Tournament honors lifetime educator, wife of Commerce Bank President & CEO Ignacio Urrabazo, Jr.
Texas Border Business
Laredo, Texas – Commerce Bank and IBC Bank-Laredo were proud to support Communities in Schools of Laredo (CIS) as $5,000 title sponsors of their 22nd Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, February 18. CIS surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. This was the second year that the tournament was held in honor of Yolanda U. Urrabazo, a beloved local educator who taught English literature for 32 years until just before her passing in 2016. Yolanda was the wife of Commerce Bank President & CEO Ignancio Urrabazo, Jr.
“I am humbled and honored to sponsor this important event and organization in loving memory of my wife, Yolanda,” said Urrabazo, Jr. “She was a dedicated mother and educator, and was passionate about the importance of supporting the youth in our community. I am grateful that IBC and Commerce Banks’ commitments to ‘doing more’ and ‘making it happen’ allow us to support CIS in their mission of empowering students.”
CIS helps young people stay in school and successfully learn and prepare for life by coordinating the connection of needed community resources in the schools they serve. They currently serve 22 campuses and over 3,000 students across Laredo, Zapata County and Jim Hogg County. Approximately $20,000-$ 25,000 is raised every year at the annual CIS Golf Tournament. All proceeds are used to award scholarships to CIS graduating students. Since 1996, the Board of Directors has awarded approximately $1.2 million to CIS students in the counties of Webb, Jim Hogg, and Zapata. Scholarships will be awarded to United Independent School District high school students in May, in honor and memoriam of Yolanda U. Urrabazo.
“The CIS Board of Directors chose Yolanda Urrabazo, in memoriam, because of her exceptional work as a lifetime educator,” explained CIS Executive Director Rosaura Rodriguez. “As a beloved teacher, she exemplified the extraordinary traits of good character, inspiring spirit,
Although Communities in Schools is partially funded by the state of Texas, as a non-profit organization, a large portion of the budget must be raised from the local community and businesses.
“IBC Bank believes in the importance and power of education,” explains Dennis E. Nixon, Chairman,
Anyone interested in finding out more about the services provided by Communities in Schools of Laredo can visit www.cislaredo.org.
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