(Edinburg, TX) Hidalgo County District Clerk Staff presented a check today totalling $3,200 to the National Butterfly Center as part of their Blues for Bucks Workplace Fundraising Campaign to benefit local charitable organizations.

Located in Mission, Texas, near the Rio Grande River, the National Butterfly Center is committed to connecting people, plants, and the “winged wonders” that pollinate and propagate all the grows around us. The Center showcases live animals and plants, in wild and cultivated settings, with educational exhibits to enhance understanding and appreciation of butterflies in healthy, sustainable ecosystems.

“Receiving this special contribution from the staff at the Hidalgo County District Clerk’s office is wonderful,” asserts Marianna Trevino-Wright, Executive Director of the Center. “And it could not have come at a better time! Summer time in the Rio Grande Valley is stressful for plants and animals, not to mention our equipment and employees; so this gift is greatly appreciated and will be put to good use. We hope to return wonder for wonder, by recognizing everyone who participated with a permanent bed in our ever-growing garden.”

The district clerk office kicked off their charitable efforts in 2008. The program, which allows department staff to wear jeans every Friday in exchange for a $5 donation, has since then expanded. Staff is enhancing their efforts through the creation of a “charitable organizations list” from which staff randomly selects a recipient every six months. Over the past four years, the district clerk office has collected and distributed over $33,000 to charitable organizations throughout Hidalgo County, as the result of staff participation in the program.

“Giving back is the least we can do as public servants and as members of this community,” said Laura Hinojosa, Hidalgo County District Clerk. “I'm glad our staff is able to contribute in a small way to organizations like the National Butterfly Center that rely on community support to continue doing the wonderful work they do.”

The National Butterfly Center is open to the public, for visitors and members, seven days/week. To learn more about the National Butterfly Center, and how you can join us, visit www.nationalbutterflycenter.org, or call 956.583.5400. Your annual membership or charitable gift impacts the beauty of our community and helps preserve the biologically diverse, natural treasures of deep South Texas.

###