[caption id="attachment_2720" align="alignright" width="150"]Click the photo to see more photos from Nashville’s 3rd Shift Appreciation Day! Click the photo to see more photos from Nashville’s 3rd Shift Appreciation Day![/caption] The Nashville District held it’s 3rd Shift Appreciation Day last week, as Account Managers Barrett DeVault, John Utz, and Ben Johanning visited all of our downtown properties from 11pm to 2am “giving our associates wings” with RedBull and Halloween goodies to munch on – and our Appreciation didn't end there!

Towne Park’s top valets will converge on Annapolis next week to run, drive and park their way to the coveted Towne Park National Olympic Title!  The event will occur at Anne Arundel Medical Center at 10am on Wednesday, August 28 and we hope to see you there. Not only will these valets be competing as their regional teams, but the highest scoring individual competitors from the competition will be named to the All-Towne Park Team and represent TP Nation as they compete against fellow parking companies at the National Valet Parking Association's 2013 Valet Olympics on October 9 and 10 in Chicago.

After several years of planning and participating in corporate and community events to build a healthier planet, Towne Park’s environmental council, Towne Green, has achieved its primary goal and secured Towne Park a position on the prestigious Maryland Green Registry. The registry, a “voluntary program offering tips and resources for greening your facility as well as the opportunity to share your environmental successes with others,” is an important part of building a sustainable Maryland.  Jeff Johnson, Towne Park’s Vice President of Operations and Director of Towne Green, was understandably thrilled.

[caption id="attachment_1610" align="alignright" width="150"] Syrena Bracey[/caption] Syrena Bracey of Clinton, Maryland has been awarded the 2013 Valentine Memorial Scholarship by The Foundation, a 501© non-profit organization that serves and supports the communities in which Towne Park associates live and work.  Syrena’s father, Scott Bracey, has been a valued associate for over three years with Towne Park. The annual Valentine Memorial Scholarship provides one student – a Towne Park employee or immediate family member – with an undergraduate college tuition scholarship, renewable for up to four years. With assistance from Educational Testing Service’s Scholarship and Recognition Programs, The Foundation selects the winner by assessing applicants’ financial need, academic standing and their embodiment of the ideal Valentine scholar.

caption id="attachment_1562" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Click the photo to see more of our great support team on the red carpet on our Facebook page!"][/caption] You’ve seen Towne Park associates valet your vehicles, open doors and transport your luggage when checking-in for your hotel stay, but did you know there’s an entire network of people diligently working behind the scenes to support our on-site teams, from coast to coast? Well, there is!  We literally rolled out the red carpet Monday morning to kick off the festivities in celebration of Administrative Professionals Week, to recognize these unsung heroes and show our sincere appreciation for all they do.

A guest post by Rick Sorrells, Towne Park's Executive Vice President - Administration, who shares a story, entitled "The Gold Wrapping Paper – A Story of Forgiveness and Thanks" Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family's only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. As money was tight, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold paper to decorate one shoebox she had put under the Christmas tree. He also was concerned about where she had gotten money to buy what was in the shoebox. Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, "This is for you, Daddy!"

[caption id="attachment_797" align="alignright" width="150"] Bijou Members visit Towne Park associates at The Marriott Grand Residence Club to thank them for their generosity[/caption] For Towne Park, making a difference in the community is as important as making a difference for our guests.  The Towne Park associates at The Marriott Grand Residence Club Lake Tahoe deliver on their passion for both, having recently installed a collection box in the valet office to accumulate tips as contribution for the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe. Not only are they donating their hard-earned money, but they have been donating their time also, as several associates have been volunteering at the Club in their spare time!

[caption id="attachment_806" align="alignright" width="300"] Click here to view a panoramic photo of the Towne Park associates participating in Movember[/caption] If you think there’s something different about the appearance of several Corporate HQ associates this month, you would be correct! Some call it No-shave November while others call it Movember… No matter what you call it, the follicles on these faces have one distinct goal: to change the face of men’s health by increasing vital awareness and resources, specifically for prostate and testicular cancer initiatives. In the quest to put an end to these diseases, please visit Towne Park’s Movember website to make a donation.  Any amount would be greatly appreciated.