$2,145,000 Charitable Donation Announced by Shell Houston Open Officials

HOUSTON, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Officials today announced that proceeds of $2,145,000 from the 2010 Shell Houston Open PGA TOUR Tournament and the Houston Golf Association's other golf-related activities has been put to work in our community.

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That figure boosts the Houston Golf Association (HGA) charitable contribution total to more than $53.1 million since 1974. This marks the 17th consecutive year the contribution has been a million dollars or more. Last year's contribution total was $2,124,000.

Shell Oil Company's Bob Pease (president/CEO of Motiva Enterprises) and Houston Golf Association president Steve Timms jointly made the announcement on the steps of City Hall. Houston Mayor Annise Parker also officially proclaimed Tuesday, October 26, 2010 as Shell Houston Open – A Chance for Children Day.

HGA, a 501c (3) non-profit organization, has been promoting golf in the region since 1946. It has been funding local youth-development programs since 1974.  

Shell Oil Company has been title sponsor of Houston's PGA TOUR event since 1992. During that 19-year partnership with Shell, more than 93% of the total funding has been generated.

Shell Houston Open core charities are: Acres Home Youth Association, Boys and Girls Harbor, Inc., Cenikor Foundation, Inc., Chinquapin School, Interfaith of The Woodlands and Make-a-Wish Foundation of the Texas Gulf Coast & Louisiana.  HGA also supports an academic scholarship program as well as The First Tee ® of Greater Houston chapter, which reaches more than 60,000 young people annually. Some 200 additional worthy causes and non-profit organizations also received donations or gifts-in-kind.

The 2011 Shell Houston Open will be played the week of March 28-April 3 at Redstone Golf Club –

Tournament Course. Anthony Kim is defending champion. Visit www.shellhoustonopen.com for details.

About the Shell Houston Open

The Shell Houston Open is the 10th oldest tournament on the PGA TOUR. The tournament reflects the city's reputation as a diverse and international city with golfers from 15 different countries competing in the 2010 event.

Shell Houston Open Core Charity Summary

Houston Golf Association provides annual support to six local agencies, which provide workers at the Shell Houston Open. They are:

CHINQUAPIN SCHOOL: Located on Wallisville Road in Highland, north of Baytown, the Chinquapin school was founded in 1979. It was selected as the PGA TOUR's Charity of the Year for 1994 because of its successful program. Chinquapin is open to Houston inner-city youngsters, sixth through 12th grades, who have displayed academic potential despite coming from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. Curriculum stresses college preparatory courses, thus encouraging potential dropouts to broaden their educational horizons.

BOYS & GIRLS HARBOR: Founded in 1947 by the Optimist Club of Downtown Houston, the Harbor provides residential care for children 5-18 years of age who are experiencing family hardship, neglect, abandonment or abuse through no fault of their own. The Harbor offers children a family environment where they can learn to overcome self-destructive patterns, break cycles of abuse, develop social skills, learn responsibility, and work towards becoming healthy, happy, and productive members of society.

CENIKOR FOUNDATION, Inc.: Located in Deer Park, Texas Cenikor was founded in 1967. Cenikor's residents live within a Therapeutic Community (TC) where they learn and practice the tools necessary to overcome substance abuse disorders as well as the destructive behaviors that feed addiction. Cenikor's program of recovery helps people develop social, behavioral, vocational, educational and recreational skills to live a lifestyle free of substance abuse. The treatment program lasts 18-24 months. Cenikor is for men and women, 18 and older, who truly want to change. Cenikor's core values incorporate community as a method, faith, work and personal responsibility concepts. Cenikor is a place for recovery, a place for change.

INTERFAITH CENTER OF THE WOODLANDS: A human services organization which benefits The Woodlands and South Montgomery County. Among the programs it offers, Interfaith provides a large child-care center, a church-planning organization, assistance to senior citizens and emergency aid. Interfaith also provides psychological counseling and job re-training for the unemployed.

MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF THE TEXAS GULF COAST & LOUISIANA, INC.: Fulfills wishes for children suffering a terminal or life-threatening condition.

ACRES HOME YOUTH ASSOCIATION: This non-profit organization, was created to bring youth development programs to the Acres Home community for school-age boys and girls through after school and summer based programs. These programs promote academic achievement, sportsmanship, responsibility, social development, and self-discipline and represent an investment in the future of neighborhood youth.

