From Tommy Greer:

It was 1961, gas was 31 cents per gallon, John F Kennedy was president and near ETSU in a small building shared with a machine shop, BCS was born.  Joe Blackburn, already a practicing CPA, and Carl Childers, a former IRS revenue agent, came together as individual practitioners in 1961.

A short time later in 1966, Charles Steagall came to work with them part time while he attended graduate school at ETSU and taught at Steed College. Combined, he was probably putting in 60+ hours per week, a work ethic unparalleled that he still models to this day.  Charles became a partner in 1970, and the firm name then officially became Blackburn, Childers and Steagall. (more…)

Next week is our Shoe Drive and TOMS One Day Without Shoes!  Can we total 300 pairs of shoes?  That is our goal; surely you have at least 3 pairs of shoes you can contribute to someone in need right here in our region. 

From the TOMS One Day Without Shoes Website:

 TOMS One Day Without Shoes is Tuesday, April 5th, in recognition of all of the children around the world that do not have any shoes.  It might be cold, it’ll probably be uncomfortable, and our feet will certainly get dirty, but by doing so, we’ll help raise awareness of the impact a simple pair of shoes can bring to a child’s life.

One Day Without Shoes is an annual event hosted by TOMS Shoes in which students, friends, parents, strangers, and co-workers host or participate in events without shoes. Some go without shoes for an hour, some for the whole day, but all become a part of a greater movement toward change.

 So, we aren’t wearing shoes on Tuesday not only to raise awareness for the shoeless children around the world, but for those who do not have shoes right here in our region, and we can help them by bringing in our new or gently used shoes.

 What are TOMS, you ask?  TOMS are a super cute brand of shoes (available on the internet and at Mahoney’s, among other places), and when you buy a pair of TOMS shoes, they donate a pair of shoes to a child in a developing country.