The Annual Rays luncheon will be held on June 15 at the Pinellas Park Boys & Girls Club
 
(Largo, Florida) – As part of a nationwide effort to promote the importance of positive adult mentors, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast will host the 3rd Annual Tampa Bay Rays Lunch. The lunch will take place on Friday, June 15 at from 11:30am-1:00pm at the Boys & Girls Club facility in Pinellas Park, located at 7790 61st Street North Pinellas Park, FL 33781.

The lunch event provides a unique opportunity to meet and have lunch with the Tampa Bay Rays players, media personalities, and management. Tampa Bay Ray’s Sean Rodriguez is scheduled to attend the event, and three more players will be determined the week of the event.

“This particular event appeals to every age range in our organization. Everyone looks forward to meeting the Tampa Bay Rays players. We believe in positive role models; and there is nothing better than being able to have professional local athletes come join us and speak to the kids,” said Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast President Nita Smith. 

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JoTo Extreme PR and the National Mail Order Association partner up in time for the ‘Made in America’ new product contest

(Tampa Bay, Fla.,) – - JoTo PR has been chosen as the Publicity Sponsor for the National Mail Order Association (NMOA)’s Made in America Hot Product Contest.  With the contest just around the corner, NMOA and JoTo PR will work together to make sure the contest receives maximum exposure; to ensure as many American manufacturers have a chance to enter their product.

NMOA’s Made in America Hot Product Contest is about helping the thousands of cottage manufacturers and inventors around the USA. Contestants will submit their original products to the official contest website (which will be live in June), and online voters will decide the winner. American made products will get the opportunity to be noticed by manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike.

Contestants will receive product exposure and the possibility of getting picked up by a major retailer or catalog company. The winner from each category will receive a free year of advertising in a special Wholesale Sourcing Edition of Direct Marketing Digest that is promoted worldwide through the NMOA website and member network of over 10,000 marketers. They will also receive a publicity kit, and be able to download the comments made about their products from voters.

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Staffing employment remains on the rise, and with online training tools like Rethink Training, companies can decrease employee turnover by bringing temps aboard full time.

(Clearwater, Fla.,) - Temporary jobs, which the American Staffing Association says are a leading indicator of overall employment growth, are on the rise. This is favorable news for job-seekers and businesses alike, according to Rafferty Pendery, whose company Studio98 created Rethink Training, a web-based learning system that allows businesses to provide customized training solutions via its cloud-based service.

According to the ASA Staffing Index, staffing employment in April is 6.9 percent higher than it was in April 2011. ASA information also shows that U.S. staffing companies hired an average of 2.8 million temporary and contract workers per day in 2011, an 8 percent increase from 2010.

Since employers are looking to attract and retain qualified and productive team members, and are also striving to reduce expenses, they can transition temporary employees into permanent jobs by using cost-effective and results-oriented training.

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JoTo PR continues on as the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast’s PR Agency of Record for 2012.

(Tampa Bay, FL) May 7, 2012 – JoTo Extreme PR has been picked by Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast to be its PR agency of record again for 2012.  The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast has been playing an integral role in the Pinellas County Community for over 50 years, providing services to thousands of boys and girls annually.  Only Boys & Girls Clubs change and save the lives of young people most in need by providing daily access to a safe place, caring adult mentors, and high-impact programs during critical non-school hours. Their programs emphasize academic success, good character and leadership development, and healthy lifestyles.

JoTo PR designates a portion of its Public Relations work to be donated to certain non-profits, like BGCS, each year as their way to give back to their local community.  For more information about JoTo, including the various services and free resources available from the Tampa Bay public relations agency, visit www.jotopr.com.

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On May 13-19, Clearwater Beach will be the spot of the 3rd Annual Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week, with over 26 local restaurants participating.

(Clearwater Beach, Fla,) –During the week of May 13-19, Clearwater Beach will host the 3rd Annual Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week, which is expected to host the biggest turnout to date. Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week is more than a celebration of Clearwater Beach’s food scene; it gives restaurants a much-needed boost during a time when business often slows.

The restaurant’s economic impact is felt by the many businesses that provide goods and services to Clearwater Beach’s vital restaurant industry. Clearwater Beach Restaurant Week also helps local non-profit organizations. Last year, $17,000 was raised for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

“Restaurant Week helps the local businesses by attracting more diners to spend the night eating on the beach instead of at home,” said Darlene Kole, President and CEO of the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce. “We appreciate our sponsors for helping make this event possible.”

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On May 27, Tampa Bay Veterans Alliance will host a family-friendly event in Crest Lake Park

(Tampa Bay, Fla.) – After last year’s 400 plus turnout in Station Square Park, The Tampa Bay Veteran’s Alliance (TBVA) will host this year’s Memorial Day Tribute on Sunday, May 27, 2012, at 7:30pm in Crest Lake Park in Downtown Clearwater, at Gulf-to-Bay & Glenwood streets.

