Nancy C. Millan, Hillsborough County tax collector, is proud to announce the winners of the Kids Tag Art Program for the 2022-23 school year.
This year’s top honorees are Aaliyah Greene-Walker from Dunbar Elementary School, who received the Sponsor’s Choice Award, and Kaitlyn Pace from McDonald Elementary School, who received the Tax Collector’s Choice Award. Both Greene-Walker and Pace were recognized for their exceptional creativity and artistic skill.
The Kids Art Program is a creative fundraiser that allows students to showcase their artistic abilities by designing front license vanity plates in art class. The plate designs are then printed on metal plates and sold to family, friends and the public. Proceeds from the plate sales and sponsorships go back to the participating schools to help support their arts program.
This year’s Kids Tag Art Program raised, to date, over $37,800, and a total of 43 Hillsborough County schools participated in the program with over 1,000 plate design entries. In total, the Kids Tag Art Program across the state of Florida has raised over $2 million dollars to date since its inception in Polk County over 16 years ago.
“I am very proud of our Kids Tag Art Program and the support we are able to provide to school art programs,” said Millan. “Their artwork not only showcases their impressive talent but also promotes the importance of arts education in our schools.”
Suncoast Credit Union was the presenting sponsor for this year’s event.
“We are proud to support the Kids Tag Art Program again this year and its mission to promote arts education in our schools,” said Kourtney Berry, executive director of foundation and youth outreach for Suncoast Credit Union.
Other sponsors for this year’s event included: Derrick Brooks Charities, PDQ, Florida West Coast Credit Union, Wild Architecture and Ms. Peggy Land.
The judges for this year’s contest were Berry, Mayor Jane Castor, Hillsborough County School Board Chair Nadia Combs and Division Director of the Hillsborough County Arts Council Martine Collier.
Local area winners for this year’s Kids Tag Art Program were: Layla Kazbour, Bevis; Emily Sanchez, FishHawk Creek; Jacob Nieto, Gibsonton; Madison Odell, Kingswood; Harper Jacquin, Lithia Springs; Mia Diaz Ramierez, Lopez; Kaitlyn Pace, McDonald; Loreen Tumen, Nelson; Hazel Michelend, Ruskin; Diego Limon-Salazar, Seffner; James Bulmer, Thompson; Jazlyn Heredia; Wimauma; and Arianna Mina, Yates.
For more information about the Kids Tag Art Program and other initiatives by the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office, please visit the website at www.hillstax.org.