H-E-B’s Charles Butt Donates $5M to J.J. Watt Foundation

H-E-B chairman and CEO Charles Butt has made a personal contribution of $5 million to the Justin J. Watt Foundation’s Houston Flood Relief Fund. Scott McClelland, H-E-B president, and Winell Herron, VP of public affairs, diversity and environmental affairs at H-E-B Group, presented a check on Butt’s behalf at NRG Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 6.

"Throughout this disaster, I have been humbled by the state's unprecedented generosity and heroism," says Butt. "I want to commend and support the extraordinary relief efforts of J.J. Watt who has taken the lead, not as a world‑class NFL player or celebrity, but as an individual who saw the need to help his fellow Texans and immediately took action."

H-E-B holds similar philanthropic values including its Helping Here philosophy, which promises to stand by communities during times of crisis. Over the course of Hurricane Harvey’s destruction, H-E-B has made monetary and Food Bank donations, supported emergency shelters across Texas, provided volunteers and deployed H-E-B’s Mobile Kitchens and Disaster Relief Units throughout the state.

"Hurricane Harvey has taken a catastrophic toll on our great state,” adds Butt. “Now is the time to come together and collectively help rebuild our communities.”

An advocate of public education in Texas, Butt helped establish the Holdsworth Center and created and endowed the Raising Texas Teachers Scholarship Fund earlier this year. He is also the founder of the Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation, an advocacy organization committed to teacher preparation and the development of public school leaders.