By NiCosha Nelms
Letitia Monsey, interim coordinator of the Support and Empowerment Program at McLennan Community College and associate director of the Completion Center, answered some questions about the program and the purpose it serves for students.
The interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Tell us about the Support and Empowerment Program.
This program began in 1979 as a community service of the Junior League of Waco, Inc. The focus was on serving single parent and displaced homemaker students at MCC. As of Fall 2019, the program has expanded to serve a broader population of students in need. Our purpose is to provide them with social, academic, and financial support so that they can do well as a student.
The idea is to support the student holistically, not just as a student but as a person, so that they may be successful in their family life or any relationships they may have. We want them to grow as a person outside of their academic experience.
What are the services and the resources the program offers?
We provide them with a success coach, workshops every semester that are offered on a variety of topics, funds for childcare or transportation, crisis intervention, financial benefit, and much more.
How can students participate?
The application is posted each semester on our website, and it’s due a month before the enrolling semester starts. Students have to apply, and we thoroughly review if the applicants are under one of nine different populations. They have to be in a workforce degree plan, be enrolled in at least nine hours of credit towards that degree plan (six hours face-to-face or on campus) and have maintained 2.0 cumulative GPA.
What are some of the responses you have received from the program?
Our students are drawn to the program because of the financial benefit, but they sing the praises of the program because of the support they received from their coaches. They find peers to connect with that share similar goals and help them to see they are not alone and are fighting the same battles they are fighting.
Tell us one thing you would want your students to take from this whole experience.
I would hope, the ability to ask for help. I believe everyone has a hard time giving that advice instead of taking it. I think that is the trick to being a successful college student, is learning to ask for help. I assume most of the students in the program have essentially done everything alone or without any type of help, so they pride themselves in that independence. There is always somebody who has been where you have been, and if you learn to confide in someone, they can help you get plugged into the right resources.
Visit www.mclennan.edu/support-and-empowerment or call the Completion Center at 254-299-8226 for more information about the program and services.
NiCosha Nelms is a Marketing and Communications Intern at McLennan Community College. She is a senior at Baylor University studying Journalism, Public Relations and New Media with a minor in Business. She hopes to work in sports or entertainment. She is from Teague, Texas and likes creating YouTube videos.
he Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
Press release – Dr. George Jurek, a retired dentist who spent years practicing in Waco before serving with the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Department of MH-MR, understands the importance of making a connection when you are in need. During his work with the TDMHMR office, Dr. Jurek oversaw eight hospitals and thirteen schools for people with developmental disabilities. He has a long history of caring for those facing hardships and uncertain futures.
Caritas of Waco was suffering from an outdated phone system. Dr. Jurek recognized the critical importance of communication and made a gift to over the cost of a new system. Before the new system, callers typically encountered numerous difficulties including busy signals, dropped calls, voice mail that was unable to record messages and other nagging problems that interfered with communications. Such difficulties were not infrequent and created frustrations and inconveniences for everyone.
“Caritas is extremely appreciative of the gift Dr. Jurek has made to us for a new communications system,” said Buddy Edwards, Executive Director of Caritas. “Our existing system had been the source of concern to our clients, donors and the general public, and we are glad to have eliminated these problems. Dr. Jurek really ‘saved the day’ for us!” Edwards added.
Dr. Jurek has a strong concern for the work of Caritas and its mission of serving those living in poverty and difficult circumstances. He worked with senior staff at Caritas to identify the actions needed to rectify the telephone problem and agreed to provide the funds to make the “fix.”
Today, as a result of Dr. Jurek’s generous gift to Caritas, the organization’s phones work smoothly and professionally—lost calls are eliminated and messages are clearly communicated. Caritas operates much better as a whole because of his belief in the Caritas mission and his desire to be a difference-maker! Caritas thanks Dr. Jurek for his spirit of compassion and generosity that extends beyond his profession to other underserved individuals in our community.
Caritas of Waco is a non-profit, 501(c) (3) organization that serves McLennan County and the surrounding area by providing individuals and families with urgent support and long-term solutions to poverty.
For additional information about this story, please contact Ann Owen, Assistant Executive Director of Finance at Caritas at 254-753-4593, ext. 213 or [email protected].
By Teresa Porter
My friend slowly walked around the car, eyeing both it and me quizzically. I opened the hood and the charging port covers. He stopped and stared, looking confused. He looked up at me, a concerned look on his face. “Why?”
