Bradenton's 5 Things to Know Today: May 22

1. Christian Alvarez, a sophomore at , has been named the grand prize winner in the national Power of You(th)^™ video contest, put on by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He will be recognized by MADD National President Jan Withers for his accomplishment Wednesday at the high school. His video is designed to help prevent underage drinking. Christian has won an iPad, a spot in MADD’s National Teen Influencer Group, and an all-expenses-paid trip to MADD’s National Office in Dallas for a National Teen Influencer Summit next month. He will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to be recognized during MADD’s National Conference in September.

2. will host its inaugural IMG Academies 5k benefiting Special Olympics of Manatee County on Saturday.  The event will offer the community an opportunity to see the growing campus. It's not too late to sign up to participate in the fun run and post-race activities. Registration is online.

3. A Kauffman Foundation program is now accepting applications from Manatee County business owners who want personalized coaching to grow their business. This is the second round of “UEP on the Suncoast”, a coaching partnership between Suncoast Community Capital (SCC) and the Urban Entrepreneur Partnership (UEP), a program of the Kauffman Foundation. Kauffman is the world’s largest foundation devoted to entrepreneurship. Applications are available at www.uepkauffman.org/suncoast. Businesses that show the greatest potential to quickly improve profitability and create jobs will be prioritized for selection. About a dozen business owners will be selected for the second round of coaching which begins in mid-July. Read about the nine companies selected for the first round of “UEP on the Suncoast” coachingl.

4. Four team members from the Bradenton Marauders — Quinton Miller, Kawika Ensley’pai, Jason Townsend and Zach Foster — started a trend when they stopped by the ArtCenter Manatee last week to help create ceramic bowls for Empty Bowls, an annual fundraiser to help feed the hungry. The Marauders will be back on Thursday to donate their time again and players from the Pitsburg Pirates are set to visit on June 9. ArtCenter Manatee creates 1000 bowls to donate to Meals on Wheels Plus each year.

5. National Football League Hall of Famer Jim Brown and former NFL receiver Reggie Rucker are both scheduled to attend the Manatee School District’s Amer-I-Can Graduation Ceremony today at 11 a.m. in the Davis Theater at . Brown is the founder and the CEO of Amer-I-Can, a program that teaches teenagers positive self esteem and valuable life-management skills. The Amer-I-Can program operates in four Manatee District middle schools – Harllee, King, Lincoln and Sugg. Students take the course for a full semester and are taught by specially trained facilitators.