by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
On Aug. 21, about 100 people, members of the Downtown Council of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce along with spouses, friends and guests, gathered early in the morning to paint a line of bright yellow paw prints on Bay Street from the Main Street Bridge to EverBank Field. It’s a 15-year-old tradition that annually marks the first preseason home game of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ NFL season.
That’s the public property side of the project, but there’s also another opportunity. The council’s corporate program allows any business or individual to have its own paw print, in brilliant teal instead of yellow, painted on a driveway, parking lot or other location on private property.
Last week, the Hyatt Downtown received three teal paw prints in the hotel’s parking garage.
“We benefit a lot from the Jaguars and we thought it would be a nice way to show our support for the team,” said Hyatt General Manager Dan King. “It’s also a way to be a good corporate citizen and remind people, especially visiting fans, about the Jaguars.”
The Downtown Council suggests a $50 donation for each paw print. The funds are used to support the council’s philanthropic programs, such as providing books for libraries in public schools, the Jacksonville Film Festival and the St. Johns Riverkeeper. So far about 50 corporate paw prints have been painted in locations in North Florida.
For information about a teal paw print, call Downtown Council President Jepp Walter at 838-8400.
356-2466