Florence/lauderdale Tourism And Lauderdale County License Commissioner's Office Win Una Purple Reign Week Competition

Sep. 04, 2009

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@36837a.com, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - With 33 tough competitors for the Purple Reign Week business competition, the University of North Alabama Student Government Association ended up working late into the evening to choose two winners: one in a small-business category (businesses with 15 or fewer employees) and one in a large-business category (businesses with 16 or more employees).

The winner of the small-business category is Florence/Lauderdale Tourism, and the winner of the large-business category is the Lauderdale County License Commissioner's Office. Honorable mentions are Patterson Prince and Associates PC and Florence Credit Union for the small-business category, and Legends Steakhouse and the SunTrust Bank downtown Florence branch for the large-business category. Purple Reign Week was a challenge to local businesses to show their UNA spirit in the days leading up to the kick-off of the university's fall athletic season. Thirty-three businesses participated in the competition and were judged on three criteria: When the business began decorating for Purple Reign Week, employee participation in showing UNA spirit, and best decoration. As winner of Purple Reign Week, Florence/Lauderdale Tourism and the Lauderdale County License Commissioner's Office are each receiving 20 free tickets to Saturday's UNA-Carson Newman football game and 20 free tickets to this weekend's North Alabama Classic volleyball tournament. The two businesses are also receiving free Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast next Tuesday, delivered by the UNA fall coaching staff. "We're appreciative to each of the businesses participating in Purple Reign Week for showing their support of UNA," said Dr. Alan Medders, UNA vice president for advancement. "UNA is vital to this community, and strong community support is vital to the quality of an excellent university like UNA. Even after Purple Reign Week, we encourage all of our local businesses and Shoals residents to continue showing your UNA spirit. Wear purple and gold, hang UNA banners, attend the ballgames." The UNA Campus Bookstores continues to offer a coupon for 15 percent off of all UNA apparel, banners and other items. The coupon, good through the 2009-10 academic year, may be downloaded at s6nt.36837a.com/purple.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: 36837a.com and 36837a.com/unaworks/.