Toys collected by employees of Imperial Sugar Company and Wholesome Sweeteners for The Rainbow Room project.

ISC and Wholesome employees collected funds and goods for donation to the Rosenberg, Texas Rainbow Room, the East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry, Houston Marine Moms, and the Snowdrop Foundation, proving that it truly is better to give than receive.

The first of these charitable organizations, the Ft. Bend Rainbow Room, was founded by former first lady Laura Bush. The project was designed to provide children and adults being served by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services with emergency and transitional supplies. The Rainbow Room is quite literally a room, stocked with a variety of new goods—from baby items to hygiene products to school supplies—intended to promote the well-being of people of all ages.

ISC employees contributed to the well-being of children and the elderly specifically by donating unused toys and senior gifts to the Rainbow Room’s Christmas drive. Through their collective efforts, ISC employees helped guarantee that each child would receive a bag filled with three to four toys, along with books, and stuffed animals; they furthermore ensured that the elderly were remembered during the holidays as well.

Tonya Lewis, the Executive Director for the Ft. Bend Rainbow Room, comments that without the generosity of ISC employees and programs like the Rainbow Room, many children would not receive any gifts this holiday season.

Food donations for East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry

In addition toys, ISC personnel also gathered food items and socks for donation. Employees donated food to help provide a wholesome holiday meal to neighbors in need at the local East Ft. Bend Human Needs Ministry. From gracious employee donations, those at the ministry were able to make 350 baskets for underprivileged families.

Socks on the other hand, were collected on behalf of Houston Marine Moms. Houston Marine Moms began as a grassroots organization—as an opportunity for mothers and family members of those serving in the armed forces to come together and share their experiences. Today, the organization has grown to receive support from both local and national communities. Interested individuals may show their appreciation to men and women in the military by making monetary and other donations to Houston Marine Moms directly.

ISC employees chose to send socks and Gold Bond powder to military personnel via Houston Marine Moms in an effort to bring a few of the comforts of home to those serving abroad during the holidays. In total, ISC staff collected 355 socks and 60 four-ounce jars of Gold Bond powder for delivery to US troops.

ISC’s final holiday charity benefitted the Snowdrop Foundation. The Snowdrop Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds for pediatric cancer research, and to providing college scholarships to pediatric cancer patients and survivors worldwide. The foundation was established in 2006 by Kevin and Trish Kline, and its mission was inspired by a young lady by the name of Chelsey Campbell.

Kevin Kline recounts Chelsey’s story—a then fifteen-year-old cancer patient being treated at Texas Children’s Cancer Center. Beginning with a fundraising event in 2005, the Klines came to forge a close bond with Chelsey. During one of their many conversations, Chelsey remarked to Kevin that while there were many races (such as Relay for Life) committed to raising funds and awareness for cancer research in general, few were devoted exclusively to pediatric cancer care. Shortly after Chelsey received word that her treatments were no longer effective in forestalling the cancer, Kevin pledged to run a marathon in Chelsey’s honor.

Additionally, following her sixteenth birthday, the Klines presented Chelsey with a gift which promised to further honor Chelsey’s efforts and those of young cancer patients like her. On June 14, 2006 Trish and Kevin Kline presented Chelsey with a notification from the IRS stating that their application for a 501© (3) nonprofit organization had been approved, officially marking the beginning of the Snowdrop Foundation.

Like Kevin and Trish Kline, this holiday season ISC and Wholesome employees helped to continue Chelsey’s legacy by implementing Blue Jean Fridays, an event where each employee wishing to wear jeans on Friday donates $5.00 to the fund. To compliment the generosity of the employees, ISC matched dollar-for-dollar the employee contributions bringing the amount raised to $3,700. On top of this, Wholesome Sweeteners donated an additional $1,000, for a grand total of $4,700 that was donated to the Snowdrop Foundation.

To recognize the employees’ philanthropic achievements, ISC hosted a holiday luncheon where George Muller, Vice President of Sales Planning, Supply Chain and Information Technology, announced the results of the various charity drives. On December 15, employees celebrated their accomplishments over traditional holiday fare, including turkey, dressing, and desserts baked by Chef Eddy.

Marion Raska with Imperial Sugar Company delivers sugar to San Jose Clinic.

San José Clinic is one of the oldest and most premiere charity clinics in the United States. The clinic has steadfastly grown into a leading provider of quality healthcare services for individuals and families in the Greater Houston area who struggle the most with accessing affordable healthcare. San José Clinic provides healthcare to nearly 4,000 patients annually, who in many cases have no other alternative for obtaining timely, affordable care.

