Candy and Golisano Children’s Hospital are a worthwhile combination for the employees of the Lee County Tax Collector’s South Fort Myers service center off Pine Ridge Road near Fort Myers Beach.
Employees sold candy bars for $1 each to raise $2,500 for Golisano. The Tax Collector’s office presented a check for that amount to a Lee Health Foundation administrator at the South Fort Myers service center.
“They worked very hard and I think it was a phenomenal amount of money that was raised,” said office manager Kelly Gunn about her employees. “And just the public knowing they are helping in some way to contribute was big as well.”
Raising money for Golisano is an important fundraising project that started over two years ago when the new hospital opened. “There is a strong focus on community connection within each branch (of the Lee County Tax Collector),” said Jessica Anderson, a senior customer service representative, who helped organize the fundraiser.
This is the third time the office has used the enticement of candy to raise money for the hospital since the new facility opened in 2017 – with the other fundraisers each raising nearly $3,000 and $4,000. This latest fundraiser took place over the past eight months.
An appreciative Jason A. Powella, senior special event planner for the Lee Health Foundation, accepted the check on behalf of Golisano. “It just shows complete community involvement. People are coming into the (tax collector’s) office for a litany of things to be completed and they make a donation,” Powella said.
