UNCF South Texas – Houston Annual Walk for Education Presented by Shell USA, Inc., Achieves Phenomenal Success
Houston’s Walk/Bike/Run event raises vital funds to support HBCUs and Students
The 39th Annual UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Walk/Bike/Run for Education, proudly presented by Shell USA, Inc., was a smashing success, held at Tom Bass Regional Park on Saturday, September 14, 2024. This extraordinary event aimed to raise $270,000 for underrepresented students across South Texas who are striving to get to and through college. It brought together more than 50 teams of nearly 1,500 Houstonians who participated—walking, running, and cycling—all in honor of UNCF, its students, and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
The City of Houston’s Mayor Pro Tem, Martha Castex-Tatum, served as the honorary chair, and Commissioner Rodney Ellis of Harris County Precinct One was the grand marshal. Together, they delivered a memorable family event supported by our corporate and community partners. Most importantly, this event would not have been possible without the dedication of over 100 volunteers from organizations such as Jack and Jills, Top Teens, Girl Scouts, several churches, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, who managed logistics and ensured a smooth and seamless experience for all participants.
The event featured an engaging program at the start and finish line, hosted by KG Smooth from Radio One (Majic 102.1), along with remarks from Kimberly Williams, head of strategic sourcing at Shell USA, Inc.; UNCF Houston Leadership Council Chair Victor Nivens; and UNCF South Texas – Houston Area Development Director Zarinah K. Poole. H-E-B generously provided attendees with healthy refreshments, including fresh fruit, granola bars, and trail mix. Whataburger offered delicious honey butter chicken biscuits, and Frenchy’s treated everyone to a delightful lunch at the UNCF Hospitality/Alumni Village tent, underwritten by LyondellBasell.
The event also catered to young attendees with a wide array of engaging activities at the Young Genius Playground. Boeing wowed the youth with an impressive rocket demonstration, while the Game On game truck provided hours of fun. The Houston Public Library promoted education and distributed free books, and The Fort Bend Church provided yard games. Most importantly, all sponsors contributed to this year’s success, including alliantgroup, Bean 76 Coffee Co., The Boeing Company, City of Houston, Arca Continental, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages, Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Enterprise Mobility, ExxonMobil, Frenchy’s, Game On Premium Mobile Game Theater, Harris County Precinct One, H-E-B, Houston Leadership Council members, Houston Methodist Hospital, Jark 1 Entertainment, LLC, LyondellBasell, Marathon Oil Corporation, Motiva, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Prejones Catering, Radio One, Southwest Airlines, The Fort Bend Church, UPS Store 5857, Verizon, Waste Management, Wellby Financial, Wells Fargo Bank, and Whataburger.
“This year marks our 80th anniversary, and throughout this period, UNCF has fueled HBCUs with vital resources to educate generations of African American and other minority students,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. “During the ongoing unprecedented health and racial pandemics we are all experiencing, our students and institutions need support now more than ever. We are at risk of losing a generation of talented and deserving African American and minority students. We are asking for as many donations as possible now because the students we help today will be our next generation of doctors, nurses, biologists, virologists, epidemiologists—the pandemic front-liners of the future. We thank everyone in South Texas who participated in the Walk/Bike/Run for Education to help ensure better futures for us all.”
Though the 2024 UNCF Walk for Education has concluded, the mission continues. You can still donate to this year’s walk and help us reach our goal through October 31, 2024, at www.UNCF.org/SouthTexasWalk.
Mark your calendars for the 40th anniversary UNCF South Texas – Houston Walk for Education in September 2025! UNCF looks forward to once again uniting our community in support of education and opportunity for all.
