BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (June 13, 2006) --The Uncommon Friends Foundation, a Southwest Florida character-education foundation, has selected HomeBanc Mortgage Corporation as the winner of the region's first Business Ethics Award. The award, which recognizes a company's system-wide commitment to business ethics, was presented to Nigel Fullick, vice president of HomeBanc Mortgage, at the organization's Business Ethics Award event. HomeBanc was selected from a field of five finalists including the American Red Cross; Lee County Chapter; Colonial Bank; Salvation Army; and The Bonita Bay Group. The winner was selected by a team of nationally respected ethics professionals who developed the award criteria and made their selections from among the 22 companies and organizations that were nominated by business, political, community and religious leaders from the five-county area. Each nominated company received an invitation to apply.
Joan Elise Dubinsky, Esquire, a member of the judging panel, is an ethics officer for the International  Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C., and a nationally recognized author, educator and management consultant on business ethics. "Uncommon Friends is to be commended for initiating this business ethics award," said Dubinsky, a faculty member of the national Ethics and Compliance Officer Association and an executive fellow with the Center for Business Ethics. "It was a pleasure to read all the nominations and  I'm impressed with the commitment of Southwest Florida organizations to raising business ethics standards. Not all companies understand the difference between business ethics and customer service, or business ethics and social responsibility. The finalists are moving in that direction and seem to know that at its core, business ethics is what you do when no one is looking. How do you treat your employees, vendors and business partners? How do your employees, when faced with a grey situation, make a decision about what to do? The very fact that Uncommon Friends, Florida Gulf Coast University and others are discussing these tough issues shows Southwest Florida is ahead of many other areas of the country," she continued.
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BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (May 12, 2006) -- Congress Jewelers is adding a sparkle and excitement to An Uncommon Evening, the annual event of the Uncommon Friends Foundation, scheduled for Thursday, June 8 at Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa. During the predinner reception, glasses of champagne - each containing a gemstone - will be served to the first 100 people to make $100 contributions to the Uncommon Friends Foundation. At the end of the evening, one of the stones will be exchanged for a diamond worth $10,000, courtesy of Congress Jewelers.

"We thought this was a fun, unusual way to support the work of the foundation," said Tammy Surratt, president of Legacy Wealth Group and volunteer event chair.
"The Uncommon Friends Foundation is doing incredible work in promoting a spirit of adventure, sense of purpose, unending personal growth and commitment to helping friends throughout Lee County and beyond," said Scot Congress, president of the family-owned chain of jewelry stores. "These are certainly values we appreciate, and we also are excited about the new Business Ethics Award."

The Uncommon Friends Foundation is introducing the region's first Business Ethics Award during the event to recognize the critical importance of ethical leadership. The award will be given to the local business that best exemplifies high standards of ethical behavior and consistently demonstrates those standards both in its daily operations and during times of crisis. Award finalists are American Red Cross, Lee County Chapter, Colonial Bank, HomeBanc Mortgage Corporation, Salvation Army and The Bonita Bay Group. Presenting sponsors for the Business Ethics Award are Oswald Trippe and Company Inc. and St. Paul Travelers Insurance Company.


2-2-2-2/Congress Jewelers to Add Sparkle to An Uncommon Evening

The Uncommon Friends Foundation, established in Southwest Florida in 1993, works to enrich society by promoting the ethics, moral values and a sense of purpose that author Jim Newton discovered in Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Dr. Alexis Carrel and Charles Lindbergh during their time in Fort Myers. For event tickets or information about the foundation's work, please call (239) 337-9505.

Congress Jewelers was founded on Sanibel Island in 1983 and has established a tradition of unparalleled service to both its customers and communities. Its locations in Sanibel, Bonita Springs, Naples and Key West offer designer jewelry by Louis Glick, Roberto Coin, Leslie Greene and other renowned designers, timepieces from Rolex and Breitling, and extraordinary gifts. Congress Jewelers is Southwest Florida's exclusive retailer of Bez Ambar and the Sealife by Congress line that features Charles Krypell's Silhouettes Collection. To learn more, log onto www.CongressJewelers.com.
 

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