301 Gervais Street $ P.O. Box 125 $ Columbia, South Carolina 29214 $ (803) 898-5406

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Danny Brazell, (803) 898-5406

November 4, 1999

DOR employees donate more than $3,000 to public education

COLUMBIA B Governor Jim Hodges today recognized Department of Revenue employees for donating more than $3,000 of their own money to the state=s public schools through various fundraisers. The governor thanked the 43 employees who purchased apple vehicle license tags which support public education and encouraged others to purchase the tags.

APutting an >apple tag= on your car is just one example of how anyone can get involved in improving education,@ Hodges said.

Revenue employees have purchased 43 Aapple@ vehicle license tags which support public education. All of the tag=s $54 price goes to public education -- $24 goes to a state fund which is divided among all school districts and $30 goes to the school of the buyer=s choice. Through this campaign, DOR employees contributed $1,032 to the statewide fund and $1,032 to 25 schools designated by employees.

The school districts which benefitted from apple tag sales at the Department of Revenue are: Allendale 1, $30; Beaufort 1, $42; Chesterfield 1, $30; Clarendon 2, $30; Lexington 1, $256; Lexington 2, $216; Lexington 4, $30; Lexington 5, $156; Newberry 1, $30; Richland 1, $198; and Richland 2, $14.

Department of Revenue employees contributed school supplies for 100 children to the Cooperative Ministry=s annual drive. Employees also are raising money to assist the Columbia Junior League with their Project 2000 reading program for at-need students.

Employees have donated their time to Richland School District One=s Lunch Buddies program and are now signing up to become mentors to students in the same school district. Employees in the DOR=s Greenville office have adopted a special needs class at Lake Forest Elementary School, tutoring 14 students and serving as Ahomeroom parents@ for the class. Employees in the Beaufort office purchased 125 dictionaries for third graders in Beaufort and Jasper counties.

Other no-cost ways DOR employees have contributed is through participating in the campaigns of private businesses to benefit schools.