The Race for Honorary Mayor of Palm Harbor is On

The Greater Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce (PHCC) Honorary Mayor Race has kicked into high gear. The annual event is a fundraising tradition that began almost 30 years ago.

Since Palm Harbor is not a city, an “Honorary Mayor” is designated through this fundraising ritual. The PHCC member who raises the most money is declared the official winner of the infamous title at the Annual Chamber Dinner being held Friday, September 30 at Countryside Country Club.

Candidates raise funds by hosting their own individual fundraising events and asking contributors for $1 per “vote”. A contributor can vote/donate as many times as they wish. The more dollars that each candidate collects the greater chances they have to being added to the prestigious list of past “Mayors” of Palm Harbor.

All proceeds that each candidate raises will benefit the candidate’s charity of choice and the Palm Harbor Chamber Foundation.

This year, five candidates are in the running for the title-

• June Gustus: President and Director of Investigations at Fortress Investigations. Gustus is supporting All Children’s Hospital and the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Foundation, Inc.
• Patti Scott: Founder and President of Unlimited Possibilities Hypnosis Inc. Scott is supporting Suncoast Hospice in honor of her father Joseph F. Scott.
• Connie Stewart: Branch Manager at SunTrust Bank in Palm Harbor. Stewart is supporting the Suncoast Hospice and the Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
• Kelli Snow: Marketing Director for Chick-fil-A. Snow is supporting Feeding America.
• Steve Fiske: (current reigning Honorary Mayor): Publisher of Tampa Bay Women Newspaper. Fiske is supporting the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Foundation, Inc.

Community members are asked to come out and support their favorite candidate on their fundraising journey.

“I saw all the fun the other ‘Mayors’ had in the past and I liked the idea of how fun raising money for a charity could be so I decided to run this year,” said June Gustus who is hosting her first fundraising event September 23 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at Dockside Sports Bar & Grille. Contributors can enjoy a live reggae band, silent auction, door prizes, 50/50 raffle and networking opportunities, along with appetizer and drink specials.

Candidate, Kelli Snow held a Bingo night last week at the Palm Harbor Community Activity Center.  “Raising money for charity really motivated me to run,” said Snow. “I already plan to run again next year with everything I have learned by doing it this year.”

For every dollar donated in the name of candidate Patti Scott, she is offering an equal amount of credit for products, private sessions, classes or training at Unlimited Possibilities Hypnosis, Inc.

Candidate Connie Stewart has been very busy fundraising for her charities by hosting events at Mixers Bar and Grill and . She also has the support of Mary Kay and SunTrust Bank. “I’m very involved in the Chamber and thought this would be a way for me to become even more involved,” said Stewart. “It is a great way to gain more personal exposure and also gain more exposure for the charities I’m supporting.”

Honorary Mayor Steve Fiske will be holding a fundraiser at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary Foundation, Inc. on September 21 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. A $10 admission donation is requested to attend the event; children under 10 are free. Each donation includes two drink tickets. Food, refreshments, desserts and games for the children will be offered.

According to Connie Davis, President and CEO of the PHCC, the Honorary Mayor does not have any official duties. The Mayor is asked to attend Chamber Ribbon Cuttings during their one year term and ride in the holiday parade which takes place in December. All donations must be received by noon on September 29, 2011 in order to be counted.