The clinic also sponsors several activities throughout the year to assist patients, including an annual Christmas party, which has been a holiday tradition for patients and staff for 73 years.

The Children’s Christmas party is for young San José Clinic patients, from birth to 12 years, whose parents may not have the means to provide them with gifts under the tree. Those who are invited to the party are among the neediest families of the Clinic. According to Emily Ponte, Manager of Marketing and Development, previously the clinic had a separate Christmas party for the children and also an Adopt-a-Family program but this year the clinic decided to combine the two events.

“We greatly appreciate Imperial Sugar making a donation to our Christmas party,” said Ponte. “In order to make this event possible, the clinic relies on the generosity of corporate sponsors and supporters like Imperial Sugar.”

This year, 33 families were invited to attend the festive event which featured musical entertainment, games and party treats. At the end of the event, the children lined up to receive special gifts from Santa Claus and his volunteer elves and each family received a food basket with the necessary items to prepare a holiday meal.

Pictured (l-r) Mel Petit, volunteer with the SVdP food bank, along with Harold Miller, president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for St. James Parish

SVdP is a non-profit Catholic lay organization whose primary mission is to provide services to those in need and living in poverty. In St. James Parish, SVdP serves a critical need in the community by operating a food pantry which provides food and other necessities to approximately 300 local families on a semi-monthly basis.

The Imperial Sugar Company facility in Gramercy has a long history – approximately 25 years – of providing much needed support to SVdP, donating on average of two pallets of sugar per year to the organization.

According to Harold Miller, President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for St. James Parish, “The support we receive from Imperial Sugar is very important to the operation of our food pantry. Many of our clients are elderly and live on a small, fixed income and so they depend on us to provide them with staples like fruit, bread and sugar.”

One of the oldest charitable organizations in the world, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a Catholic lay organization of 700,000 men and women throughout the world who voluntarily join together to grow spiritually and offer person-to-person service to the needy and people living in poverty in 142 countries on five continents. Programs include home visits, housing assistance, disaster relief, job training and placement, food pantries, dining halls, clothing, transportation and utility costs, care for the elderly and medicine.

Beginning this December, the Foundation will release a limited-edition collectable ornament as part of its Sugar Land Heritage Collection.  Each year, a treasured historic building or site in Sugar Land will be featured.  This year, the Sugar Land Heritage Collection ornament will feature the Imperial Sugar Company Char House.

According to Eleanor Barton, Executive Director of the Foundation, during the early 1920s, the Imperial Sugar Company faced emerging competition from other Texas refineries so its owners, I. H. Kempner and W. T. Eldridge, authorized ambitious plans to increase refined sugar production by fifty percent.  They enlarged existing structures and constructed new buildings.  The largest of these was the bone char filter house – an eight-story, steel and brick building along Highway 90-A in Sugar Land.  Construction costs for the Char House totaled $1 million. It remained the tallest building in Fort Bend County until the 1970s.

The Char House got its name from bone char.  Simply put, bone char is crushed and charred animal bone used to transform amber-colored sugar syrup into clear syrup. Barton notes that the Char House has been an icon of Fort Bend County’s landscape for decades.  Before the development of the area, the Char House could be seen for miles around.  At night, the blue and red neon “IMPERIAL ‘PURE CANE’ SUGAR” sign atop the building proudly advertised the sugar it produced.

In the old days, the Char House, located 21 miles from Houston, signaled the end of a long trip when travelers returned from the big city.   And beginning in the 1960s—on alternating years—a large cross, candle, or Christmas tree radiated at night from the southern-facing Char House windows during the holiday season.  This tradition continues today.

Currently, Sugar Land’s Char House—the last classic char house built in the United States—is undergoing an extensive renovation as part of the mixed-use redevelopment at the historic Imperial Sugar refinery site.  It remains Sugar Land’s most iconic historic building. 

“We are honored that the Foundation has chosen to commemorate Imperial Sugar’s legacy in Sugar Land,” said John Sheptor, President and CEO of Imperial Sugar Company. “The building holds fond memories for many people who worked at the refinery or had family members who worked at the refinery. It has become a fixture in the heart of this community.”

Collecting these ornaments is a great holiday tradition to start this year and enjoy for years to come. These high-quality brass ornaments will come individually packaged in a beautiful gift box which includes a printed card with information about the structure depicted.  The cost of each limited-edition collectable ornament is just $25.  All proceeds benefit the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. For more information or to place an order, please call the Sugar Land Heritage Foundation at 281-494-0261 or email Executive Director Eleanor Barton at ebarton@slheritage.org.

