Yeah. Originally we were exposed to Arizona State University and it's
wonderful leadership of dr Crow through one of our neighbors that held a
dinner party. And I think it was a wonderful exposure. What we learned was
that he not only is an eloquent speaker and presenter, but his ideas
really opened our minds and it excited us to the point where we thought we
should explore the opportunity with the university a little bit more. I
think the great thing about Mike and Cindy Watts is that they have this
ability to be what I think of as all in Arizona's, they love Arizona, they
love the fact that Arizona is this place where you can raise a family and
build a business and make things happen. And I think because of this they
have been the philanthropist that we have worked with, where they're
constantly focusing on, how do you help develop the community by
developing the person? I saw that first with women in philanthropy in many
programs that were directed at students before they ever get to issue
before their freshman, but then to help them along the way, because of
course the whole purpose is to have community leaders that we're
generating from a shoe and very successful people. The most recent
collaboration and partnership with Starbucks. It's innovative, It's
creative and it's very beneficial to the community and all of the students.
So those are win wins and the recognition that the university most
recently received as the most innovative school in the country. It's
pretty impressive. You know, we always talk about three things that you
that you hope that people contribute to the university, their time, their
talent and their treasure and mike and Cindy, your examples. Uh, folks
that give all three and lots of different ways. One of the programs that
Cindy and I got involved in early after we met with dr Crow and his wife
civil was what were our areas of interest and it was a lot of social
causes and one of those was the Center for the prevention of Violence. As
a result of that, the west campus for Arizona State University engaged in
a study about our community that we grew up in and that was more filled
with crime. That study resulted in a lot of changes. And today we can
honestly feel pretty proudly that there's some positive change as a result
of that initial study and investment by Arizona State University. Well,
Sun Devil Athletics is extremely proud of mike and Cindy Watts uh, in part
because we're the beneficiary of their philanthropy, we had a chance to
make a presentation led by jean void at the President's weekend about
student athlete, academic needs. Uh, in mike and Cindy were really uh,
taken by the need uh, to really support all of our student athletes. Men
and women in their academic pursuits are being driven by the largest of
Cindy and mike Watson. We're very thankful and no, that they absolutely
deserve to be honest. I think the exciting thing for me and what they
represent to me at a shoe and for a shoe in for Arizona is a deep
commitment to our idea of success, of the individual, success, of the
community, through the success of the individual. And so the great thing
about mike and Cindy Watts, and I think their entire view is how do you
make Arizona a better place?
Yeah.