St. Joe Community Foundation Donates Additional $50,000 to Support the Center
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (August 23, 2005) –The Panama City Beach Senior Services Center is closing in on its $1 million building fund goal, with The St. Joe Community Foundation donating an additional $50,000 above its original $200,000 pledge. The additional $50,000 donation was matched by the Hilton Family Foundation, who has already pledged $300,000 to date. These contributions bring the total amount of money donated to more than $700,000.
“The St. Joe Community Foundation continues to display their commitment to Panama City Beach and Bay County with their participation and support in building a quality community,” said Mayor Lee Sullivan, Panama City Beach. “The St. Joe Community Foundation’s support for the Senior Center allows all of us to take pride in making Panama City Beach and Bay County all it can be and reminds us of the contributions of our business partners in building a great place to live.”
“The St. Joe Community Foundation consistently supports organizations that provide valuable services to the residents in Bay and the surrounding counties,” said Jane McNabb, executive director of The St. Joe Community Foundation. “The Panama City Beach Senior Services Center is a perfect example of an organization that is striving to fulfill a crucial community need.”
The Panama City Senior Services Center will offer programs and activities dedicated to seniors 60 years and older that live in the Panama City Beach region. With approximately 25% of Panama City Beach residents age 60 or above, the Center is designed to enhance the quality of life and fitness for the senior residents. The goal of the programs that will be offered at the Center is to improve the level of mental, physical, and emotional functioning of those participating. This population has diverse needs, ranging from personal support with meal, transportation and health to those who are physically active and interested in continuing education, growth and development in all areas.
“Though we have been working on the Center for seven years, and come a long way, we have not yet achieved the desired balance in programs offered,” said Lily Oatfield, community volunteer. “With the appearance of two outstanding pillars of the community - The St. Joe Community Foundation and Charlie Hilton - we are excited to see our goal within reach. The seniors are very much aware that they could not have arrived at this stage without the regular planning and backing of Mayor Lee Sullivan and the support of the Panama City Beach City Council."
About The St. Joe Community Foundation
The St. Joe Company (NYSE: JOE) created The St. Joe Community Foundation (STJCF) 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 $4.5 million to the region; $2 million of which was granted in 2004. Grants to date for 2005 exceed $650,000. 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 ongoing improvements in the region through grants and initiatives that promote teaching and learning and create healthier communities. To learn more about STJCF, log on to www.stjcf.com.
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