Happy Halloween Mansion at Children's Museum of Houston (Photo credit: Children's Museum of Houston)

Thanks in part to Imperial Sugar Company (ISC), children in the Houston area are celebrating two spooky weeks of trick-or-treating, costume wearing and hair-raising fun. Giant spiders, creepy critters, flying ghosts and wicked bats welcome the children to a spellbinding adventure as the Children’s Museum of Houston (CMH) magically morphs into the Happy Halloween Mansion from Oct. 18 through the 31.

ISC is once again the sponsor of the Happy Halloween Mansion at CMH. As part of its commitment to organizations that create and promote learning opportunities for children, the company has been a proud supporter of CMH for several years. Earlier this year, ISC was the presenting sponsor for Lemonade Day in Houston, a community-wide educational initiative designed to teach children how to start own and operate their own business- a lemonade stand.

“We thrilled to once again be a sponsor of the Happy Halloween Mansion,” said Hyuna Lee, Senior Marketing Manager for ISC. “Halloween is such an exciting time of the year for children, so Imperial Sugar has partnered with the Children’s Museum of Houston to create an event that is both fun and instructional.”

Imperial Sugar Halloween Cookie Decorating Kit

In addition to the sponsorship, ISC donated 275 Halloween cookie decorating kits to CMH that were given to all the children attending the Halloween membership party held Oct. 23. The kits included a specially-made Imperial Sugar cookie cutter along with three-color sanding sugar, one jar of sprinkles, a whisk, a rolling pin, and a spatula.

According to Henry Yau, Public Relations and Promotions Director for CMH, the purpose is not so much to provide the traditional haunted house experience for children but to mix science with creativity and art. For instance, as part of the activities, children learn how to create their own ghoulish slime and festive ghost bubbles.

“ISC’s financial support and involvement has allowed the Children’s Museum to provide an exciting yet safe environment for children to trick-or-treat and an opportunity to learn something fun and interesting,” said Yau.

All of CMH’s exhibits possess their own Halloween theme complete with thrills and chills. There is a Spooky Street where children can nab their own bag to decorate and collect treats. Children can use iPads to capture Creepy Creatures’ Features in Pictures.

Young Princess creates slime as part of the activities at the CMH's Happy Halloween Mansion sponsored by Imperial Sugar Company (Photo credit: Children's Museum of Houston)

Visitors to the museum will pass the Extraterrestrial Tower and encounter bloodcurdling probes taking place. Children can pump blood through a heart model in the Jeepers Cardiac Creepers or compete in Vlad’s Blood Race to see if they can move blood through the body as fast as a heart does. To capture the moment, parents can snap photos of their little princess or superhero in the outdoor pumpkin patch.

As part of its partnership with CMH, Imperial Sugar is giving away tickets on its Facebook page to its fans and employees as a way to thank them for their loyalty and support.

For more information on hours and special events for the Happy Halloween Mansion, visit http://www.cmhouston.org/.

“Wholesome Sweeteners is proud of our continued support of this event which creates an
environment for kids that fosters a healthy lifestyle and sense of accomplishment as well as some friendly competition,” says Nigel Willerton, Wholesome Sweeteners’ CEO and a triathlete who competes in Iron Man events in the US and UK. “Year after year this triathlon continues to be successful thanks to all the hard work of the participants, volunteers and sponsors.”

In order to participate, children must be between the ages of 5-12 as of December 31, 2011 and be a USA Triathlon member. Distances for each portion of the triathlon varies based on the child’s age group.

The triathlon not only provides Houston-area children with the opportunity to compete and be active, but also gives back to the community. The proceeds of the event will go to the Snowdrop Foundation and the Cdifferent Foundation. The Snowdrop Foundation is an organization dedicated to assisting patients and families at the Texas Children’s Cancer Center. The Cdifferent Foundation is especially close to Willerton’s heart as he helped guide a blind athlete, Brandon Adame, through the inaugural Texas Iron Man Competition this past May. Cdifferent was founded to inspire visually impaired people to lead active and healthy lives. The foundation creates opportunities for the visually impaired athletes to compete in events such as the Iron Man by matching them up with sighted guides.

All children completing the triathlon will receive a medal and a goodie bag filled with useful items such as a Wholesome Sweeteners re-usable water bottle printed especially for the occasion.

Wholesome Sweeteners recommends that parents seeking more information on the event, visit the event’s website at http://sugartrikidz.org.

Wholesome Sweeteners is a joint venture between Imperial Sugar Company and Edward Billington and Son Ltd based in the UK. Located in Sugar Land, Texas, Wholesome Sweeteners supplies Fair Trade Certified, organic and natural sugars, honeys and agave syrups.

