Twenty years ago, it was just an in-house basketball pool; today it is a major fundraiser, netting over $5,000 for AMD’s 2010 Charity of Choice, Kids Under Twenty-One (KUTO). Elizabeth Makulec, Executive Director and Brian Stremlau, Board President and CFO/VP Finance at National Sales Co., joined AMD last Thursday to thank AMD for the efforts.

Coined “Hoops for Hope” five years ago, the NCAA basketball pool draws participation from AMD clients, colleagues, referral sources and friends of the firm from all over the U.S. Craig Campbell, CPA, tax partner, started the pool and remains the organizer. He is assisted by a large contingent of AMD staff who set-up the online pool, market it and count the proceeds.

Those proceeds grew to a record amount this year with all the funds going to KUTO. AMD donates prizes for the top five, which this year included a variety of electronic devices and sports and entertainment tickets. Each January, members of the firm vote on a Charity of Choice and work throughout the year to support the organization through dress-down days, penny wars and other fundraising events. Hoops for Hope is the largest of those efforts. In addition to KUTO, past benefactors have included St. Louis Crisis Nursery, Lafayette Industries, KidsSmart and Re-Building Together.

KUTO provides peer facilitated crisis prevention, suicide intervention and postvention support to youth in the St. Louis metropolitan area. KUTO trains youth with the skills, confidence and courage to help a friend or peer by implementing the 'teens helping teens help themselves' philosophy. KUTO provides practical Community Outreach & Education helping teens and adults become more aware and sensitive to the issues of teen stress and depression, effective coping mechanisms, crisis intervention strategies and adolescent suicide.

Brent Kaniecki, director of Business Development and Technology Services for Inflexion, AMD’s affiliate, is a KUTO board member.