Curiosity finally got the best of me. After a decade of reading about electric cars, I finally bought one.
The purchase was almost impulsive. I chose the 2016 Nissan Leaf as my first-ever electric car for several reasons. There’s a dealership in town, they have a good reputation, and they’re really cheap. The previous owner, a leasee, drove her gently and took good care of her. I was looking for something newer, but wasn’t really thinking about electric. I looked at a couple of websites for a minute and there she was, third car on the page of unfiltered results. She sparked my interest, then sparked joy in my heart. I did fifteen minutes of research and signed the contract. A week later she was in my driveway and the keys were in my hand.
I fell head-over-heels in love with my Tokimeki the first time I drove her. Yes, I named my Leaf. Tokimeki is a Japanese noun that means “spark of joy”. (You may be more familiar with the verb form, Tokimeku, meaning “sparking joy”, as used by Marie Kondo.) My love for her grows stronger every day, and my road rage has nearly completely vanished. I do have an occasional bout of “range anxiety”, but it’s part of the learning curve.
I learned a lot in the first 90 days, and I’ve encountered a lot of people with misconceptions. I’d like to clear some of that up. Here are some of the most common comments I’ve heard and my responses:
They’re oversized golf carts. No. Golf carts don’t usually 0-60 in less than 10 seconds.
Electric cars use gasoline. No. Hybrids use gasoline, not electric cars.
They’re expensive to maintain. No. Regenerative braking saves wear on the braking system, there’s no oil filter or crankcase oil, there’s no exhaust system (no catalytic converter, no muffler, no pipes, etc). No spark plugs, etc. The maintenance manual for this car is so thin it’s practically a brochure.
There’s nowhere to recharge. Okay, you got me there. Mclennan county is seriously lacking in public EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) infrastructure, especially if you don’t own a Tesla. It’s a bit of a surprise, considering the push for tourism. Many local apartment complexes aren’t EV-ready, and workplace charging is non-existent. I know, the struggle is real, especially if you drive a lot like I do. If I were a normal person who only drove an average of 60 miles a week, I would only need to use my Level 1 charger overnight once a week. What if I lived in an apartment, and was unable to run a charging cord out my window? I would have to find time to go to one of the dealerships for a few hours every week or rely on the Level 3 charging station at the Bellmead Walmart.
You can’t go very far. Well… you’re right. I can’t go very far – I have a small battery and a lead foot. Technology has improved significantly in the past three years and the range of the newer models is at least triple what I’m capable of. The range is largely a guess by the computer and will increase or decrease depending on how fast you’re going, how heavy your foot is, and how many hills you’re climbing. In a way, it encourages safe driving habits. Hard acceleration, high speeds, and sudden braking significantly decrease your range. Gentle acceleration and slow deceleration uses less energy and provides more regenerative power back to the battery.
Your car is powered by coal. No. Well, maybe a little. I know that Oncor uses fossil fuels to power the distribution stations. I know that renewable sources and non-renewable sources travel through the same power lines. I know that even though I’ve chosen a “clean” provider, it still gets “dirty” on the way to my house. I also know there’s a lot more renewable energy on the grid than there used to be, and the trend will continue as consumers continue to increase their demand for cleaner energy.
Dealerships don’t stock them. Yeah, and they are very rarely advertised. I’ve talked to several salesmen at some of the local dealerships. Some of them swear they don’t sell, others admit they can’t keep them in stock. On a recent visit to a non-Nissan dealership, I told the salesman I wanted to trade one of my older gasoline cars for an electric car. He said, “You don’t want an electric car.” He couldn’t change my mind, and he wouldn’t change his. He talked his way out of the sale. Jeez. No wonder those internet sites are becoming more popular.
They’re too expensive. Nope. The newer models are becoming more competitively priced, and when you factor in the federal tax credit still available for some manufacturers, they’re cheaper. There’s also a good used market right now, with gently driven 2 or 3 year-old cars at very reasonable prices. Don’t just look at the price tag, take the time to do the math and calculate the actual cost of ownership. New EVs are eligible for the tax credit but used EVs are not. New EVs are also eligible for a $2,500 rebate through the TCEQ Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Incentive program. (There are a limited number of rebates that will be awarded first-come, first serve.) You’re not buying gasoline anymore. No oil change is required at 3,000 miles. No tune-ups, no engine air filter, no belts, tensioners, idler pulleys. Your electric bill will go up a few dollars, some owners see an increase of as much as $35 in their monthly bill. I was spending an average of $80 a month on gasoline, now I spend less than $20 a month for charging and still drive the same number of miles.