Carson Nunnallys was the most recent student to participate in Imperial Sugar Company's daylong summer intern program

Sheptor explains that every summer for the past three years, he has invited up to five youth to participate in the intern program and serve as his assistant for the day. The program provides the young interns with the opportunity to gain valuable insight into how a business operates and the qualities necessary to lead. He usually has at least two to three students accept his invitation each summer. He emphasizes that he takes the first step in extending the invitation but it is up to the young person to contact him and set up a day for the internship.

When asked if she was excited about the opportunity to serve as an intern to the President and CEO of Imperial Sugar, Carson replied, “You have no idea how excited I was to come here today and work alongside Mr. Sheptor. It is an honor.”

Carson offers that she came to the internship seeking a better understanding of what a president and CEO of a company does. She also hopes to get a insight on the traits of a successful businessperson and learn how she can implement these qualities into her own life.

The high school senior met Sheptor this past May at the annual fundraising concert and gala held by Virtuosi of Houston, an organization dedicated to increasing education and performance opportunities for Houston’s exceptionally gifted middle to high school age musicians. An accomplished violinist who has been playing since she was five-years old, Carson has been a member of Virtuosi for the past three years.

Because of ISC’s avid support of the organization and Sheptor’s background as a musician, he was invited to speak with the student orchestra on how the skills he developed as a musician have greatly benefited him in his career, first as an engineer and most recently as the leader of ISC.

Carson conveys how impressed she was with Sheptor’s talk to the orchestra. “I was inspired after he described how he connected his musical education and abilities to his career. After he finished, he motivated me to be successful in my life.”

John Sheptor and Carson Nunnallys

When asked what prompted him to extend Carson an invitation to participate in the intern program, Sheptor quickly mentions he was impressed with her talent as an gifted musician. He points out how during the gala concert she was seated in the audience side of the row, which illustrates respect from the director and her ability to play more sophisticated parts of the program.

It was also her fierce intensity and passion that caught the attention of Sheptor during their first meeting. “She was a very active listener and focused on what I was saying,” said Sheptor. She was able to create a communication between us in such a way as to inspire me to be even more articulate in what I was trying to communicate to the group. “

After his talk to the young musicians, Carson approached Sheptor to introduce herself and thank him for his support and participation. She recounts how at the end of their conversation Sheptor invited her to participate in the summer intern program. Although she was extremely busy most of the summer performing with Virtuosi, she was determined not to let the summer pass without taking Sheptor up on his offer.

“I’m blessed to be in an organization that has given me a chance to meet so many wonderful people, many who have become great mentors, colleagues and friends, said Carson. “I wouldn’t be sitting here with Mr. Sheptor if it weren’t for my involvement in the youth orchestra.”

At the start of the day, Sheptor describes how he and Carson discussed her goals and dreams for the future, which not surprisingly included becoming a professional musician. Sheptor admits he was frank in his discussion with her, pointing out that many talented young people aspire to be professional musicians, but sadly, the actual opportunities are few. He recommended that she consider alternative career objectives that would allow her to focus on music and perhaps other interests such as her passion for creative writing.

She admits that she hasn’t completely decided on her career path at this time. However, she does plan to attend college. Her dream is to attend Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., because of their reputable music school. She is also looking at several other prestigious colleges and universities including Oberlin, University of Southern California, Rice University and Lawrence. After Sheptor’s recommendation, she is now considering doing a minor in public relations so she can put her love of creative writing to use.

Sheptor remarked that he is always pleased when the one-day internship turns into an ongoing mentoring relationship. He currently has three young students, one who was a summer intern three years ago, that he is mentoring. He has conversations with each of the three on a regular basis and encourages them to share what they have experienced and learned since the last time they met.

“Mentors are important in every stage of our lives,” he asserts. “They help populate our lives with ideas and solutions to problems.”

Although she was only halfway through her day, Carson remarked that she had already discovered so many new possibilities. Before the day ended, she was given a homework assignment to follow up with Sheptor and provide him a status on her education and career efforts. Carson concluded by saying she looks forward to future meetings with Sheptor and to share how she has applied what she has learned from her internship in her life.

Several excited children pose during Legacy Community Health Services Back-to-School backpack giveaway

Thanks to support from Imperial Sugar Company (ISC), Legacy Community Health Services was recently able to distribute approximately 350 backpacks filled with necessary school supplies, ensuring that many deserving children in the Houston area are prepared for the new school year.

Legacy Community Health Services, a Houston-based nonprofit organization, provides low-cost or no-cost primary medical, dental and wellness treatment to low-income individuals and families. Imperial Sugar Company’s President and CEO John C. Sheptor is among several community leaders who lend their professional expertise to Legacy.

