Tale of Two Cities: Hollywood, Miami Welcome SpongeBob 'MailPants'

Back L to R: Perry Dempsey, Operations Programs Specialist; Art Niciforo, Operations Programs Specialist; Angel Gual, A/Manager, Delivery & Customer Service Programs; Thomas Metcalfe, Operations Programs Specialist; James Williams, Operations Programs Specialist; Janice Atherly, A/Manager, Operations Programs Support.  Front L to R: Operations Programs Specialists Zahira Figuereo, Lenora Banks, Patricia Nolan, Dalila de la Torre, and Connie Rayford.  Photos:  Barry D. Artiz

With the help of the popular SpongeBob SquarePants character, the U.S. Postal Service and Nickelodeon are promoting letter writing for children. In fact, SpongeBob has changed his last name to "MailPants."

SpongeBob is a childish, eccentric sea sponge who lives in a pineapple in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom.  The SpongeBob character resembles a yellow kitchen sponge with pants.  

In South Florida, it’s the tale of two cities:  Hollywood and Miami each have a SpongeBob-wrapped collection box.  Special thanks to Maintenance employees Building Equipment Mechanics Donald Myers and Mike Vareen, and Area Maintenance Technicians Agustin Fernandez and Rand Najimian who safely secured SpongeBob to collection boxes in front of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and Miami Children’s Hospital.

The South Florida District Operations Programs Support Team created and decorated their office Christmas tree with SpongeBob replicas, and blue and yellow ribbons and ornaments. Now the tree will greet patients and visitors in the lobby of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital for the holiday season.

Miami Building Equipment Mechanics Donald Myers (L) and Mike Vereen (R)

Photo:  Lenora Banks

Area Maintenance Technicians Agustin Fernandez (L) and Rand Najimian (R)

  Photo:  Lenora Banks