This year, to honor the Veterans, the night will feature a ceremony with special events including:
• Pinellas County Veterans Council to present the Military Colors at sunset
• A line of March will include the Honor Guards from the Clearwater Police and Fire Departments
• A special Veteran’s Memorial wreath is set to be laid where Florida’s First Veterans Memorial will be erected.

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Missouri Physical Therapists Continue Efforts to Establish New Rules Governing Health Insurance Providers’ Reimbursement and Co-Pays for Physical Therapy Services

(EUREKA, Mo.) – The Sports and Physical Therapy Center in Eureka, together with other private-practice physical therapy clinics in Missouri, is continuing in its efforts to raise public awareness and support for proposed legislation that would level the playing field for insurance reimbursements and co-pays for physical therapy services. The St. Louis County clinic heralds the recent actions of the Missouri House of Representatives and State Senate in relation to that cause.

Bills introduced in the Missouri House and Senate aim to eliminate insurance providers’ current practice of negotiating more favorable contracts with hospital-run physical therapy clinics than with owner-operated clinics. According to EqualPay4EqualServices.com, the bargaining power of large hospital systems gives them greater leverage with insurance providers and results in a lack of consideration for the needs of small, private-practice clinics.

Health insurance companies reimburse large, hospital-run clinics more than private-practice clinics for the same services – while charging patients who choose private-practice physical therapy clinics higher co-pays. Because private-practice physical therapy clinics do not have the same bargaining power as hospital systems, many are increasingly struggling to maintain operations, resulting in business closures and fewer choices for patients.(1)

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Landmark score of 97.75 to Novus Detox by the Florida Department of Children and Families’ reflects residential treatment facility's uncompromising standards.

(NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla.) -- April marks the fifth anniversary of Novus Medical Detox Center, one of the only Florida-based detox centers serving high-dosage prescription-drug abuse patients. The event follows a March 7, 2012 state inspection that resulted in the center earning a score of 97.75, one of the Florida Department of Children and Families’ highest scores for industry best standards.

Located in a peaceful, secure setting in Florida’s Tampa Bay region, Novus sets itself apart from other drug and alcohol treatment centers by offering premium services in a relaxed, “at home” atmosphere. The center’s proprietary treatment includes daily patient evaluation that takes into account each patient’s health, metabolism and particular circumstances in order to prescribe natural supplements, ample hydration and restorative IV treatments of vitamins, minerals and amino acids to facilitate a more comfortable and safe drug detoxification.

Since opening its doors on April 5, 2007, the center has made significant strides in its detox protocol. As one of the very few treatment facilities that will take in high-dosage cases, Novus has embraced the challenge to develop an outstanding medically safe and nutritionally restorative detox program for this high-risk population. Among Novus' cutting-edge solutions are vitamin IVs and intramuscular vitamin injections formulated to help people rebuild their bodies so that they are able to focus on the next phase of their treatment - instead of being undermined by painful and often formidable withdrawal symptoms.

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On April 19-22, Downtown St. Petersburg was the spot to be for the weekend-long festival filled with flicks, workshops, parties and entertainment topping off the event with the newest winners of the festival’s “Best of” awards.

(Tampa Bay, Fla)  – The 7th Annual Sunscreen Film Festival attracted people from all over the country, to come together to enjoy the independent film industry. With the opening-night red carpet, abundance of workshops, films, and parties, the festival experienced its 2nd highest-ever attendance to date, surpassing 9,000 people.

The festival held its traditional award ceremony the last night of the festival to congratulate and recognize the winners of the most talented directors, writers, and films.  The winners chosen are as follows:

• Best Film: Honey Killer, Richard Harrison
• Best Director: Andrew Disney, Searching for Sonny
• Best Florida Film: Blueberry Pale Ale, Richard Studebaker
• Best Screenplay: Nuclear One, written by: Michael Toay & Travis Mann
• Best Female Filmmaker: Lina Gartzman;  Housewarming
• Best Short Film: The Kook, Christina D. King

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It is the second consecutive year that the Palm Harbor, Fla.-based company has received the honor, which is bestowed through employee participation

(Palm Harbor, Fla.,) – A leading service provider to the mortgage and financial industry, Nationwide Title Clearing has recently received recognition in its industry for its outstanding work environment and atmosphere.  The company is equally proud of its reputation as an organization that is beloved by its employees. For the second consecutive year, NTC has been named one of the top workplaces in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.

Companies included in the Tampa Bay Times’ 2012 Top 75 Workplaces are selected because of employee support. Team members complete a questionnaire and the results are analyzed by an independent third party and reported to the Tampa Bay Times. Companies are ranked according to their overall score.

“This recognition is especially rewarding because it represents the endorsement of our employees,” said John Hillman, who is CEO of NTC. “Any successful company is only as good as its team, and we strive to maintain an environment that is conducive to attracting and retaining qualified and motivated employees who take pride in where they work.”

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