“Imperial Sugar is committed to supporting programs, that benefit the community in which we do business, especially those programs that allow youth to succeed academically and professionally,” said Sheptor.

The backpacks include all the school supplies that Houston ISD has listed as necessary for the upcoming school year, specifically for elementary school students. The backpacks are distributed to deserving children from Pre-K through 12th grade.

Volunteers assemble backpacks with required school supplies

Legacy has been doing this distribution of free school supplies for more than ten years after it was determined that there was an acute need for this program among their patients. It started when a few doctors and nurses realized that some families did not have the resources necessary to purchase school supplies for their children. From its humble beginnings providing school supplies for ten children, the program has grown, and this year was saw the largest number of backpacks distributed.

“On behalf of everyone at Legacy and our youngest patients, we want to thank Imperial Sugar from the bottom of our hearts for helping us with this critical outreach,” said Robin Susman, Senior Director of Development for Legacy. “The ability to serve a large number of children this year would not have been possible without the support of Imperial Sugar.”

Typically, the providers in the individual departments that make up the clinic – pediatrics, maternity, behavioral health and family practice – identify families that would benefit from this program.

Thank you notes written by children who received backpacks

“Our providers really know the families that they serve and are many times aware of their financial situation,” said Lizzette Tienda, Community Relations Manager for Legacy. “They do the screening and provide names of families who qualify for the program.”

In addition, to the 350 backpacks distributed at Legacy’s Southwest Clinic, approximately 25 additional backpacks were distributed to families at Legacy’s Lyons Avenue clinic, and another 25 were distributed through several churches and to an organization that supports women that are currently undergoing cancer treatment.

According to Tienda, they have already received a number of thank you cards from children who received the backpacks with school supplies.

“Many of the cards are made out of the cardboard backing from note pads and other similar material so it shows that these families have limited resources and if it weren’t for the program, many children would not be prepared for the school year,” explained Tienda. “In their cards, the children write how they are now looking forward to the school year and express their sincere thanks.”

Alejo Orvananos

Recently, John Sheptor had some assistance in carrying out his responsibilities as president and CEO of Imperial Sugar Company. On August 10, he was joined by ten year-old Alejo Orvananos from Sugar Land, Texas who served as an intern for the day.

“As part of Imperial Sugar’s ongoing support of youth initiatives, I invite a small number of students to spend a day with me at the company each year and see firsthand what it is like to be a president of large company,” said Sheptor. “At the end of the day, I hope that the intern will leave with a vision that he or she can one day lead a company.”

The first thing you notice about Alejo is his confidence and how he clearly articulates when he is speaking to you. He obviously made an impression on Sheptor who met the promising young entrepreneur at this year’s annual Lemonade Day Tasting Content that kicked off Houston’s Lemonade Day. Imperial Sugar has been a title supporter of Houston Lemonade Day since 2009. This was Alejo’s second year to participate in the program and both years this industrious youth has taken home the award for the Healthiest Lemonade at the tasting contest.

According to Sheptor, Lemonade Day provides him with a wonderful opportunity to meet talented young boys and girls who exhibit a strong sense of business and leadership qualities. It was no surprise that he was immediately impressed with Alejo’s confidence, creativity and strong business skills that were especially remarkable in someone his age. As a result, Sheptor invited the elementary school student to be part of the company’s day-long intern program.

By lunchtime, Sheptor and his young assistant had covered quite a bit of ground.

Sheptor began the day by explaining to Alejo the primary duties of the president of a company. This is something that Sheptor does with every new intern in order to give them a clear idea of what the position requires. Alejo took detailed notes of this conversation and was able to quickly list the responsibilities, which include developing and implementing a business strategy, investor relations, and ensuring the welfare of employees, among many others.

Sheptor commented that at the end of the day, he goes over the list of responsibilities once again with the intern and, together, they relate it to the day’s activities. “If each young person that interns with me can walk away from the day with a firm grasp of what a company president does, then I have instilled a valuable lesson that I firmly believe will aid them in their future career.”

Later, Alejo assisted the Imperial Sugar Company president in reviewing several design options for the cover of the company’s next annual report. When asked what is the purpose of an annual report, Alejo replied “It’s to let investors know what is going on in the company.”

As far as feedback, Alejo noted that one design was too contemporary and didn’t highlight the company’s extensive heritage. Sheptor agreed when Alejo commented that he did not like a particular photo of a model used on one of the cover options.

Sheptor also shared with Alejo some initial logo design concepts he is considering for some possible branding actions. The new logo would better reflect Imperial Sugar’s evolving portfolio of innovative sweetener solutions that go beyond sugar. The duo spent time looking over about a half dozen design options and narrowing the choices to two concepts. Alejo declared that the design he liked best invoked power and strength, which he felt suited the company’s image.

