Ross Smith to be roasted Sept. 12th

It’s not too late to get reservations for the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce roast of Ross Smith.

People wanting to attend need to RSVP by Sept. 5 for the Sept. 12th roast. The event will be at 6 p.m. at the Bridge City Community Center located at 105 Parkside.

Monte Morphew will serve as master of ceremonies along with the rosters, Larry Webb, Dr. Mike Shahan, Stephen Lee, Trey Smith, John Gothia and Gary Stelly.

Bridge City Mayor Kirk Roccaforte said they chose Smith to roast this year because he is so involved in the various organizations and his many contributions to the community.

“He’s a good example of a good person to represent the city,” Roccaforte said. “I think we will have a good time.”

Smith is a Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School graduate before attending Lamar University and The University of Texas in Houston.

He has owned Akrotex, Inc. since starting it in 1990. Smith is also a current board member for: Orange Savings Bank, the Lutcher Theater, the Lamar Orange Foundation, the Southeast Texas Foundation and the Salvation Army.

Over the years, Smith has received many awards. His awards include the 2000 Community Builder Award from the Madison Lodge 126 AF and AM and the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas, as well as the 2004 Small Business Person of the Year from the GOACC. He is a former board member of the GOACC, Boys and Girls Club and the Boy Scouts of America -Three Rivers Council.

“My wife and I and our company help [the Boy Scouts of America] each year. We help the Lions Club with their carnival,” he said in a previous interview. “A lot of our employees do a lot of work for these charities.”

Smith also makes monetary contributions to Orange Christian Services, the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and Southeast Texas Hospice. He also donates money to support area schools with project graduation or simply assisting an employee in need.

His wife, Eva, is also a board member of the Red Cross and the United Way in Orange. Together, he and his wife are dedicated to the community.

“We do as much as we can. We love Orange,” Smith said. “Orange County is home to my wife and I both. We are native to this area. We’ve been blessed with a nice business and we try to give back and try to share those blessings.”

When Smith and his wife lost their home and all of their belongings due to Hurricane Ike, they immediately went to the Salvation Army to make a large donation.

“My wife and I had four and half feet of water in our home,” he said during a previous interview. “Our home was totally destroyed. We lost everything. There’s was nothing we could do about our situations, but there was something we could do to help others.”

For more information on the roast contact the Bridge City Chamber of Commerce at 409-735-5671.