POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Members of the public now have the chance to buy a license plate specially-designed by a fifth-grade art student! As part of the 2023-2024 Polk County Kids Tag Art (KTA) program, people can shop for the special vanity plates at www.KidsTagArt.com; all the proceeds from these tag sales benefit those students’ art teachers.
KTA is a fundraising program founded by Polk County Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder. Now in its 18th year, the program has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for art teachers to purchase valuable items like classroom supplies. The program has grown in popularity so much, it has expanded to more than a dozen other Florida counties and celebrates reaching the $2 Million milestone in dollars raised together.
When fifth-grade art students design their own specialty vanity license plates in class, they are inspired to be innovative thinkers and problem solvers while also learning a civics lesson.
Babson Park Elementary fifth grade student Sawyer Burns is this year’s ‘Tax Collector’s Choice Award’ winner.
On Tuesday night in Lakeland at Florida Southern College’s Branscomb Auditorium, the 2023-2024 Kids Tag Art ‘Tax Collector’s Choice’ Award was announced, recognizing Sawyer Burns of Babson Park Elementary as this year’s recipient. Two ‘Awards of Distinction’ recipients were honored from each participating school as well, and special sponsor awards were recognized. A photo gallery is available at this link: https://bit.ly/49VHiRK.
“We want Kids Tag Art to be such a positive outreach to young people early on, and set a friendly foundation for government and what we do in the Tax Collector’s Office,” Joe G. Tedder stated.
“I love Sawyer’s piece because it reflects something I’m really in love with, which is dogs and beautiful art! Her piece will look absolutely awesome on the front of my vehicle,” he continued.
The Office of the Tax Collector for Polk County (TCPC) thanks its KTA program sponsors: Major Sponsor Southern Homes of Polk County, Dprint, Bartow Ford, LEGOLAND Florida Resort, Florida Heart Research Foundation, Lauren’s Kids, Florida Department of Citrus, Big 4 Radio – 97.5 WPCV and Max 98.3, Bill 2 Pay, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union,
LAMAR Advertising Company, Polk Education Foundation, South State Bank, Polk Arts & Cultural Alliance, First Lakeland Tag Agency, Publix Super Market Charities, Unlimited DPI, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital/BayCare Kids, the Polk Museum of Art, and Polk County Public Schools.
For more information, contact Ashleigh Mills, Public Engagement Specialist at AshleighMills@polktaxes.com or by phone at 863-944-2002.
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