Sheptor emphasizes that the intern program is part of his company’s commitment to preparing the next generation of business leaders. He points out that most professionals who have been successful in their careers developed a vision for their future early in their lives.
Sheptor adds that Alejo has already developed an initial plan, likely due to the guidance of family members, unlike many college students that he has interviewed who have yet to establish a clear path for their career.

“Successful people start early in their lives with these types of visions so I think it is important for current business and community leaders to give early opportunities, like supporting Lemonade Day, that allow the upcoming generation of leaders to gain insight on what they can accomplish.”

John Sheptor with Alejo Orvananos

Alejo eagerly discusses how his participation in Lemonade Day has helped him gain valuable business experience in areas like product development and marketing. In addition to providing outstanding customer service, Alejo acknowledges that using Imperial Sugar was an important element of his success during Lemonade Day. Both years he used Imperial Sugar in his lemonade but this year he decided to add Imperial’s Wholesome Sweeteners blue agave syrup to enhance the flavor of the beverage and create a healthier drink that would appeal to many customers.

This year he also upgraded his stand from just a table to an actual booth with signage. Alejo proudly explains that a big part of his success this year was his location. When his first preference for a location was already taken, he took the setback as an opportunity to seek and obtain a highly visible spot in Houston’s popular Galleria shopping mall.

As for his part, Alejo gives much of the credit to his father, a financial advisor, and to his grandfather, who graduated with a master’s degree in business from Stanford University, for instilling in him an appreciation for entrepreneurship and business.

Alejo Orvananos

Although Alejo will only be entering fifth grade at Commonwealth Elementary School in Sugar Land this fall, he reveals that he has given serious thought to his potential career plans. He mentions that he may become a financial advisor like his father and because he loves math. He admits with a smile that he would also like to become a professional tennis player. He laughs proudly when he talks about winning all his matches in a recent tournament. With his drive and determination, it’s not hard to imagine his athletic skills on the court.

At the end of the day, Alejo reflects on his experience. “I was very excited to come to Imperial Sugar today,” he says. “I knew it was going to be a life changing experience and I was going to learn lessons that I will be able to use in the future.”

At the end of the month, Sheptor will welcome another young intern, a high school senior and talented musician he met through the company’s support of Virtuosi of Houston. He hopes that she gains the same benefits of the experience that Alejo received as well as 11 year-old Cristal Garcia, who served as president for the day earlier this summer.”

“What I get to do most days is fun,” Sheptor tells Alejo. He admits that his job requires hard work and making difficult decisions but he finds it enjoyable. “It is critical that you enjoy what you do in order to be truly successful.”

Dennis Roper (2nd from right) and members of his church in Gramercy who traveled to Alabama to assist with rebuilding efforts.

Dennis Roper, an operator at Imperial Sugar Company’s packing facility in Gramercy, La., is one such volunteer. At the end of June, Roper and a group of four men from his church – Josh, Aaron, Billy and John – traveled from Gramercy to Anniston, Ala. to assist with the rebuilding efforts. This was the first such mission trip for Roper, and proved to be an incredibly fulfilling experience for him.

The day after the group arrived, Roper and his fellow volunteers had a chance to view the devastation firsthand. “It was like nothing I had ever seen before,” he said. “Parts of the area looked like agricultural fields that were prepared for planting but in fact these were areas where the tornadoes picked up everything including the grass and sod. I have been through hurricanes but I have never seen anything like this.”

Roper and his group were assigned to help Mike Farrell and his wife Donna rebuild the family’s garage, destroyed in the storm along with their trailer and barn.

On April 27, Donna and her 17-year-old son, Michael Snow, were taking shelter in a closet as the tornado touched down, picking up their trailer and flinging it in a nearby ditch. According to Mike, the family’s German Shepherd, Woogie, likely saved their lives by drawing rescuers’ attention with his bark since Donna and her son were buried under 12 feet of rubble.

Michael suffered a concussion and a broken nose and has no memory of that week. Donna suffered more severe injuries including a broken neck, back, ribs and shoulder blade, among other bones, punctured a lung and suffered a small stroke due to the amount of debris piled on her neck. Unfortunately for the family, Woogie didn’t make it.

Mike, who raced home from his tour in Afghanistan after the storm hit, is on leave indefinitely to care for his wife and help his family get back to normal.

The men from Gramercy, rebuilt the garage on the slab where there original garage once stood. It took them about four and a half days to build.

Nearly completed garage.

Although a new garage may not sound like much, according to Roper, “It was at least a starting point for the Farrell’s to begin rebuilding their lives.”

