FEATURED, FROM LEFT: Dr. Sam García; Dr. Dan Guerra; Dr. Raúl Barreda; Juan Bernal; Dr. Raulito Peña; Minerva Echols; Dr. Luis Delgado; Dr. Beto Gutiérrez; Clare Gutiérrez; Roberto Haddad; Joe García; and Michelle Álvarez. This image, taken August 28, 2021, captured part of the celebration announcing that DHR Health had raised $300,000 for Hope Family Health Center of McAllen during last summer’s event, which was held at South Padre Island.
Image Courtesy DHR HEALTH FACEBOOK
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Final preparations underway for 16th Annual “Fishing for Hope” Tournament, organized by DHR Health, to provide comprehensive medical services for uninsured families and individuals
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
[email protected]
The famous saying “Hope springs eternal” usually means a person who wishes for something to happen, although it seems unlikely.
But that is not the case for the 16th Annual “Fishing for Hope” Tournament, organized by DHR Health and which will take place at South Padre Island. The charitable event is anticipated to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit the Hope Family Health Center of McAllen.
For more than 25 years, Community Hope Projects Inc, DBA (doing business as) Hope Family Health Center (HOPE), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization in McAllen, has worked towards its mission to provide comprehensive medical services including mental health and case management to uninsured families and individuals across the Rio Grande Valley.
“The Hope Family Health Center is a non-profit health clinic that sees more than 5,000 patients per year. These patients do not have medical insurance or access to other health care services. The physicians and medical staff at the Hope Family Health Center generously volunteer their time, services, and resources to support the less fortunate members of our community,” said Roxanne Pacheco, LCSW-S, Executive Director, Hope Family Health Center.
https://www.hopefamilyhealthcenter.org
In 2020 the Hope Family Health Center held nearly 8,200 appointments addressing medical, counseling, wellness, and case management concerns.
During the past 15 years, DHR Health has raised more than $3 million for the Hope Family Health Center through the “Fishing for Hope” Tournament, she added.
“As we approach the tournament’s 16th year, we want to express our eternal gratitude to DHR Health for their enormous contributions to the uninsured and our community,” Pacheco continued.
“We are thankful to all those who have participated in the tournament through participating, promoting, and attending,” she added. “During this unprecedented time of uncertainty, we are humbled by the commitment of DHR Health and are proud to continue our partnership to serve the growing needs of our most vulnerable community members.”
Since the 1st Annual “Fishing for Hope” Tournament in 2006, Hope Family Health Center has increased by more than 70 percent the number of patients served.
DHR Health has been the largest local financial donor to date.
In its first year the Fishing for Hope Tournament raised $75,000 and each year the fundraiser has grown.
In addition to the financial contributions of the Fishing for Hope Tournament, 70 percent of volunteers at the clinic and in the community are part of the DHR Health community.
The idea for the Fishing for Hope Tournament began 17 years ago, when the McAllen-based medical facility was at risk of closing down.
Beto Gutiérrez, MD, Medical Director, Hope Family Health Center, met with Alonzo Cantú, a major business leader and philanthropist from McAllen, who also serves on the Board of Managers, DHR Health.
After the two men discussed the financial difficulties facing Hope Family Health Center, Cantú and Marissa Castañeda, who now serves as Senior Executive Vice President, DHR Health, developed the plan for the annual “Fishing for Hope” Tournament.
Currently, DHR Health officials and volunteers are making final preparations for this major charitable event, with Pre-Registration/Bag Pick Up beginning on Monday, August 22, 2022 through Wednesday, August 24, 2022, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance.
The 54,000-square foot Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, which is owned and operated by the DHR Health System, is located at 118 Paseo Del Prado, Edinburg, TX 78539.
Once the Pre-Registration/Bag Pick Up ends at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance, more than 1,500 guests plus event sponsors, major news media outlets, contestants displaying their skills to win cash prizes, and volunteers will descend upon South Padre Island.
That schedule follows:
• FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2022
Late Registration/Team Changes
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
$10 Fee per Angler Change
$40 Late Registration Fee per Angler
Captain Meeting
7:00 PM
SPI Convention and Visitors Bureau
7355 Padre Blvd. • South Padre Island
• SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2022
Fishing Time
(No hooks in the water before 6:00 AM)
6:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Weigh-In
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Must be in line by 3:00 PM (NO EXCEPTIONS)
Jim’s Pier
211 W. Swordfish St. • South Padre Island
• SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2022
Dinner and Awards
5:30 PM Doors Open
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
SPI Convention and Visitors Bureau
7355 Padre Blvd. • South Padre Island
For more information on all aspects of the activities at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance and at South Padre Island, interested individuals are asked to call the DHR Health Events Department at 956/362-3140.
New state commission addressing community college funding in Texas
As some community colleges in Texas struggle with recent decreases in post-secondary students and resources, a new commission is tasked with making recommendations on community college funding.
While overall enrollment in higher education has increased steadily in Texas since 2010, community colleges, excluding dual-credit students, have seen a decrease, according to data presented at a state commission hearing on Thursday, July 28, 2022 by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
The Texas Commission on Community College Finance, which was created last year by the 87th Texas Legislature as part of Senate Bill 1230 by Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, includes two members each from the Texas Senate and Texas House, and eight professionals from higher education, business, or education-related nonprofits.
The commission is tasked with making recommendations to the Legislature on the state funding formula and funding levels for community colleges that would improve student outcomes in alignment with the postsecondary goals of the state.
Major sources of community college funding include local taxes, tuition and fees, state appropriations, and federal funds. While the funding system for the state’s 50 community college districts has seen few changes since 1973, the relative funding proportions from each source have shifted.
Currently, state appropriations account for around a fifth, according to Coordinating Board data and information provided in the 2021 Texas Public Higher Education Almanac, while the remainder comes from federal funds, tuition and fees, and local taxpayers.
Recent decreases in post-secondary enrollment have reduced the contact hours for many community colleges, which in turn limits the state funds a school is eligible to receive. Although Texas experienced the most population growth in absolute numbers of any state between 2010 and 2020, most Texas counties lost population, according to federal census data.
At the same time, rural community college districts have tended to lose a higher percentage of their students than their urban counterparts, thus losing more state-appropriated funding.
In 2015, the Texas Higher Education Board adopted the 60x30TX higher education plan, which is designed to help 60 percent of the state’s workforce acquire some form of professional credentials or college degree by the year 2030.
About 42 percent of working-aged Texans currently have an associate degree or higher, according to the 60×30 website published by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
As new jobs are created in the state, most of them are expected to require some higher education.
Community colleges are generally considered to offer a less expensive, more accessible route to higher education than four-year colleges for millions of Texans.
Working groups from the commission have considered multiple topics, including prioritizing funding for small and rural schools, expanding access to dual credit classes, and analyzing how other states fund their community colleges, according to reports.
The commission has also considered the variation between community college taxing districts and service areas and the relationship between economic cycles and student enrollment, both of which could help explain some of the divergent enrollment outcomes between rural and urban community colleges.
The commission must submit its final report to the governor, lieutenant governor, and the Legislature by Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
The next commission meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 12, 2022.
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Matt Lowe contributed to this article. For more on this and other Texas legislative news stories that affect the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan region, please log on to Titans of the Texas Legislature (TitansoftheTexasLegislature.com).
