Helping Here: H-E-B at the Long Center’s Icon Awards
Awards season is in full swing, and the Long Center is no exception to that! Each spring, we celebrate a corporate partner that goes above and beyond to support our mission, and—more importantly—the Austin arts community. This year, the big congrats goes to 🥁🥁🥁 H-E-B!
As part of the festivities, we sat down with H-E-B’s Senior Vice President for Central Texas Cathy Harm to learn more about why H-E-B’s heart is so big and why they love the Long Center (trust us, the feeling’s mutual 😍).
H-E-B is well loved because they invest in Texas communities without holding back. Why is it important to H-E-B to support their customers, not just in the store, but in every part of their lives?
At H-E-B, we’re committed to making a positive impact in Texas by improving the lives of the customers we serve. This philosophy, known as H-E-B’s Spirit of Giving, is an essential part of the company’s everyday business and extends to the strong commitment to volunteerism found in our Partners. Serving our customers is at the heart of everything we do, which allows us to get to know our customers better and show them how much we care. That is why we are always looking for ways to give back. This is a way of expressing our gratitude and thanks for allowing us to be your neighbor.
What does it mean to H-E-B to receive an Icon Award and be recognized for their support of the Long Center?
H-E-B is honored to receive this award for our commitment to positively impact the communities we serve through our support of the arts. The Long Center Icon Award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the over 22,000 H-E-B Partners (employees) in Central Texas who have made this possible. Being recognized alongside The Three J’s – Jo Anne Christian, Jane Sibley, and Jare Smith, the driving forces whose steadfast commitment to honor and appreciate the performing arts in Austin is truly humbling.
What about the Long Center’s mission resonates with H-E-B?
The partnership between the Long Center and H-E-B spans nearly 25 years, with H-E-B’s initial contribution to their capital campaign dating back to 1999. Since then, H-E-B and the Long Center have collaborated on various programs to advance arts education and provide cultural experiences for the Austin community. It is also our great privilege to partner with the Long Center’s three Founding Resident Companies, the Austin Opera, Austin Symphony Orchestra, and Ballet Austin, who also play a critical part in educating and inspiring our youth.
What work is the Long Center doing that makes H-E-B excited for the future of the arts in Austin?
As part of our dedicated support of the arts, H-E-B is committed to supporting nonprofit organizations, such as the Long Center, with the mission to expand education programs and provide equal access to the arts through programs like the Heller Awards for Young Artists and events such as Teresa Lozano Long Community Day, Santa on the Terrace, and Bubblepalooza. It’s an honor for us to play a role in these events that bring joy and excitement to Austinites, and we look forward to continuing to support the Long Center in meaningful ways.
If you weren’t already obsessed with H-E-B, we bet you are now! Maybe you even want to follow in their footsteps and support all that the Long Center does. Check out our Membership page to see what your donation can do, or sign up to be a volunteer! You don’t have to be the size of H-E-B to still be an icon to us 💖
At the Long Center, we’ve always got a new partnership or something cool we know you’ll want to check out! Find and follow us @longcenter on your social media platform of choice, and we’ll see you real soon.