The Farrell’s are now using the garage to store some of the few possessions they have left as well as some furnishings that had been donated to the family.

Roper added that he was grateful to have had the opportunity to help the Farrell’s move forward with their lives. “It was especially meaningful to know how much our helped meant to the family,” he said.

At the completion of the garage, Mike asked Roper how he would begin to repay him and the other men for their help. Roper pointed out to Mike that he had already given so much, not only to Roper, but to the country, because of his service over in Afghanistan. “I told him we owe him a debt of gratitude.”

Farrell Family

Roper also expressed gratitude for the support of many of his associates at the plant in Gramercy. He revealed that several employees pulled him aside before he departed on his mission trip and gave him a monetary donation to help those families in need. He has already told many of those who gave donations how much their support meant to the people affected by the tornadoes.

Recently, Roper had a chance to speak again with Mike Farrell over the telephone. Mike informed him that his wife was still recovering and that she still can’t lift her right arm due to nerve damage in her shoulder, which her doctor said may take as long as eight months to heal.

Roper is looking forward to doing a mission trip again soon, perhaps back to Alabama, because of the enriching and spiritual experience it provided him.

“My goal was to go over there and make a difference in someone’s life and I think I accomplished that thanks to the help of God,” he says with a warm smile.

John Sheptor, President and CEO of Imperial Sugar Company, is one of several community and business leaders featured in a new video produced by Lemonade Day.

Lemonade Day, held each year in cities across America, is a fun, experiential learning program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their own business using a lemonade stand along with fundamental life skills.

Prepared for Life, the organization behind Lemonade Day, is using the video to show Houston corporations, city officials, schools, and community and faith based organizations the benefits of Lemonade Day on the entire community. It is also being used as a tool to help expand the program to additional communities across the country by igniting passion for Lemonade Day.

“I’m so excited to share our newest video on Lemonade Day,” said Julie Eberly, Chief Expansion Officer for Lemonade Day. “John’s [Sheptor] compelling words are the finale and power behind this video. When I shared it last week with Chicago leaders and today with Philanthropy Roundtable, they agreed that John and Imperial Sugar continue to be amazing partners with Lemonade Day!”

The video begins with a number of smiling youth, along with their families and friends, declaring how much they “love” Lemonade Day. The video goes on to features interviews with young entrepreneurs who talk about the skills that operating a lemonade stand requires. The youth also discuss their sales goals and what they intend to do with the money they earn. Some indicate they will use the proceeds to pay for college while many others say they will donate some or all of the money they earn to a charitable organization.

One young girl talks about the importance of location and attracting attention to your stand in order to drive sales. She proudly shows off her pet goat that she used as a marketing tools to attract customers to buy her lemonade.

Michael Holthouse, a Houston entrepreneur and founder of Lemonade Day, points out that Lemonade Day teaches skills that are not currently being taught in schools, including leadership, cooperation, managing money as well as developing a vision for the future that allows children to identify their personal assets, their goals, and how they can they achieve their portion of the American dream.

Along with John Sheptor, the video features short interviews with other business and community leaders including Adam Meyerson, President of Philanthropy Roundtable. In the video, Meyerson proclaims that “The program has grown explosively in Houston and is now positioned for national take off.” He goes on to add that “We at Philanthropy Roundtable believe that Michael’s [Holthouse] vision of 1 million stands across America on a single day is achievable.”

This past Lemonade Day, more than 150,000 youth participated in Lemonade Day in over 30 cities across the U.S. In Houston alone, there were approximately 50,000 lemonade stands scattered across the city.

Dallas Dance, chief middle school officer for the Houston Independent School District, announces in the video plans to offer the program to all students in grade levels 6th through 8th so that ultimately, over the next three years, every single middle school student in HISD will participate in Lemonade Day.

Sheptor concludes the dynamic video by announcing “Today we will plant the seeds that will change lives to produce presidents, entrepreneurs and institutional leaders. Through this program, we will transform families, communities and, to a great extent, our world.”

Gensler employee and University of Houston professor Barry Moore approached Johnson Development with the idea of allowing a group of ten students to create a concept for the Imperial Development.

The students completed their projects around May 1 and have made their final presentation to Johnson Development, the company behind the 700-acre master-planned community being developed around the old Imperial Sugar Company’s refinery.

A fixture of the community since the nineteenth century, the sugar mill influenced the young architects to incorporate the site’s rich history into their designs.

Under the students’ designs, the eight-story char house, perhaps the site’s most prominent fixture would be converted into lofts with retail on the ground floor and a restaurant on the top floor and roof. The electric powerhouse, located on the east side of Oyster Creek, would be redesigned into a brew pub with an outdoor beer garden. The three concrete silos at the site would be redesigned by one of the students into a boutique hotel.

