Keith Jimenez and his wife, Nancy Parker, have been shipping books to a small school on a farm outside of Clocolan, South Africa, since Parker's sister visited the school in 1994, the year Nelson Mandela became president. As a result of their efforts, the school qualified its first student, Teko Stephen Hlapho, for college, or tertiary school, as it is referred to in South Africa.

Teko was in the fourth grade when Parker's sister visited his school. "Its one teacher possessed one book. My sister was appalled by the conditions of the Wallop School," Parker said. "It didn't have chalk, pencils, pens, paper, electricity, running water or bathrooms. We have been collecting and shipping books to the school since she returned and told us about its conditions."

Thanks in part to a local fundraising effort, "SA to SA (San Antonio to South Africa)," a festival produced by local PrimaDonna Productions, the Jimenez-Parker family sorted, packed and shipped 24 boxes in May 2003. From the original effort benefiting one school in 1995, the family now regularly ships books to over 70 schools and 4 township libraries in the region.

The family also started raising funds for Teko's college education. "Education shouldn't have to be a gift," said Jimenez. "But in farm communities and other rural parts of South Africa, it is. I hope that others will follow in Teko's footsteps, which is why we spend so much time on this project. It's not just for Teko, it's for anyone else who will be encouraged to continue their education."

Currently, Teko is living with Keith and Nancy while attending SAC. He starts at UTSA in the fall.

On August 12, 2003 at 11:00 a.m., Nikki Young, Marketing Manager for SurveySA, was arrested by San Antonio Police Officer Gordon Gentry and taken to Dave & Busters to be sentenced to jail by presiding judge Cynthia Lee of Fox News. Nikki was required to spend the day on the phones making calls to local patrons to come up with her bail.

Of course, this was just part of the fun for the annual Stars Behind Bars fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Donations help to provide for physical therapy, respiratory therapy, wheelchair and leg braces, sending a child to MDA camp, continued research and more. Young managed to raise over $650 from area companies and individuals and said this about her experience in jail, "I hope that I would never really get arrested, but for MDA, I would do it again and again!"

More: See a list of the donating patrons.

The Second Annual "Thanks-for-Giving" program received great responses from both builders and mortgage companies. Last year, the staff of SurveySA initiated the "Thanks-for-Giving" program: for every survey that was ordered during the month of November, a portion of the total cost was donated to a charity of choice, in the ordering company's name.

SurveySA paid 157 total individual donations, up from 148 with last year's results. "Due to the phenomenal results and the responses from the charities, we will continue this program," said Keith Jimenez.

"We believe that with more participating companies, this program will grow stronger and stronger each year. It feels really good to know that we, surveyors, builders and mortgage companies together as a team, are able to help out a few of our less-fortunate friends.

Charities that received donations this year include: The Children's Shelter, Family Praise Church, Family Services Association, Hospice, Make-A-Wish Foundation, St. P.J.'s Children's Home and our industry's favorite charity, Habitat for Humanity.