$50,000 Donation to the Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU

$25,000 Donation to POWER

$3,000 Donation to Local Choir and St. Mary Parish

$10,000 Donation to the Hispanic Heritage Organization

IPA Charities Has Contributed $2,500 to the Chicago Foundation for Women.

Special Olympics

Martin Luther King Dinner

Red Cross

Hispanic Heritage

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center

Columbine Memorial

Operation Hope

Operation HOPE’s Banking On Our Future (BOOF) Program

International Profit Associates Sponsors Hispanic Heritage Organization

International Profit Associates (IPA-IBA) sponsored the Essay Contest for the recent Hispanic Heritage Organization kickoff and opening ceremony of Hispanic Heritage Month at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. The contest was open to students in grades 4 to 12 throughout the state of Illinois and this year's essay topic was "How can education empower our Latino community?"

This is the largest commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month in the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. Dignitaries gathered to commemorate the contributions Hispanics have made to the United States. Twelve winners were announced on Friday, September 9th during the Hispanic Heritage Organization Opening Ceremony at the Palmer House Hotel.

Essays were written in either English or Spanish and judged on originality, creativity, cultural knowledge and research, organizational structure and clarity, spelling and grammar. IPA-IBA’s sponsorship helped to provide a monetary award for the essay winners and also helped to provide tickets for a Chicago Bulls game, Blackhawks game and a family pass to a Chicagoland museum. In addition, the first 400 essays submitted received a family pass to a Chicagoland museums.

"We were pleased to provide the Essay Sponsorship for the Hispanic Heritage Organization," said John Burgess, Managing Director of International Profit Associates. "It is important to support and participate in events that embrace education and leadership within the community."

Hispanic Heritage Month was proclaimed by Congress on September 17, 1968 as an opportunity for people of Latin descent to join in an annual celebration of rich culture. September 15th through October 15th is the designated period in which this celebration takes place. Each year, the Hispanic Heritage Organization, founded in 1994 to enhance education and cultural awareness for Hispanics and non- Hispanics in Illinois, celebrates this important occasion with a variety of special events. A vital part of these festivities is the hosting of its annual Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest.