St. Joe Community Foundation Grant Provides New Community Concession Trailer for Gulf County Events and Fundraisers

PORT ST. JOE, FLORIDA-September 1, 2004- Today Clay Smallwood, a Board member of The St. Joe Community Foundation, and Mel Magidson, President of the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, unveiled a new community concession trailer.  The trailer, for the use of civic groups throughout Gulf County, was made possible through a $26,000 grant from The St. Joe Community Foundation.

The concession trailer arrives just in time for this year’s annual Labor Day Weekend Scallop Fest.  Equipped with deep fryers, steam tables and warming trays, the community trailer will help the Chamber serve up platters of scallop dinners. Custom-built by Russell Concessions to the Chamber’s specifications, the trailer will provide conveniences that cooks have not enjoyed previously.  City Commissioner Benny Roberts, who served as the lead cook for last year’s Scallop Fest, provided valuable suggestions to ensure that the cooker would meet the community’s needs. After the festival, the Concession Trailer will be available, through the Chamber, to all community groups without charge if they comply with prescribed usage requirements.

Chamber Board President Mel Magidson said, “Events and festivals are a great way to promote our area and bring people to Gulf County.  It’s extremely important to be able to prepare the amount of scallops needed for two days of the festival.  This new concession trailer will enable the Chamber to efficiently cook enough scallops to serve those attending.”

Boyd Pickett and Jack Kerigan, co-chairmen of this year’s event are looking forward to using the trailer for the first time.  Boyd spoke with Russell Concessions on several occasions and says, “I’m confident that this trailer will be an asset for the festival this year and to those wishing to use it in the future.”  Boyd has signed on the Port St. Joe Lion’s Club as cooks for this year’s fest and he reports “this super group of Lions is excited to help and we appreciate their commitment to the chamber and the community.”

“We are blessed to live in a part of the country where neighbors care about each other; where you are willing to help someone in need even if you do not know them personally; where helping others is an important way to give back to the community.  We live where millions of others wish they could,” said Sandra Chaffin, Chamber Director. “We are so thankful to The St. Joe Community Foundation for their contribution to helping our community.”

”One of the greatest aspects of living in Gulf County is the way that neighbors reach out to help their neighbors whenever there’s a need,” said Smallwood. “This concession trailer is just a great way to strengthen community by helping people help themselves and to assist with the community celebrations throughout Gulf County. We’re really glad that The St. Joe Community Foundation can be a partner in this good cause.”

About the Gulf County Chamber of Commerce

The Gulf County Chamber of Commerce has been a positive force in promoting business in Gulf County since 1938.  Building a positive community spirit and improving the quality of life for all residents has been a major focus since the Chamber began.  The Chamber is sponsoring three festivals in 2004 and they are actively involved with many different groups and organizations to make Gulf County a wonderful place to live, work, and play.   For more information call 850 227 1223.

About The St. Joe Community Foundation

The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) created The St. Joe Community Foundation (STJCF), formerly named Northwest Florida Improvement Foundation, in 1999 to invest in community initiatives that pay long-term returns on the quality of life in Bay, Franklin, Gulf, and Walton counties.

Since its inception, STJCF has granted more than $3,360,000 to the region: over $1,000,000 in Bay County; $250,000 in Franklin County; $600,000 in Gulf County; over $1,100,000 in Walton County; and more than $340,000 for multi-county.

STJCF’s unique funding structure is based on payments from JOE that are a percentage of the proceeds from new sales in specific JOE communities.  Payments continue each time the properties are resold through deed covenants requiring a transfer fee to be paid to STJCF each time a property is subsequently sold.  In this way, JOE and the property owners who live in our neighborhoods are partnering with the community for the betterment of the entire region.

Focused primarily on education, regional health care delivery, art and culture, parks and recreation, and community spirit, STJCF investments are based on building civic infrastructure and providing on-going improvements in the region through grants and initiatives that promote teaching and learning and create healthier communities.  To learn more about STJCF or to request a 2003 annual report, log on to www.stjcf. com or contact Pamela Selton, STJCF executive director, at 850.231.6558.