Houston CPAs to Honor Watsons at 2001 Charity Affair

The Houston Chapter Texas Society of CPAs recently launched their 15^th annual charity campaign which benefits Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas and CPAs Helping Schools. Tagged “Changing the World One Child at a Time,” the 2001 CPA Charity Extravaganza will be Jan. 30, 2001, at the Hyatt Regency Houston, 1200 Louisiana St. The event honors Chuck and Kim Watson for their charitable activities. Watson is chairman and chief executive officer of Dynegy Inc. and the owner of the Houston Aeros.

“The CPAs have set a goal to raise $200,000 at this event,” said Carol Warley of Bellaire, event chair and a partner at KPMG LLP. Last year’s event, which honored Houston Chronicle Publisher Richard J. V. Johnson, raised more than $150,000 for Initiatives for Children, Family to Family Network and CPAs Helping Schools.

“We are honoring Mr. Watson for his work as a leader in the Houston business and civic community,” Warley said. “Chuck is a board member of Make-A-Wish Foundation, Houston Arts Fund, Theatre Under the Stars, the Greater Houston Partnership and the United Way. Mrs. Watson is also a leader in our community. She is active with the American Heart Association, Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Cypress Creek Foundation for the Arts and Community Enrichment. She is a director of children’s ministries of Windwood Presbyterian Church and a trustee for the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District Educational Foundation.”

Bob Allen, sports director of KTRK-TV Channel 13 will be the master of ceremonies.

Tickets for the event begin at $125 with tables of 10 starting at $1,750. For information, call 713-622-7733.

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Add one … Houston CPAs to Honor Watsons

Junior Achievement educates and inspires young people to value free enterprise, business and economics to improve the quality of their lives. JA reached 119,852 students in grades kindergarten through twelve during the 1999-2000 school year. Business volunteers from the community go into the classroom to show students the importance of staying in school, while teaching them about the free enterprise system. Junior Achievement’s Exchange City facility, The Albert and Ethel Herzstein Center, offers fifth grade students the opportunity to experience business in action as they must write a business plan, produce a product, operate a newspaper or wellness center and pay off their bank loan at the end of the day.

The CPAs Helping Schools Committee provides grants to schools, scholarships for students and a variety of teacher, staff and volunteer recognition programs. The CPAs recently conducted an art and essay contest to encourage children to read, among other school activities and mentoring programs. Last year the program provided funds to Braeburn Elementary in southwest Houston for classroom supplies and sponsored trips to cultural and sporting events for Bonham Elementary, 8302 Braes River Road, and Terrell Alternative Middle School, 4610 Crosstimbers. The CPAs conducted a uniform drive for students of Port Houston Elementary School in east Houston where they also provided electronic bilingual reading aids and library books.

The 8,200-member Houston Chapter Texas Society of CPAs, with members from 13 surrounding counties, is the third largest “local” organization of CPAs in the nation. In addition to providing professional education to its members, the Houston Chapter has donated more than $1.5 million to youth charities over the past 15 years through its annual charity event and more than $1.2 million to Make-A-Wish through its golf tournament. The CPA Chapter also delivers toys to 5,000-6,000 children each year through Santa CPAs and supports education. Each spring the Houston CPAs provide tax free help to low income, physically impaired, non-English-speaking or elderly residents. They provide ongoing help to other nonprofit organizations by lending skills to charity auctions, tallying results for KUHT-TV public television drives and providing accounting advice to other nonprofit organizations.

December 12, 2000