EVs will kill the automotive industry. No. I’m sure 100 years ago when people were still driving horse-drawn buggies, a similar argument was made by carriage makers. The carriage makers that evolved with the advancing technology stayed in business while those that resisted went bankrupt.
I don’t like the new body styles. I prefer the classics. I agree. Conversions are very sexy. It’s not as cheap as buying a new Tesla, but it can be done. Companies such as EV West, Electrified Garage, and Moment Motors are just a couple of experts in the field. Check out Youtube for videos of ICE to EV conversions.
Teresa Porter is a lifelong gearhead with a go-fast fetish. She is the President of the newly-formed Heart of Texas Electric Auto Association. Membership is open to all EV enthusiasts and advocates (not just owners). Email [email protected] or follow Twitter @hot_eaa or join our Facebook group for updates and information.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Andie Chilson
The inaugural Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival took place from Feb. 6-8. The festival provided a forum for artists and directors who work at the intersection of faith, family and contemporary filmmaking. The mission statement of the festival, “dedicated to empowering the creative spirit, serving with heart and celebrating all” shone through in the winning films at the festival.
The festival showcased films rooted in family and faith while also giving a voice to a breadth of ideas and diversity of backgrounds. Among the winning films were Bending in the Wind (Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film (USA)), Nasser Goes to Space (Grand Jury Prize For Best Short Film (International)) and Be the Light (Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature Film (USA/International)). The festival screened over 60 films at 11 different locations at Baylor University, local churches and the Waco Hippodrome Theatre.
The Grand Jury Prize for Best Student Film went to student-director Nicole Thompson for her film Blackbird.
“Blackbird is really important to me because it honors my grandmother,” Thompson said. “I wanted to make a film that showcases the everyday people … that also have a dream,” Thompson continued.
Filmmakers like Thompson were drawn to the festival for its unique emphasis on faith and family values. These values were reflected in the “Soul Sessions” that followed the screenings. The “Soul Sessions” gave audience members a chance to discuss the themes of faith and spirituality in the films. Topics discussed during these sessions included overcoming fear and doubt and the concept of eternal love.
Dr. Tyrha Lindsey-Warren, the festival’s founder, said she was elated by the response from the filmmakers as well as Waco locals. (Side note: Act Locally Waco will be interviewing Dr. Lindsey-Warren on the Act Locally Waco podcast about the festival and her work in Waco – stay tuned!)
The festival also honored its “Champion Award” recipients. The Champion Award recognizes artists and organizations who exemplify innovative, against-the-grain thinking in the film, television, performing arts and entertainment industries. Recipients of the Champion Award included President of TFNB Bank, David Littlewood, celebrity chef and best-selling author, Gina Neely, film producer, radio host, author and model, Sam Sorbo and her husband, actor and director, Kevin Sorbo,
The second annual Waco Family & Faith International Film Festival will take place on Feb. 4-6, 2021. For more information, visit https://www.wacofamilyandfaithfilmfestival.com/. See you there!
Andie Chilson is a senior at Baylor University studying journalism and creative writing. She is originally from Houston, but Waco has quickly come to feel like a second home to her. Andie enjoys writing and digital content creation as a way to express her creativity and help people spread their message. In her free time, you can find her reading anything by Brené Brown, doing yoga or exploring downtown Waco. Andie is so excited to be working as part of the Act Locally Waco team this semester!
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
Press release – McLennan Community College is proud to host best-selling author Stephen Harrigan for a wideranging conversation about the vast history of Texas.
Harrigan, the author of ten books of both fiction and nonfiction, will sign copies of his latest book, “Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas,” which will be available for purchase.
He will also answer audience questions after a public conversation event with Dr. Richard Driver, an associate professor of history of MCC.
The free event is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 at the Conference Center at MCC. It is hosted by the McLennan Honors College, a program for MCC students taking specialized course work, exposing themselves to new educational opportunities, and participating in individual mentoring. Students in the program must apply and undergo an interview process for acceptance.
MCC President Dr. Johnette McKown and Honors College Advisor Dr. John Spano will welcome guests and introduce the speaker. Free coffee and water will be available.
