Kids Tag Art Earns $33,700 For Title I Elementary School Art Programs

TAMPA, FL — Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy C. Millan was able to present a check for $33,769 to the Hillsborough County School Board from its inaugural Kids Tag Art Program.

The funds will provide $1,200.00 to each participating elementary school for art supplies and materials.

The Kids Art Program is a creative fundraiser that gives Title I fifth-grade elementary school students the opportunity to showcase their artistic abilities by designing front license vanity plates in art class.

The plate designs are then printed on metal plates and sold to family, friends and the public. Proceeds from the plate sales and sponsorships go back to the participating schools to help support their arts programs.

The Kids Tag Art Program began in Polk County over 15 years ago, and since then, other counties have signed on. These programs have raised over $1 million for arts programs in Florida.

"We know that teachers often pay out of pocket for much-needed art supplies, and our goal is to help alleviate some of this expense through this program," said Millan. "We are excited to be able to bring Kids Tag Art to Hillsborough County. We thank our sponsors for their support and help in making this year's event successful and are already planning for the next school year."

Suncoast Credit Union was the presenting sponsor for this first-time event.

"Suncoast is proud to support the inaugural Kids Tag Art Program. Being active in the arts allows students to express themselves, free of concern for right or wrong. Providing kids with the opportunity to create their own works of art can develop a strong sense of pride, independence and confidence," said Cindy Helton, executive director of the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation.

Other sponsors for this year's event included: Derrick Brooks Charities, PDQ, Florida West Coast Credit Union, Wild Architecture and Peggy Land.

The Hillsborough Education Foundation partnered with the tax collector's office to receive all sponsorship dollars and plate sales and to distribute the funds to the schools.

There was a top winner at each participating school and two top honors for the Tax Collector's Choice and the Sponsor's Choice awards.

The winners of this year's event are:

• Tax Collector's Choice: Noely Pena from Baycrest
• Sponsor's Choice: Nayeli Denova-Vargas from Robinson
• Alafia: Keyshon Jones
• Baycrest: Noely Pena
• Bellamy: Gaby Garcia
• Broward: Elian Rodriguez
• BT Washington: Edmon Lee
• Burney: Sariah Montelongo
• Clair-Mel: Jaslen Escalona and Sophia Juarez
• Cleveland: Giulia Jimenez
• Cork: Ysamar Trejo-Duarte
• Deer Park: Arnav Gosavi
• Dunbar: Lissandro Rodriguez Medina
• Egypt Lake: Isabel Cusinga
• Forest Hills: Ariana Perez
• Foster: O'Riyan Ricks
• Gibsonton: Evelyn Chanelo
• Hammond: Emily Erbrick
• Heritage: Yuni Likes
• Robinson: Nayeli Denova-Vargas
• Kingswood: Lariyah Smith
• Mort: Victor Gomez-Diaz
• Muller: Theo Lum
• Nelson: Victoria Valentine
• Pizzo: Cayleen Hernandez
• Roland Park: Eliana Lamson
• Sulphur Springs: Ziyuana Russ
• Thompson: Pedro Crespo
• Thonotosassa: Natalie Gonzalez-Carmona