Media Contact:
Elizabeth Ray
FRLA Press Secretary
850.224.2250 x255
ERay@FRLA.org
(Tallahassee, FL) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to announce a new partnership with the Florida Department of Corrections. The collaboration is designed to help save taxpayer dollars through the donations of reusable inventory, such as bed sheets, pillowcases and washcloths to prisons across the state.
“FRLA members are stepping up to the plate by voluntarily contributing the necessary resources that allow our state prisons to function properly,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “At FRLA, we believe that by providing these materials, it will not only save taxpayer dollars, it will allow the Department of Corrections to allocate those dollars toward public safety initiatives.”
“The Department values its partnership with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and appreciates the generosity of its members,” said Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Crews. “The donations of these items help us stay focused on cost avoidance initiatives and efficiencies that result in significant savings to Florida families, and serve as a prime example of Governor Rick Scott’s leadership in encouraging public-private initiatives. We are enthusiastic about the growth of this program and look forward to working with FRLA members.”
The Florida Department of Corrections is the third largest state prison system in the country with a budget of $2.4 billion, just over 100,000 inmates incarcerated and another 115,000 offenders on active community supervision. In fiscal year 2012-2013, the Department of Corrections spent $813,996 on bedding and linen alone.
To launch the partnership, FRLA’s 2014 Chairman of the Board and General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, James E. McManemon, made the first donation. The 5-star hotel gave more than 1,000 Euro Pillows, 2,500 pillow cases and 100 blankets to the Department.
McManemon said, “We are proud to kick off this partnership between the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and the Florida Department of Corrections. As leaders in the hospitality industry, we have the ability to collect reusable resources at our member properties across the state and coordinate with local DC facilities for pick up. This is only the beginning and we look forward to a successful and long term venture.”
Additionally, the Sirata Beach Resort in St. Pete made a donation to the brand new program. The owner of the property and FRLA’s 2014 Secretary-Treasurer, Gregg Nicklaus, helped assemble a collection of chairs, cases of soap, shower gels, radios and a variety of other materials. FRLA encourages its members across the state to contribute to the program’s continued success.
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About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA’s mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s hospitality industry – which represents a $71.8 billion industry, 23% of Florida’s economy, $4.3 billion in sales tax revenue, and over one million employees, making it Florida’s largest employer. It is Florida’s premier non-profit, hospitality industry trade association. FRLA safeguards the needs of the hospitality industry, improves the business climate, promotes the highest levels of quality and safety for our patrons, provides legislative advocacy, and eases navigation of government regulation. The Association represents and serves more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks. For more information, go to www.FRLA.org.
About the Florida Department of Corrections
The Florida Department of Corrections (DC) is the third largest state prison system in the country with a budget of $2.4 billion, just over 100,000 inmates incarcerated and another 115,000 offenders on active community supervision. The DC has 143 facilities statewide, including 48 major institutions, 15 annexes, seven private facilities (contracts for the private facilities are overseen by the Florida Department of Management Services), 33 work camps, six road prisons and forestry camps, one boot camp, 20 DOC operated work release centers along with 13 more work release centers operated by various private vendors (DOC oversees these contracts). About three quarters of its staff of more than 25,000 employees are either certified correctional officers or probation officers. The average DC employee is 41 years old and has been with the agency for almost nine years. There were no prison escapes from a major prison last fiscal year. For more information, go to www.dc.state.fl.us.