BY JAMES HARPER    
DAYTONA TIMES    

Betty and Julio Holness and 38 other Volusia County residents are about to become some of most recognized figures in the entire county.

Along with Dr. James Huger, their faces will be posted all over Volusia as the county’s Census awareness campaign kicks off. The hope is that the campaign will help make sure every resident knows the importance of completing Census forms that will begin arriving in the mail next month.

"Volusia County’s Census awareness campaign is using 41 real, local people as models. We chose to use real people to highlight the fact that our Census campaign will have a real impact on Volusia County residents," said Pat Kuehn, a spokesman for the Census Complete Count Committee.

Forms going out next month

There are two major Census awareness campaigns in Volusia County – one sponsored by the Volusia County Council and the other by the City of Daytona Beach, Kuehn said.

In March, every household in the United States will receive a Census questionnaire, and residents are required to complete and return the forms by April 1. The U.S. Census Bureau will conduct no-response follow-up from late April through June.

Data will affect how more than $400 billion in federal funds will be distributed to state and local governments each year and will be used to draw state legislative districts and determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives.

$75,000 budgeted for campaign

"We developed a striking graphic concept and have shared our materials with all 16 municipalities to help them get their campaigns started and also to ensure a consistent, coordinated countywide message," Kuehn told the Daytona Times this week.

The Volusia County Council budgeted $75,000 for this countywide campaign.

About 10,00 bookmarks and 24,000 flyers with Census information will be distributed to local libraries, colleges, churches, social service agencies, county offices and health department clinics. The faces of the 41 locals are on the bookmarks and flyers.

In addition, 15 billboards with these same faces and information soon will appear in Daytona Beach, Holly Hill, Ormond Beach, DeLand, Orange City, and unincorporated areas near New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange.

Advertisements to appear on buses

Census advertisements will be seen on bus shelters in Deltona and New Smyrna Beach. They also will appear on 11 Votran buses that travel through all 16 towns and cities in Volusia County.

On top of that, 30-second video public service announcements will run on WDSC-TV and in six movie theaters in Volusia County.

Informational packets will be mailed to 350 churches across the county. Reminder postcards will be mailed to 2,100 homeowners associations, apartment complexes and housing complexes in the county.

Letters and coloring books also will be mailed to more than 300 daycare centers throughout the county.

Organizations that want to schedule a Census presentation can contact Kuehn at 386-822-5062, ext. or call Betty Holness at 386-736-5920, ext. 2603. More details are available at volusiacounts.org and volusiacuenta.org.