“Big Wonderful Thing” has brought rave reviews for Harrigan. In a review for The Wall Street Journal, Willard Spiegelman noted that the book is “brimming with sass, intelligence, trenchant analysis, literary acumen and juicy details. . . It is popular history at its best.” And Michael Schaub, in his review for NPR, wrote that “It’s hard to think of another writer with as much Lone Star credibility as Stephen Harrigan. . . Harrigan, essentially, is to Texas literature what Willie Nelson is to Texas music.”
He is a longtime writer for Texas Monthly, and his articles and essays have appeared in a wide range of other publications as well, including The Atlantic, Outside, The New York Times Book Review, The Wall Street Journal, Conde Nast Traveler, Audubon, Travel Holiday, Life, American History, National Geographic and Slate. He was a finalist for the 2015 National Magazine Awards for his commentary on film and television for Texas Monthly. “Off Course”, a piece for Texas Monthly about a trek Harrigan made to the mountain summit where his father died in a plane crash before he was born, won the Edwin “Bud” Shrake Award from the Texas Institute of Letters in 2016 for best work of journalism.
Harrigan is also the author of “The Eye of the Mammoth,” a book of essays which includes an examination of mammoth remains in Waco.
Among the many movies Harrigan has written for television are HBO’s award-winning “The Last of His Tribe,” starring Jon Voight and Graham Greene, and “King of Texas,” a western retelling of Shakespeare’s King Lear for TNT, which starred Patrick Stewart, Marcia Gay Harden, and Roy Scheider. His most recent television production was “The Colt,” an adaptation of a short story by the Nobel-prize winning author Mikhail Sholokhov, which aired on The Hallmark Channel.
Event Details
What: Best-selling author Stephen Harrigan at McLennan Community College When: Thursday, March 26 at 7 p.m. Where: Conference Center at MCC. Inside the Community Services Center on campus, at 4601 N. 19th St. Waco, TX 76708
Tickets: Free tickets are available at: www.mcchonors.eventbrite.com. Tickets, which may be printed or downloaded on the Eventbrite app, must be presented at the door. Those without tickets will be admitted 5-10 minutes before the event starts.
Parking: Free parking is within walking distance of the event. Lots N, Q, P, and S are closest. Check out a campus map here.
This event is a gun-free zone, and MCC is a smoke-free, tobacco-free, and vape-free campus.
Media Contact: Lisa Elliott, Director of Marketing and Communications. 254-299-8640 [email protected]
Press release – Prosper Waco is pleased to announce the hiring of Emily Hunt-Hinojosa as director of research and community impact. In this position, Hunt-Hinojosa will develop and expand a framework for assessing progress toward community goals and will benchmark progress in the Prosper Waco focus areas of education, health and financial security. Her duties will also include linking theory to practice across the community helping to create an overall culture of continuous quality improvement around the larger vision of flourishing that Prosper Waco seeks to promote.
“The story of Waco is increasingly complex. On one hand, there are so many wonderful things happening throughout our city. Strong institutions, increasing diversity, economic growth, development, and collective efforts to do good work are all indicators of progress and prospering,” said Hunt-Hinojosa. “However, too many community members continue to experience insurmountable obstacles to enjoying many of the good things Waco has to offer. I am thrilled to join the Prosper Waco team and look forward to telling Greater Waco’s story in a way that is honest about current social realities and hopeful about our progress toward being a community where all members can thrive.”
Hunt-Hinojosa was most recently employed as a research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture where she pursued academic research regarding the cultural conflicts arising from different perspectives on the purpose of civic education. During her Ph.D. program, she served as a research analyst at Baylor University’s Center for Community Research and Development. In this role, Hunt-Hinojosa conducted a variety of qualitative and quantitative research projects for Waco organizations helping institutions across McLennan County use data to do good better. Prior to graduate studies at Baylor, Hunt-Hinojosa directed a service learning program at Creighton University where she connected college student volunteers with non-profits around the metro Omaha region. Hunt-Hinojosa’s sociological perspective and her previous experience related to assessment and evaluation make her uniquely qualified for her new role at Prosper Waco.
Hunt-Hinojosa has a Ph.D. in sociology from Baylor University specializing in community analytics. She earned a M.A. in sociology from Baylor University and a M.A. in higher education and student development from Taylor University. She also has a bachelor’s degree in social studies education from Taylor University.
“A vital precursor to collective impact is collective understanding,” Hunt-Hinojosa explained. “As a sociologist, I see much of my new role as using data to highlight the pathways and connections between problems and solutions that are not always obvious. Beyond reporting numbers and statistics, I am excited to collaborate with Waco’s leaders to discern our context, celebrate our assets, and imagine our possibilities.”