Additionally, students proposed that the distribution warehouse behind the silos would have its roof split open in the middle so that the side facing Kempner Street would hold town houses and the side facing what will be named Imperial Drive would have retail space. The raw sugar warehouse would include work-living space and retail, while the three-bay warehouse would include an 800 seat theater.

Johnson Development has already presented the students’ designs to several companies who might be interested in developing the sites such as hotel companies and the city of Sugar Land.

Two years ago, Alex, a 6th grader at Burlington Christian Academy (BCA) in Burlington, N.C., was diagnosed with a very rare and dangerous type of cancer. Alex seemed to have won the fight in November of 2010, but suddenly relapsed in December with hot spots in five different areas of his body.

Alex’s school decided to lend support to the Ingles and not allow this family to fight this battle on their own. When the teachers and students of BCA found out about Lemonade Day, they were thrilled to have a way to raise funds to help defray some of the costs the family continues to incur for Alex’s treatment.

The students worked hard finding investors, building their stands, and making the lemonade in order to make the most money they could for their friend and classmate. As a result of their efforts, the school raised a total of $3,800 for the Ingles.

The director of student ministries at BCA, Cathy Moffett, reported that Lemonade Day “was a wonderful outpouring of love for that family.”

The money raised through Lemonade Day helped Alex pay for travel costs to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he currently receives treatment.

George Muller (top-middle) with Alex Ingle (bottom-right), his family and representatives from Lemonade Day at Ronald McDonald House in Houston.

According to Kenny Orchard, a representative of Lemonade Day, “Lemonade Day exemplified how it can have a direct impact in helping Alex and his family, but it also taught kids that giving to those in need is an essential skill in life. Though it is not capable of curing Alex’s disease, Lemonade Day gives hope to a family and a community, who simply wants one thing: a happy and healthy child and friend. I believe this program has the ability to repeat this life-changing outcome on hundreds of thousands of people across America.”

“Thank you for your [Imperial Sugar] support and sponsorship of Lemonade Day,” said Alex’s mother Vickie Ingles. “We are honored for you to share Alex’s story and how Lemonade Day has helped support our family. We were very moved by the visit from Lemonade Day representatives and Imperial Sugar Company (Mr. Muller). It was certainly a treat.”

With the help of individuals from the Ronald McDonald House and Lemonade Day, Muller was able to meet with Alex and his family while they were in town for one of his treatments at MD Anderson. Muller arrived with small gifts for the entire family.

His mother was extremely appreciative of our visit,” said Muller. “The grandfather told us that the visit meant a great deal to the family, although I think it meant more to me. It was an honor to meet Alex and a privilege to represent Imperial Sugar.”

Alex’s mother writes that he is recovering well from his last treatment. “He is still experiencing some side effects, but feeling better each day. We will begin chemo in our home state [North Carolina] next week. Please continue to keep Alex in your prayers and keep praying for that miracle as we do.”

George Muller presents certificates to young musicians at final concert of Virtuosi of Houston summer workshop program

Virtuosi of Houston held the final concert of its summer workshop program at the end of June and invited George Muller with Imperial Sugar Company to be a part of the event as a way of thanking the company for its strong support of the organization and its mission.

Virtuosi of Houston is dedicated to creating a pre-professional climate and performance opportunities for Houston’s most focused, young musicians. This year’s Small Ensemble Summer Workshop was open to all talented violin, viola, and cello musicians ages 11 to 18.

The two week workshop offered: repertoire classes in chamber music with instructors, including members of the Houston Symphony and Houston Grand Opera Orchestra; master class instruction with leading performers and educators, including Frank Huang, Concertmaster of the Houston Symphony, and James Dunham, Professor of Viola and Chamber Music at Rice University Shepherd School of Music; and enrichment classes in Solfeggio, Alexander Technique, and physical conditioning for musicians.

According to Michelle Gunn, the summer workshop coordinator, “Virtuosi of Houston’s workshop differs from other area quartet workshops in that each chamber group receives one hour of instruction from one of the faculty members each day. In addition, the quartets are provided with daily rehearsal and performance opportunities wherein they share with their peers their working pieces. This workshop approach gives them a foundation in quartet performance and prepares them for future engagements as young professionals.”

This year there were 23 youth who participated in the final concert that was held on June 24. Muller was on hand to distribute certificates to all the young musicians who completed the program.

“The concert was amazing and I was honored to assist in congratulating these talented youth for their commitment to music,” said Muller. “Several parents came up to me after the concert and shook my hand and thanked me for Imperial Sugar’s support of Virtuosi of Houston.”