Lighting Hope Together
Third Annual Lighting Campus for Hope Winter Celebration Brought Smiles, Stories of Resilience
El Paso Electric and the Electric Company Charitable Foundation announce $500,000 Gift to Fox Cancer Center
Texas Tech Health El Paso’s third annual Lighting Campus for Hope, presented by Hunt Companies, illuminated the campus with holiday magic on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. Families, friends and cancer warriors from across our Borderplex, with an estimated 1,000 in attendance, celebrated hope and unity in the fight against cancer.
Attendees enjoyed cheerful visits with Santa and his friends and a spectacular firework show that lit up the sky. Food trucks lined the walkways, offering seasonal treats and local favorites.
During the celebration, El Paso Electric and the Electric Company Charitable Foundation announced a combined $500,000 gift to the Building Hope Campaign, with each contributing $250,000. In recognition of the gift, Texas Tech Health El Paso is naming the imaging reception area after the company and its charitable foundation.
The event also featured heartfelt moments honoring those impacted by cancer, including warriors, caregivers and loved ones, highlighting the strength and compassion that define our community. KVIA-TV anchor Marcel Clarke served as the evening’s emcee. Clarke, whose mother is a cancer warrior, brought a personal connection to the event as she guided the celebration and helped honor families affected by cancer.
As “snow” gently fell across campus, it served as a beautiful reminder of the hope that brings us together each year.
Lighting Campus for Hope is more than a holiday tradition; it is a celebration that brings together patients, families and our community while shining a spotlight on the bravery of cancer warriors honored for their resilience.
“Lighting Campus for Hope reflects the strength and compassion of our community,” said El Paso Electric President and CEO Kelly A. Tomblin. “El Paso Electric and the Electric Company Charitable Foundation are honored to contribute to the Fox Cancer Center’s imaging center, helping ensure that life-saving care is available to the families we serve throughout our Borderplex.”
El Paso Electric and the Electric Company Charitable Foundation’s investment reflects their long-standing commitment to strengthening the communities they serve. Their mission to support initiatives that advance health, education and quality of life aligns closely with Texas Tech Health El Paso’s vision for expanding access to life-saving cancer care in our Borderplex. By supporting the Fox Cancer Center, partners are helping ensure families across the region have access to advanced diagnostics, treatment and compassionate care close to home.
Their combined $500,000 contribution represents a meaningful step toward transforming cancer care for our Borderplex. Imaging services are often the first critical step in identifying cancer early, and this gift supports the creation of a space designed to deliver timely, accurate diagnostics for patients and families.
Through this investment, El Paso Electric and the Electric Company Charitable Foundation hope to help reduce the burden on families who currently must travel far for cancer services, strengthening the region’s capacity to fight cancer and improving outcomes for generations to come. The gift is part of the $50 million Building Hope Campaign supporting the cancer center’s construction.
To date, $45 million has been committed by community business leaders, including Steve and Nancy Fox and their family, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, the Hunt Family Foundation, GECU and other community champions.
The Building Hope Campaign offers an opportunity to transform cancer care for families across West Texas. Pledges may be fulfilled over multiple years, allowing donors to make a long-term impact. Every gift of any size has the power to save a life, offer hope and become part of our community’s cancer center forever.
Visit ttuhscepimpact.org/fox-cancer-center to learn more about ways to give and follow the campaign’s progress.
Saving Lives Through Screenings
Funds raised from Lighting Campus for Hope will help provide more than 600 life-saving breast, cervical and colon cancer screenings. Proceeds will also fund follow-up diagnostics, which are often more costly.
These efforts, supported by the Texas Tech Health El Paso Cancer Screening Fund, will directly benefit our Borderplex community by ensuring access to early detection and timely care. They will be delivered through programs including:
Breast Cancer Education, Screening, and Navigation (BEST) Program
Medical Student Run Clinic’s Breast Cancer Screening Program
Southwest Coalition for Colorectal Cancer Screening (SuCCeSS) Program
De Casa en Casa Cervical Cancer Screening Program
“Lighting Campus for Hope is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together with purpose,” said Andrea Tawney, Ph.D., Vice President for Institutional Advancement, who has led the campaign. “The support shown at the event directly strengthens our cancer screening programs and brings us one step closer to ensuring every family in our region has access to early detection and high-quality care.”