Prosper Waco is a collective impact initiative focused on addressing issues facing the Greater Waco community in the areas of education, health and financial security. As a facilitator and convener, Prosper Waco encourages collaboration amongst existing nonprofits, city and county governments, business, foundations and churches to build on and increase the effectiveness of current efforts and develop new strategies to bring about measurable and sustainable positive change within the focus areas for the members of our community. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Press Release – One in three teens in the U.S. will experience physical, sexual or emotional abuse by someone they are in a relationship with before they become adults. 1 February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and Family Abuse Center has joined The National Domestic Violence Hotline and its project for young people, loveisrespect, to end teen dating abuse.
The theme for this year’s campaign is “#1Thing.” Pronounced “one thing” or “hashtag one thing,” the campaign challenges everyone to learn one thing about dating violence and share it with a friend. Sharing one thing sparks a series of conversations that foster awareness and bring us closer to the end of teen dating violence.
Here’s #1Thing to think about, “In a single year, nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner.” 2
For ideas on how you can join the movement, visit loveisrespect.org/teendvmonth. There, downloadable action guides are available that contain educational material, social media resources and practical ideas for ways you can prevent teen dating abuse.
For more information about teen dating violence or inquiries for presentations and community education on teen dating violence, please email [email protected]. Visit loveisrespect.org for more information about Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
Loveisrespect is a project of The Hotline. Its purpose is to engage, educate and empower young people to prevent and end abusive relationships. The organization provides information and support to concerned friends and family members, teachers, counselors, service providers and members of law enforcement. Free and confidential phone, live chat and texting services are available around the clock by visiting the chat at loveisrespect.org, texting “loveis” to 22522* or calling 866-331-9474.
It is the mission of Family Abuse Center to eliminate domestic violence in Central Texas by sheltering victims of domestic violence and by preventing abuse from occurring through intervention and education. If you or someone you know is at risk, please call our 24-hour hotline at 800-283-8401.
Notes:
1 Vagi, K.J., Olsen, E.O.M., Basile, K.C., & Vivolo-Kantor, A.M. (2015). Teen dating violence (physical and sexual) among US high school students: findings from the 2013 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. JAMA Pediatrics, 169 (5), 474-482.
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Physical Dating Violence Among High School Students—United States, 2003,” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, May 19, 2006, Vol. 55, No. 19.
By Anna Dunbar
Hey, Wacoans! The Waco City Council has approved some changes to the city’s solid waste ordinance, effective March 1, 2020. These changes were made in order to reduce residential curbside clutter throughout the city without increasing collection fees. Here is a summary of what the ordinance says:
- Each household is allowed twice a Month Residential Curbside Brush Pickup (4’X4’X4’ pile) with NO increase in cost.
- Up to two Green Cart Collections twice a month during “green weeks”
- Curbside Brush cannot be larger than 3” in diameter
- Brush to be placed on resident’s property not in street or on top of water meter
- Only brush (No other trash) on piles awaiting transport to landfill
- Limit of 20 paper bags (not plastic) with yard waste permitted
- Brush larger than 4X4X4 must be taken to the landfill by resident or a commercial hauler (a list of haulers is available on our website)
- Four free trips to the landfill and four free trips to the Citizen Collection Station each year with proof of residency
- No limits on trips to Citizen Convenience Center with household recyclables only.
- Additional Curbside collection during Council District Cleanup Days
- Following major storm damaged the Mayor can designate additional brush collection plans for specific areas and a specific time.
In the future, more information will be available to Waco residents on waco-texas.com as well as social media. Information will also be found in the water bill, the city’s newsletter, and the local news media. Please call (254) 299-2612 if you have additional questions. Thank you for keeping Waco clean and green!
Anna Dunbar is the Solid Waste Administrator for the City of Waco Solid Waste Services. She is responsible for informing Waco residents and businesses about recycling and waste reduction opportunities as well as solid waste services in Waco. Her husband is a Baylor professor and her daughter is a Baylor University alum who works at Horizon Environmental Services, Inc. Anna is an active member of Keep Waco Beautiful and The Central Texas Audubon Society.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Phillip Ericksen
The program is committed to the idea that a community benefits from learning experiences. Its mission, posted on its website, puts it best:
“It is our mission to provide educational opportunities and lifelong learning experiences to enhance, promote, and develop a higher quality of life for our community. Continuing Education boasts an impressive group of instructors, who are professionals in their fields, and a wide array of course offerings that include community programs, corporate training, and health and human services.”
