Sarasota County Teacher of the Year, Seth Gardner, (pictured at right), gets Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Wade Davis to autograph the ball Gardner used to throw the first pitch at the district's Day at the Rays on May 30th.

Some 814 students, parents, faculty and staff from 14 district schools and several district departments spent the afternoon of May 30 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg watching the Tampa Bay Rays play the Chicago White Sox. They were there to enjoy the second annual Sarasota County Schools Day at the Rays.
The crowd cheered Sarasota County Teacher of the Year Seth Gardner as he threw the ceremonial first pitch. They also watched a short video featuring Sarasota County Schools on the field jumbo screen.
The event was a fund raiser that netted the participating schools a total of $3,325. Students from Gulf Gate and Ashton elementary schools sold the most tickets.

Gulf Gate fans bought 127 tickets and Ashton fans purchased 99. Some of the students who sold the most tickets at those schools received passes to allow them on the field to watch batting practice, meet players and collect autographs.