This bench sits at the entrance of the Anna Maria Island pier. Christine passes it every day on her way to work.

Locally founded TIFF needs our help to take message national – through American Small Business Championship

On December 7th, 2005 Christine’s daughter Tiffiany and her boyfriend Dustin were killed in a motorcycle accident. Because there was no contact information linked to her drivers license, Christine didn’t find out anything for six and a half hours. In a truly horrific night Highway Patrol caught up with Christine and her son at a local hospital. They informed her Tiffiany was at the morgue but it was closed and she’d have to call them in the morning. The local paper had the story before she did. It was horrible.

Out of a tragic death, a life-changing idea was born.

Christine Olson decided immediately something had to change in the way family members are located and notified in the event of emergencies, and the TIFF — To Inform Families First — Initiative began. In the decade since, Olson has worked tirelessly to set up a notification registration system tied to law enforcement, first in Tiffiany’s home state of Florida, and now in five other states with two additional states in the works.

The goal is to register all drivers nationwide, and with that purpose, TIFF is asking for your vote in the 2017 American Small Business Championship sponsored by Sam’s Club and SCORE, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, a national small business mentoring organization. Voting runs through Feb.20, and TIFF hopes to garner enough votes to win one of three $25,000 small business awards. More than $100,000 will also be awarded to 100 other winners. Olson says the money will be used to continue spreading the TIFF Initiative throughout the country.

“Winning this vote will give us a chance for a national platform in Washington, D.C., and that would be a complete game changer for TIFF,” Olson said.

There are two ways to cast your vote for TIFF.

  1. Go to To Inform Families First TIFF Facebook page, find the feed with Manatee County Rick Wells video and click on it. The link to the contest will appear, then click the vote box to cast your ballot.
  2. Voting may also take place on the SCORE website at SCORE.org. Click on the “learn more” box under the 2017 Small Business Championship banner and follow the prompts.

Winners will be announced in July 2017.

 

Take two minutes and make sure you and your loved ones are signed up. Register here. 

TIFF’s Initiative is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations are welcome, and are tax-deductible as allowed by law. For more information on TIFF, contact Christine Olson at 941-795-1869 or go to the website.

Read up more on Christine at #Brilliance