Get Out and Run For The Redfish

On December 5, 2009 runners from across the Southeast will participate in the inaugural Run for the Redfish, a combined half marathon, 5k run and kids fun run will be held at Pier Park. A portion of the proceeds for event will benefit the Coast Conservation Association (CCA).

The run will begin at the Front Beach Road entrance to Pier Park and continue down Front Beach Road, looping back to end at Margaritaville. Margaritville will host the post race celebration and awards ceremony. Shotgun start to the race will be at 8am for the half marathon and 8:30am for the 5k. All runners of the half marathon and 5k will receive a Run for the Redfish long sleeve T-shirt as part of their participation.

Race committee member Joe Edgecombe said, “As an avid runner in Bay County, I’m excited to help bring a running event of this caliber to our area. The Run for the Redfish has all the bells and whistles; a certified course, professional timing, a professional race day photographer to capture the moment, and a venue that is above all the rest. Panama City Beach, the Tourism Development Council, The Resort Collection, Pier Park, Margaritaville and a team of dedicated individuals have made this a destination event! The best location and the most “bang for the bucks’ road race in the entire region!”

The Run for the Redfish is not only a new and exciting event for Panama City Beach, but will bring awareness to the Coastal Conservation Association who works to protect our unique waterways and coastlines which are the habitat of the Redfish.

Race sponsors include Redfish Riviera Outfitters, Pier Park, The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach, seepcb.com, the Bay County Tourist Development Council, Beach TV, and Maragritaville. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

For more information on the run or registration visit www.runfortheredfish.com. Runners can register for the race online or at local retailers; there will be no registration the day of the event. Registration forms and payment can be mailed to PO Box 9927 Panama City Beach, Fl 32417.

Resort Collection – New Community Service Program

Junior Executive Committee (Jr. EC) of Edgewater Beach and Golf Resort, a property of The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach, announces a new community service program to involve all resort staff.

The Jr. EC is a new committee of management staff at Edgewater Beach and Golf Resort, comprised of eight individuals each representing a department of the resort. The committee has taken on the roll of community awareness and support by engaging the more than 300 employees to participate.

The committee’s first endeavor was a food and clothing drive for the Panama City Rescue Mission. The committee organized a companywide drive encouraging each department to compete for the largest donation.

“We are thrilled at the leadership and initiative of this group,” said Tom Sparks, general manager of The Resort Collection. “We hope this will be the beginning to more community involvement on behalf of our staff.”

The food and clothing drive produced more than $1000 dollars of non-perishable food items and 14 articles of clothing for the Mission. The donations were picked up by the Panama City Rescue Mission last Friday February 6.

The Jr. EC is working on several projects for the remainder of the year, planning to complete one community service project each quarter.

Resort to Quality Education Program gives over $1k

Panama City Beach, Fla. (October 15, 2008)—The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach announced the first award presentation to a participating school in their Resort to Quality Education (RQE) program, which began in the spring of 2008. The RQE program was created in an effort to promote the vacation properties within the Resort Collection while supporting education and contributing to schools.

Any school may participate in the program simply by informing parents, teachers and school supporters about the RQE offer through flyers, posters, school web sites or any other appropriate means of communication. Every time a teacher, student, parent or school supporter makes a reservation with any Resort Collection property and gives the name of the participating school, a 20% discount will be given off the room rate. The Resort Collection will then give 5% of the total room revenue accrued under that school’s name back to the school every quarter.

Recently, The Resort Collection awarded the first RQE program check. On October 10, 2008, The Resort Collection’s Business Development Manager and local Director of RQE, Heather Walsh, presented a quarterly check for $1195.60 to Jim Arrington, headmaster of Macon-East Montgomery Academy, located in Cecil, Alabama.

President of the RQE program, Mike O’Malley, said, “I am honored and blessed to be involved in the development of the RQE program that offers schools the opportunity to fund future educational programs in a creative way. For years, our resort properties have witnessed families enjoying our accommodations and this program gives us the ability to send a little of us home with them. We can’t wait to see how these funds are used by the participating schools and how we can further expand our participation in promoting quality education.”