So, we’re curious: have you guys made any resolutions for the new year? Any lofty goals to improve your situation, your circumstances, your life? Tis the season for it, after all.
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We came across a funny line the other day about folks resolving to better themselves this time of year, and we thought we’d share it for a giggle:
“I’m opening a gym called “Resolutions.” For the first two weeks of the year it will be packed with exercise equipment, trainers, and people working out. After that, it turns into a wine bar for the rest of the year.”
Pardon us while we LOL! But honestly, if this sounds all too familiar to you, fret not: we’ve got an alternative for you. Something that’s easy, fast, and yields immediate results. And you never, ever, ever have to step foot in a gym. Unless you want to, of course: it’s your life!
What we’re proposing here is to consider our Specialty Plate Program as a foolproof resolution.
Well, it’s not our program, per se. It belongs to the state of Florida. And it’s a truly wonderful opportunity to spread some good all the while exerting very little effort on your part. Too good to be true, you say? Well, let us explain.
The Florida Specialty Plate Program starts with the availability of over one hundred special license plates that all bear a unique motif. Each tag in the state’s catalog is individually designed by an artist, and serves to represent people, places and things. More specifically, the plate showcase themes such as sports teams, animal and environmental preservation, health awareness, as well as military and law enforcement support.
But the Specialty Plate is, as we like to point out, not just a pretty face.
Behind each design, behind each theme lies a cause. And that cause is, in turn, funded by the sales of the plate that represents it. So if dolphins are your spirit animal, you. Might choose the Save the Dolphins tag, thereby funding the research, rescue, and preservation of Florida’s dolphins via the purchase of this plate.
It’s so simple, it’s almost hard to believe. You buy a cool license plate, and you are automatically helping a cause that is dear to your heart. Talk about minimum effort and maximum results, eh? We told you this could be a great new year’s resolution! 
And this issue of our Specialty Plate Spotlight Series features none other than the Tampa Bay Lightning!
Tampa Bay’s hockey team – Tampa Bay Lightning – is home to the Lightning Foundation. The Lightning Foundation is a non-profit organization that uses the power of hockey – more specifically, the power of Lightning Hockey – to help make a positive impact on the Tampa community.
Backed by the NHL, the Lightning Foundation, which has been partnered with the Florida Sports Foundation since 1996, aims to support the Sunshine State’s youth and sports. The Florida Sports Foundation receives much of its grant funding from the proceeds of the Specialty Plate. In turn, it offers grants to assist communities and host organizations in attracting sports to the state of Florida.
In its continuous pursuit to contribute to the local community, the Lighting Foundation designates funding to various areas in need of support.
Their broad focus includes community events, theme nights, fundraising, player initiatives, raffles, partnerships, donation requests, and honoring local heroes.
One such recent accomplishment of the Lightning Foundation is its most recent 50/50 raffle. As of last month (December 2024) the raffle made history by raising over $1 million ($1,058,899 to be exact). In turn, the Foundation can now count over $4 million donated to hurricane relief efforts in the state of Florida. 
Before that, the Lightning Foundation teamed up with automotive partner, Ford, in order to support local military families and provide them with Thanksgiving meals.
In fact, the staff at the Lightning Foundation counts giving back as one of their priorities on a regular basis. Each employee dedicates one full week of their time to volunteering for local, non-profit causes across the Tampa Bay area. This means that over the course of the last eight years the Lighting Foundation crew have accumulated over 45,000 hours of volunteer service that spans a range of over 200 charitable organizations.
In short, when you opt for the Tampa Bay Lightning Specialty Plate, you are, in fact, supporting all of this amazing work seen to by the Foundation. It could not be easier to give back than this. Talk about a New Year’s resolution, eh?
So, how do you go about upgrading to a Specialty Plate? Here’s how:
Head over to etags.com and select Florida as your state from our drop-down menu. Then choose Get Specialty and/or Personalized Plate. Why is the option worded as such, you wonder? Well, because you can also personalize your Tampa Bay Lighting tag! Yep, you can choose your own personal set-up of letters and numbers to have on your plate. As long as the DMV approves of your combo, you are good to go. 
You will then be prompted to fill in some basic information about your vehicle and yourself, and in a few short, easy steps, your Specialty Plate will have been ordered. It’s really that fast and that simple.
But what if your registration is not up for renewal, you want to know? No problem – you can order a Specialty Plate at any time. That’s’ right, you read that correctly. You don’t have to wait for your renewal period or for when you are registering a new vehicle. You can literally decide to level up to a Specialty Plate whenever your little heart desires.
Cool, right? So, at the risk of repeating this too many times (we’re gonna do it anyway!) this is possibly the easiest, and most impactful resolution you could choose this January. So little effort and so much effect.
And if at any point during this process you have questions or just want a little assistance, you can feel free reach out to us. Because as always, here at eTags, we’re here to help!
