United Way fundraising shatters expectations

This story ran in the Local & State section of the News-Press


(left) William Valenti, of Florida Gulf Bank, and Larry Hart, the United Way campaign chairman, unveil a bursting thermometer with this year's campaign total of $6.9 million. Ten percent more money was raised this year than last.

Thermometers are soaring but not because of soaring temperatures.

The United Way’s signature fundraising campaign symbol that drivers see in Lee County on billboards and storefronts are showing a shattered bulb that exceeds the 2006-07 goal of $6 million.

Organizers announced Thursday that donors raised 10 percent more than expected. That’s $629,000 more than last year.

“It’s a miracle!” said William Valenti, the president and chief executive officer at Florida Gulf Bank and United Way volunteer for 15 years. “Every year, we ask the community for more and just when we think they can’t give, they dig a little deeper into their pockets.”

Going that extra distance means the United Way campaign will be able to help even more people through its 67 agencies and 120 programs.

Agencies such as the Salvation Army, Children’s Home Society and the Boys & Girl’s Club will use the money to further their efforts in the community with children, the elderly and families.

Last year, the agencies helped more than 300,000 people and Larry Hart, the campaign’s chair, sees more of a chance to help those in need with the extra money raised.

“As part of this, we work to make sure the money goes back into the community,” said Hart, who’s been with the United Way for 10 years. “It will stay in Lee County and will go toward programs in Lee County.”

This is the ninth year the campaign has seen double-digit increases in giving.

“It’s great because it shows how much people understand the importance of these programs,” said Tom Green, of Publix, which was the first million-dollar and top contributor for Lee, Hendry and Glades counties. “This is something everybody takes pride in, and we hope we can better serve (even more people) in the future.”

Chamber weighs tax ideas

One of the hottest issues in Tallahassee this year is property tax reform, and the Bonita Springs Area Chamber of Commerce is working to make sure Southwest Florida’s business community opinions are heard.

The chamber has sent out more than 2,000 surveys asking its members how they feel about extending homestead exemptions, possibly increasing the state sales tax and limiting local governments’ spending.

“Our members have talked about their concern with the issues people in Tallahassee are tackling,” said Nancy Keefer, the chamber president. “The idea behind the survey was to highlight the five different areas proposed.”

Keefer and some chamber members will be making a trip to Tallahassee on Monday and Tuesday as part of Lee County Days, in which community leaders meet with state representatives.

“When you go up there it shows some clout to be able to show what the business community is thinking,” said Keefer, who had more than 100 responses within the first hour of sending out the survey. “This will help us prove if some of these ideas will work or not.”

The questions on the survey included a brief explanation of the issue and the reason why those issues will be under consideration. Chamber members gave their opinions by answering yes or no.

“The purpose of the survey was to educate chamber members and gauge their attitudes about these proposals,” said John Spear, a 22-year chamber member, who helped come up with the questions but won’t be going on this year’s Tallahassee trip.

“It’s a neat tool for the chamber leadership and volunteers ... to do more than just guess as to whether they are on the right track or not.”

Figuring out what is best for Southwest Florida isn’t always easy for state reps, said Keefer.

“It’s our hope that we can go up there with some solid information and assist our lawmakers,” she said. “There is a lot of power in sharing with elected officials what is happening in the trenches.”

The survey is the second of its kind that members have filled out in recent months. The first survey dealt with transportation issues.

“I think that this is the best way to arm our city and county officials with information about our community,” said Spear, referring to the city and county officials who will comprise other chambers from Cape Coral and Sanibel. “This gives Tallahassee an opinion on a sort of real time basis so they can make (informed) decisions.”

Chamber members with additional opinions were also given an area on the survey where they could write freely about the issues.

“I’m going to fill it out because it’s so important to give my opinion,” said Rolf Paul, a chamber member who received the survey. “It’s important to get feedback on property taxes. It matters to everyone.”

QUESTIONS ON SURVEY:
1. Would you support the elimination of local government (city and county) property taxes on homesteaded residences to be replaced by an additional 2.5% increase in the state sales tax?

2. Do you believe the Save Our Home property tax discount we enjoy as full-time Florida residents should be portable to apply to the purchase of a new home if we stay within the same county?

3. Do you believe the state should establish an annual limit on the growth of the appraised value of all developed properties for the purposes of local government taxes?

4. Do you support the doubling of the homestead exemption from $25,000 to $50,000?

5. Do you believe the state should pass a law to limit the growth of local government spending to the annual CPI and the amount of growth?

Bank of Naples branch to open in Bonita Springs

The new Bank of Naples is slated to open in less than 60 days at Bonita Crossroads shopping center at Bonita Beach Road and Imperial Parkway.

A new branch of the Bank of Naples is moving into Bonita Springs and customers can look forward to grand opening specials and great customer service, said president and CEO Bob Guididas.

The location of the branch, which is slated to open in 60 days, will be on the northeast corner of Bonita Beach Road and Imperial Parkway. The building was originally intended to be a pharmacy.

“We should get permits to start moving in within the next week,” said Guididas, who has been in the banking business for more than 20 years.

He sees this branch as a chance to extend his customer base and give them another banking opportunity in a central location like Bonita Springs.

“This is a high growth area and there is really no other community banks in that corridor,” he said, referring to the Bank of Naples that is headquartered in Naples. “People travel through Bonita to get to Fort Myers and this will give them more access.”

The new branch will offer all the same services available at its central bank except for safety deposit boxes because the space is too small. The new space is just less than 2,000 square feet.

Customers will also be able to use the free courier for businesses and free ATM access at all Publix stores.

“Customers will just have more options and we are going to offer some type of grand opening special once we get going,” said Guididas, who has been working to get the bank open for four months. “We've already got two people being cross- trained to move to that branch. We are just waiting for the permits.”

Bonita Bay golfers swing into action to benefit center

Bonita Bay Club residents will be teeing up on April 1 as part of the 15th annual Maynard Cup Golf tournament to benefit the Guadalupe Center of Immokalee.

Golfers are pitching in by paying $150 to play a round of golf for charity and see if they can collect more than the $2.5 million raised last year.

“Our focus is to keep everything running and it costs money to do that,” said Patsy Graham, the co-chair of the event at the Bonita Bay Club.

Graham says the money is earmarked to help pay for the day-to-day operations of the center.

“This is going back to the 14 years that they have helped us, and seeing the center is believing that it works,” said Lorette Clevenger, of the Guadalupe Center.

The center was created in 1982 as a soup kitchen to serve the migrant community of Immokalee, and it has evolved to help children in need, or living at or near the poverty level in Collier County.

“It started out as a way for people to just donate money, and now we a full golf event and we have a lot of different things going on at once,” said Graham, whose husband, Lou, is a former U.S. Open champion.

Joe Wolf started the partnership with the club.

“Joe got some buddies together and collected $4,000 in the first year,” said Graham, who said the tournament will include raffles and prizes including Waterford Crystals and Jet Blue airline vouchers.

“Most of the people in Bonita Bay help in other ways like the soup kitchen but really it’s about raising the money to keep it open.”

The event will be a modified scramble format with a $50,000 putting contest preceding the event.

“It’s a really fun event and I try to keep it at a level where it’s not too expensive to play,” Graham said. “This is one of the least expensive charity golf tournaments.”