* HOUSTON –*Bob McNair, owner of the NFL's Houston Texans and chairman of the Texas Bowl board of directors, announced Tuesday that DePelchin Children's Center will be the official charitable beneficiary of the inaugural Texas Bowl.
DePelchin Children's Center will receive a portion of the net proceeds from the event, and will receive increased visibility through the association with the Texas Bowl.
"We wanted an institution that really reached out to all elements of the community, and we think DePelchin does that," McNair said Tuesday. "This is the Texas Bowl, and we want it to represent all that we represent in terms of our culture, and we think that we have the opportunity to do that and to do it in a fine style. We think that DePelchin is certainly a part of the culture of this community, so it makes for a very, very good partnership."
Founded in 1892 by Kezia Payne DePelchin, the Children's Center is the largest and most comprehensive provider of children's social and mental health services in the Houston area. DePelchin Children's Center serves 27,000 children and family members annually through 30 programs, including adoption, foster care, counseling and drug and alcohol prevention.
The agency was originally founded to serve as a shelter for orphaned children, and has grown and changed over its century-plus history to continue to meet the needs of the greater Houston community. Today, DePelchin Children's Center has over 60 locations in Harris, Montgomery, Brazoria, Galveston, Ft. Bend and Waller counties.
"As Houston's oldest charity, DePelchin Children's Center is a part of Texas heritage and that's why we're pleased to be chosen as the designated charitable beneficiary of the Texas Bowl," said Dr. Curt Mooney, president and CEO of DePelchin Children's Center. "We truly appreciate the support of the Texas Bowl and Bob McNair."
The first-annual Texas Bowl will kick off at Reliant Stadium on Thursday, December 28, at 7:00 p.m. CT. The game will be televised nationally on NFL Network. The network also has the exclusive right to sell presenting sponsorship for the game.
The bowl will feature a match-up of teams from the Big 12 and Big East conferences. The participating teams will be selected by members of the Texas Bowl organizing committee in cooperation with the conferences. Teams will be announced in early December.
Announcements regarding presenting sponsorhip, bowl week activities, and group
and individual ticket sale information will be forthcoming at later dates.