The slate of courses offered to the public this spring includes some classic offerings alongside a few exciting, new classes.
Have you ever wanted to bake bread, or upgrade your homemade pizza night? Or how about learn yoga workouts, or improve your short game on the golf course? Now is the time to do so.
If you’re looking to work your way up in the business world, courses in human resource management or essential programs like Microsoft Office and the Adobe Creative Cloud can boost your skillset and make your resume stand out.
The Continuing Education staff has also highlighted a few new courses this spring.
- The Truth About Race: This course, in partnership with the Community Race Relations Coalition, will explore the origins of racism and prejudice, how people learn racism, and how to effect change.
- Networking for Professionals: This course on networking etiquette for professionals and business owners will teach you how to make the most of any networking event.
- A Taste of West Africa: This new culinary course will introduce food enthusiasts to West African traditions and techniques that influence Southern recipes through spice blending and sauce making.
Another exciting offering within Continuing Education is MCC Kids College, which offers camps this summer, June through August. Camps fall under the categories of Music & Dance, Sports, Lifelong Learning, and more.
For example, new STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) courses for kids will be offered through a partnership with Maker’s Edge Makerspace, a community workshop and studio on Austin Avenue. These courses will give students hands-on experience with building new things and learning in the process.
And at the end of February, Continuing Education is partnering with an organization called Making Awesome Things Happen for an entrepreneurship course aimed for middle school students. The Saturday course will teach financial literacy and the processes of starting a business, from creating a budget to selling a product.
The course concludes with a mini-business plan and a “Shark Tank”-style pitch.
The Continuing Education program tends to mainly attract retired people with a little extra time on their hands, but instructors still see different ages across the board. All are encouraged to visit www.mccandyou.com to find the right courses based on their interests and schedules. Those interested can also call the office at 254-299-8888 or email [email protected].
Phillip Ericksen is the marketing and communications specialist at McLennan Community College. For about four years, he was a journalist at the Waco Tribune-Herald covering higher education and local government. He enjoys following the news, reading books and drinking coffee. As a San Antonio native, he is an avid fan of Mexican food and the Spurs basketball team. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University. He can be reached at [email protected].
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
Press Release – No Limitations, a local organization that provides athletic and social opportunities for the special needs community in Central Texas, and D1 Waco, the home of athletic based training for adults and scholastics located in Waco’s elite state of the art training facility, team up for the 4th time to host the 2020 No Limitations Super Bowl IV. The No Limitations flag football and cheer league opens up volunteer opportunities to the community, local high schools, Baylor University, and other various organizations. The entire community is invited to attend the event. The season kicked off in early January with a Meet the Stars event, “Where athletes with special needs are seated at the table and the community comes out to get their autographs,” said Kevin Engelbrecht, GM of D1 Waco. “We treat them like the stars they really are.”
To wrap up a successful season, No Limitations will have their very own 2020 Super Bowl IV, hosted by D1 Waco. No Limitations was founded in 2014 and hosted its first Super Bowl in 2016. In 2017, a perfect partnership was formed with D1 Training – Waco.
On Saturday, February 15, four games will be played on the facility’s artificial turf featuring over 100 football players, cheerleaders, and celebrity quarterbacks from the community. The event will begin with a pre-game at 12pm and will offer food, fun, and games for the entire family. Kick-off for the first game will be at 12:30pm.
Special Guests include:
- Title Sponsor: Red River Athletic Conference, Commissioner Tony Stigliano
- Leon ISD State Championship Cheer Squad
- Baylor University Spirit Squad & Mascots
- Austin Underwood of Austin’s Underdawgs
- Joy Pruitt with Waco Rocks
- Baylor Helping Hands
- Baylor Delta Phi
- Challenger League Baseball
- Troop No Limitations
- Elite Therapy Center
…and more to be announced in coming days!
What: 2020 No Limitations SuperBowl IV
When: Saturday, February 15, 2020
Where: D1 Training – Waco (5100 Franklin Ave Suite B, Waco, TX 76710)
Time: Pregame 12pm, Kick-off 12:30
Cost: Free
For more information contact Coleen Heaton, Executive Director, No Limitations, Inc., 254.723.3828 , [email protected]