July 18, 2007

The employees of the Palm Beach County Tax Collector's office "elected" next year's charity partners using the Supervisor of Election's electronic voting machines today. The winning charities are:

• Walk: Susan B. Komen, Race for the Cure
• Targeted Drive: Forgotten Soldiers Outreach
• Helping Hands: The Lord's Place

The Tax Collector's office partnered with the Supervisor of Elections' office to hold voting activities. Each Service Center and department had electronic voting equipment available for employees to cast ballots. The employees will decorate the voting areas and are organizing activities, such as, a barbeque lunch in Royal Palm Beach, and a pot-luck lunch in West Palm Beach, to celebrate Selection Day.

"I believe it is important for the employees of the Tax Collector to be involved in their community." Said Anne M. Gannon, Tax Collector, Palm Beach County. Building on a history of community involvement, the employees chose from three different charities, in three different categories. The three categories are "Workout for a Cure" (Walks/Runs), "Helping Hands" (Home Improvement/Community Development), "Share our Bounty" (Targeted Drives/Collections).

"Selection Day" was created and organized by the employees on the Community Relations Committee. The committee surveyed the organization to identify charitable activity preferences, created charity options based on criteria determined in the survey process.

"Our Selection Day Process is a great way for the Tax Collectors Office to become visible in the community in a way that citizens may not be accustomed to seeing us. Choosing charities through the voting process will be a great way to ensure that each charity has a special place in the hearts and minds of our employees." Said Jim McConnell, Service Center Manager, West Palm Beach.

"We, as an organization who services the public, should also have a keen since of social responsibility." Said Danielle Dale, Senior Customer Service Specialist and member of the Community Relations Committee.

"I'm proud of our employee's heart-felt efforts to organize such an important initiative. Charitable activities not only improve the communities in which we live and work, but they also improve our office morale." Said Ms. Gannon.

The ballot included the following charities:

Workout for a Cure

• American Heart Association
  GREATER WPB Heart Walk
  09/29/2007
• American Diabetes Association
  STEP OUT TO FIGHT DIABETES
  10/20/2007
• Komen South Florida Affiliate
  RACE FOR THE CURE
  1/19/2008

Helping Hands

• Habitat for Humanity
• Paint Your Heart Out
• The Lord's Place

Share Our Bounty

• Forgotten Soldiers Outreach
• U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots
• HUGS for KIDS