Starla Warren’s cancer journey began in 2015, when an unexpected injury during a martial arts sparring match revealed a lump in her breast. What she hoped was only a calcium buildup was later diagnosed as stage 4 breast cancer. From the beginning, Starla found her medical home at Texas Tech Health El Paso’s Breast Care Center, where her oncologist and care team partnered with the University Medical Center of El Paso infusion center to support her through every step of the fight.
Despite initially being told she might have only six months to a year to live, Warren has defied expectations for ten years. With the support of her family, her faith and the compassionate teams caring for her, she continues to embrace each day with strength and optimism. She now uses her experience to encourage others facing a diagnosis, reminding them that tomorrow is always worth fighting for.
“It's awesome that I can go to people who are just getting diagnosed and tell them, use me as an example. Don't just write it off and say, ‘I'm done,’” Warren said. “Understand that there's a tomorrow, and as long as you have tomorrow, then you have tomorrow to live for.”
Lighting Campus for Hope is proudly supported by its Presenting Hope sponsor, Hunt Companies, along with many others whose contributions light the way toward a bright future for cancer care in our region.
Lighting Campus for Hope sponsors, including:
Wells Fargo
GECU Foundation
Peter Piper Pizza
El Paso Electric Company
LoneStar/Bohannon/Rocky Mountain Mortgage/Classic American Homes
Nusenda Credit Union
L&F Distributors of El Paso
FirstLight Federal Credit Union
AT&T
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas
EP Health
As we reflect on the success of this event, Texas Tech Health El Paso remains steadfast in its mission to bring hope, healing and health to every corner of our community. Together, we’ll light the way to a cancer-free future.
For more information on supporting Texas Tech Health El Paso’s cancer initiatives, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.
Cancer in El Paso
Each year, nearly 3,500 El Pasoans are diagnosed with cancer, and many families are forced to leave town for treatment.
The Fox Cancer Center will ensure patients can receive world-class care in El Paso, surrounded by the support of their families and community. This vision is made possible through the strength of academic medicine and community hospitals working together. Texas Tech Health El Paso’s partnership with University Medical Center of El Paso reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to advanced treatments and comprehensive care close to home.
Currently, many El Pasoans must travel hundreds of miles for treatment. In 2021, 541 adult cancer patients from El Paso County received inpatient care elsewhere, representing 35% of all local inpatient cancer discharges. Of those, 244 traveled to MD Anderson in Houston.
Only 52% of patients completed their full course of cancer treatment locally that year. Another 356 received only partial care, and 66 never returned for treatment after diagnosis.
These statistics represent more than numbers; they reflect families forced to choose between fragmented care at home or leaving their support systems behind. The Fox Cancer Center will end that cycle by bringing early detection services, cutting-edge therapies and groundbreaking clinical trials directly to El Paso.
The Future of Cancer Care in El Paso is Here
Lighting Campus for Hope also builds excitement for the future Fox Cancer Center. On Sept. 17, Texas Tech Health El Paso broke ground on the Fox Cancer Center. The Fox Cancer Center will open the door to compassionate and comprehensive cancer care, life-saving research and opportunities for innovative clinical trials in the community we call home.
When completed, this facility will ensure cancer warriors can receive top-notch care in the region, sparing families the emotional and financial burden of traveling far from home for treatment.
About Texas Tech Health El Paso
Texas Tech Health El Paso serves 108 counties in West Texas and is dedicated to preparing the next generation of health care heroes. Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a uniquely innovative destination for medical, nursing, biomedical sciences and dental education.
Focusing on excellence in health care education, research, and clinical service, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,600 professionals over the past decade. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.