J.S. ROBINSON STUDENT WINS ART CONTEST
The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office announced another successful year of the Kids Tag Art Program during the Hillsborough County School Board recognition meeting on May 13. The program raised $37,778.66 this year alone, providing each of the 65 participating elementary schools with more than $580 for their art programs.
During the School Board meeting, the Tax Collector’s team recognized this year’s top three 5th Grade Student Artists. One of them is 11-year-old Declan Cunningham, a student at Plant City’s J.S. Robinson Elementary School. Declan is the son of Daniel and Alison Cunningham, and he has an older brother named Kody.
Declan entered his art in September 2024. “I wanted to see how good my art skills are, and I wanted to see if I could win or not—and for fun,” he said. Declan draws on his own at home. “I like the colors, and you can draw whatever you want. It is creative.”
The Tax Collectors office asked the student artists to create using a Florida theme, “So, I just put all of Florida stuff together,” Declan said. “I remember the St. Augustine lighthouse. I wanted to include that. And oranges—that is Florida’s main fruit. Alligators are all around Florida. The Buccaneers’ pirate ship is in Tampa. That’s a rocket ship right there. And the beach—Florida is known for their beaches, too.”
“The Kids Tag Art Program continues to be one of our most impactful community initiatives,” Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy Millan, said. “We’re thrilled to see the program grow year after year, fostering creativity in our youngest residents while providing much-needed funding for art education. These students are our future, and investing in their creative development today will pay dividends for our community tomorrow.”
Community members can still support the program by purchasing student artwork through the online Kids Tag Art store at hillstaxfl.gov/shop, with proceeds continuing to benefit school art programs.
BOOK DONATION TO THE CANOPY
Plant City’s Friends of the Library committee members Diane Jent (pictured right) and Meg Scott recently delivered approximately 100 large print books retired from Bruton Memorial Library to Plant City’s beautiful assisted living and memory care center, The Canopy. The facility is currently creating and decorating a larger library for residents, according to Rilie Roark, (pictured left) who was delighted to receive the gift, as were residents.
TOASTMASTERS WINNER
Last weekend at the District 84 Conference in Orlando, James Moore Jr. represented Plant City for the Table Topic competition, and was awarded 1st Place. Table Topic is a segment within in Toastmasters meetings that encourages members to give impromptu speeches based on a question or statement. “Thinking on your toes is a soft skill we develop in Toastmasters that help us all in day-to-day personal and professional development,” Clarisa Moody, Vice President of Public Relations for Plant City Toastmasters, said.
“We are a community Club with the goal to improve communications and leadership skills through public speaking,” Moody said. “Toastmasters International is an organization that formed over 100 years ago, and our precepts are: Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence.”
To find out more about Plant City Toastmasters see https://www.facebook.com/PlantCityToastmasters