...and knowing that we can make that happen for other children, gives me pure joy!"
Dylonn's tradition is one that makes the season a little merrier. We hope that it inspires you to find a way to create your own magic! A magic that could inspire others! We admire Dylonn for all his greatness, in beauty, kindness, and giving!
Seasons greetings from d.cole Hair Design and SarasotaOUT.com
By: Joshua Beadle, Editor & Chief of SarasotaOUT.com
Archives
January 2023
December 2022
October 2022
October 2021
October 2020
April 2020
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
April 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
March 2018
October 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
RSS Feed
