Bringing on the ‘Light’

TTUHSC El Paso and Lone Star Title Ignite "Lighting Campus for Hope" Winter Celebration

University to end 10th anniversary year with a special holiday event to raise funds for breast cancer screenings

In the shadow of cancer, “Lighting Campus for Hope” will shine a beacon of promise.

Last Thursday, Oct. 12, as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and Lone Star Title Company of El Paso announced Lighting Campus for Hope, a heartwarming holiday celebration in support of the fight against breast cancer. For 30 years, programs such as the Breast Care Center have provided world-class cancer screening and prevention care to our diverse Borderplex region.

As TTUHSC El Paso concludes its 10th anniversary year, it will transform the campus into a winter wonderland filled with family-friendly activities, seasonal cheer, and a spectacular fireworks show that will illuminate the night sky.

Lone Star Title will partner with TTUHSC El Paso as the Presenting Hope Sponsor for Lighting Campus for Hope holiday event.

Lighting Campus for Hope will take place 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. The university will raise funds beginning in October for life-saving breast cancer screening in our Borderplex community. Every $185 raised pays for one mammogram that can help save a life. Additional contributions will fund follow-up diagnostic exams.

“Lone Star Title is honored and proud to support Texas Tech Health El Paso in its efforts to promote affordable and sustainable preventive care for women, especially breast cancer screenings,” said John Martin, president of Lone Star Title Company of El Paso. “We are grateful to be a part of Lighting Campus for Hope, a program that spreads awareness and provides resources for women's health. This is but one small investment in our partnership with the university toward building a healthy community and growing our own health care heroes.”

Lone Star Title’s commitment to enhancing health care in the region led them to sponsor several past university initiatives, including last year’s 10th-anniversary campaign for the Hunt School of Nursing. Both Lone Star Title and TTUHSC El Paso share a vision for advancing world-class education, research and patient care within the community.

Additional Lighting Campus for Hope sponsors include Freeport-McMoRan Inc.; JPMorgan Chase Bank; Raiz Federal Credit Union; RM Personnel; Sandy Messer & Associates/Wendy Sudimack; Subaru El Paso; Sunflower Bank; and Wells Fargo Bank.

“As a university built on philanthropy, community support is invaluable for us to meet our present and future goals supporting cancer warriors,” remarked Andrea Tawney, Ph.D., vice president for Institutional Advancement at TTUHSC El Paso. “Every dollar from our generous sponsors provides access to life-saving breast cancer screenings for women right here in our Borderplex region. Our mission is to reach community members where they are and provide screenings regardless of their financial means.”

Prevention is the Best Medicine

The Lighting Campus for Hope announcement coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about early detection and prevention. A combination of socioeconomic factors and limited health care access create disparities in detection, treatment and outcomes in our Borderplex region.

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death among Hispanic women. The Texas Cancer Registry reports the breast cancer mortality rate among Hispanic women in El Paso County was 32 deaths per 100,000 women, compared to 20 deaths per 100,000 women among non-Hispanic white women.

Early detection is the key to fighting breast cancer. The disease is both preventable and manageable with regular screenings. Diagnostic tests, like mammograms, can identify the disease in its early stages. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an early diagnosis of breast cancer will improve a cancer warrior’s chance of surviving five more years by 99%.

Hope Begins Here

Lighting Campus for Hope will commemorate not only TTUHSC El Paso's decade-long journey of service to the community but also highlight its next chapter of providing comprehensive cancer care from world-class physicians in a state-of-the-art cancer center. This new center will cater to our Borderplex region's need for specialty care.

On Aug. 8, TTUHSC El Paso, along with local community leaders Steve and Nancy Fox and their daughters Paige and Ashley, announced a historic $25 million investment to support a future comprehensive cancer center to be constructed on the university’s campus. The facility will allow cancer warriors to remain in the region for their treatment. Families can provide support close to home and will no longer have to bear the cost and hardship of traveling out of town for care.

Lighting the way for a brighter, cancer-free tomorrow, TTUHSC El Paso invites individuals and organizations to support Lighting Campus for Hope.

Individual contributions to pay for breast cancer screenings can be made by visiting give2.ttuhscep.edu/screening.

Sponsorship opportunities can be obtained by contacting Andrea Tawney at 915-215-5695, andrea.tawney@ttuhsc.edu; or Craig Holden, 915-215-5943, craig.holden@ttuhsc.edu.

About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso

TTUHSC El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.

Established as an independent university in the Texas Tech University System in 2013, TTUHSC El Paso is celebrating 10 years as a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research. According to a 2022 analysis, TTUHSC El Paso contributes $634.4 million annually to our Borderplex region’s economy.

With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities for Borderplex residents, TTUHSC El Paso has graduated over 2,000 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.