Go in with a bang at networking bash

One of the more unusual annual chamber of commerce fundraising events on the Gulf Coast aimed high for its fourth year.

The event is the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Sporting Clays Tournament, a matchup of teams that compete in rounds of shooting clay pigeons. It's held at Knight Trail Range in Nokomis, in south Sarasota County.

Sarasota attorney George Mazzarantani is the lead organizer behind the event, which some call golf with a shotgun. Mazzarantani, however, says the sport has gained popularity as an alternative to golf, especially with women.

Mazzarantani, moreover, recruits well-known local officials to compete, and this year he lured some big names. The list includes Sarasota County Commissioner Christine Robinson; Sarasota Mayor Suzanne Atwell; Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Karen Rushing; and Doctors Hospital of Sarasota COO Valarie Powell-Stafford. Sheriff Tom Knight and Sarasota City Commissioner Paul Caragiulo, who have competed in the past, are scheduled to play this year, too.

The tournament is open to all participants, from novices to experts. It's scheduled for March 2, with a warm-up at 10 a.m., a buffet lunch at noon, and a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m. For more information, call 941-955-8187 or visit www.sarasotachamber.com.