Houston Golf Association Youth Development Programs

1)  HOUSTON GOLF ASSOCIATION ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Thanks to determined fundraising, Houston Golf Association has expanded its scholarship program. In May of 2010 our Scholarship Committee named six more grant recipients, an increase of four over 2009. More than 120 applicants were previously reviewed. HGA has distributed more than $460,000 in academic grants since 1996.

2010 Scholarship Recipients

Wen Chong (Alief Hastings HS), accepted at Texas Women's University to pursue a degree in Nursing; Rayven Moore (Pasadena Memorial HS), accepted at Notre Dame to pursue a degree in Business Management; Vanessa Rivera (Friendswood HS), accepted at Cornell University to pursue a degree in Human Ecology; Christopher Cargill (Pasadena Memorial HS), accepted at the University of Texas to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering; Alejandra Europa (Aldine Nimitz HS), accepted at Texas A&M University to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering; Austin Sarabia (Jersey Village HS), accepted at Ouachita Baptist University to pursue a degree in Business.

2)  THE FIRST TEE OF GREATER HOUSTON

Houston Golf Association holds the charter for The First Tee® of Greater Houston, which reaches more young people than any chapter in the world. HGA is currently operating facilities at Redstone Golf Club and Houston Oaks Country Club and Family Recreation Center. Awarded the charter in April of 2004, HGA has made a commitment to gather funding to provide for the cost of administering this program.

The First Tee of Greater Houston/David Shindeldecker Campus, located at Redstone Golf Club in Humble, TX, is open to any child 7-18 years of age. With its partner -- The Redstone Companies -- the HGA constructed a 6,700- square-foot building now known as the Dick Harmon Learning Center. The First Tee of Greater Houston at Houston Oaks had a preview of things to come in March of 2010 when Joe Louis Barrow, CEO of The First Tee, came in from national headquarters in Florida for a media event at the facility, located in Hockley, TX.

Houston Golf Association has helped to expose more 60,000 young people in the greater Houston area through The First Tee National School Program. Students in grades K-5th are being taught basics in their physical education classes.

The First Tee is a youth development program that implements and teaches The First Tee Life Skills Experience as well as how to play the game. Participants are exposed to invaluable life skills through golf-related activities and given access to a three-hole, par-3 golf course that was built just for them.

3)  JUNIOR GOLF

Houston Golf Association has provided a moderately priced competitive junior golf program for young people age 12-18 since 1957. More than 1,000 boys and girls participate in this program each summer and also in events staged in the fall.

Shell Houston Open-Houston Golf Association Charitable Contribution Notes

• $2,145,000 is the total contribution from the 2010 Shell Houston Open and Houston Golf Association's other golf-related fundraising activities
• That raises Houston Golf Association's total to $53.1 generated since 1974 through all of the organization's golf-related fundraising activities
• More than 93% of that total has been generated since Shell Oil Company became title sponsor of Houston's PGA TOUR event in 1992
• More than 200 local agencies received direct funding or gifts in kind from the Shell Houston Open

Shell Houston Open factoids

• The Shell Houston Open is the 10th oldest tournament on the PGA TOUR
• The tournament is conducted by the 501c (3) non-profit Houston Golf Association and thousands of volunteers who donate their time to make the event successful
• The 2011 Shell Houston Open will be played the week of March 28-April 3 at Redstone Golf Club – Tournament Course
• The Shell Houston Open reflects the city's reputation as a diverse and international city with golfers from 15 different countries competing in the 2010 event
• Anthony Kim is the defending champion
• Steve Timms (bio below) is the President and CEO of Houston Golf Association, a position he has held since 2001
• Jim Berry volunteers his time to serve as Houston Golf Association board chairman
• Herschel Sikes volunteers his time to serve as General Chairman of the Shell Houston Open
• For ticket information visit www.shellhoustonopen.com

Steven D. Timms is Houston Golf Association's president and chief executive officer and is in charge of the day-to-day operation of the organization. He was hired Jan. 19, 2001 by the HGA Board to lead the staff and also serve as Tournament Director for the Shell Houston Open PGA TOUR event.

Prior to that Timms donated his time to HGA as a volunteer member for 11 years, including a three-year (1995-1996-1997) stint as general chairman of the Shell Houston Open. A former assistant golf professional in his hometown of San Angelo, Timms pursued a career in energy-related fields after his graduation from Angelo State University with a BBA in accounting.

Before being tapped by HGA to oversee its business affairs, Timms held various executive positions in the geophysical data industry.

SOURCE Shell Oil Company