Texans Can Academies is excited to announce that they are one of three finalists in the running to receive a $100,000 donation from “Reliant Gives Vote!”, a charitable-giving program from Reliant. The public can vote at reliant.com/vote. Voting begins October 7 at noon and ends October 13 at 11:59 p.m. (CST). 

The Reliant Gives mission is to support causes that are important to their employees and customers across Texas through charitable donations. The three nonprofit finalists are nominated and chosen by Reliant employees. It is then up to the public who wins the largest donation through voting online for one of the three nominated nonprofits. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, October 16. The nonprofit with the most votes receives $100,000; second place wins $20,000; and third place receives $10,000. The Reliant Gives Vote program was established in 2016 and has donated $1 million to 24 nonprofits to date. 

Texans Can Academies is a unique network of 14 dropout recovery schools located in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Houston and San Antonio. The schools are tuition-free, open enrollment, public high schools of choice serving students who have struggled in a traditional high school setting. For more information, please visit www.texanscan.org. 

Texans Can Academies will host the 2019 Dallas Cares for Kids Golf Classic at Gleneagles Country Club on October 28, 2019. The annual golf classic serves as one of the premier golf tournaments in the Dallas community. This year’s tournament will boast Celebrity Host and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tim Brown and a live broadcast will be provided by ESPN Dallas (103.3 FM).

Sponsorships will support the empowerment of over 2,500 students continuing to fight through adversities and gain an education in Dallas. There are a variety of sponsorships available ranging from $1,000 to $25,000: Hole Sponsor for $1,000; Beverage Sponsor for $2,000; Premium Hole Sponsor for $3,000; Cart Sponsor for $4,000; Bronze Sponsor for $5,000; Silver Sponsor for $7,500; Gold Sponsor for $10,000; Platinum Sponsor for $15,000; and Presenting Sponsor for $25,000.

Presenting Sponsors will get their company name or logo above the tournament title on all press releases, signage and other printed materials, a full page advertisement in the tournament program as well as on-course advertising opportunities, multiple social media features and prominent placement on TexansCan.org, eight player entries in the tournament, and two VIP tables reserved at the awards reception, among other great perks.

In addition to sponsorships, teams and individual players may reserve their tickets to play in the tournament. Tickets are $300 per individual player and $1,000 per four-person team. All proceeds are dedicated to providing every student the opportunity to pursue their dreams while removing barriers that keep them from attaining their education.

Every impact provides solutions for the 83% of Texans Can Academies students who live below the poverty line. Some of the resources that sponsorships and tickets help provide: school uniforms for students who cannot afford them, eye exams and glasses for students so they can focus better in classes, dental services to low-income students, basic needs for students like food and clothing, 24/7 counseling and mental health services. Sponsorships also support college-, military-, and career-readiness programs, offering students a safe passage from graduation to their futures.

Texans Can Academies, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has six Dallas-area high school campuses that welcome all students ages 14-21. Texans Can Academies schools work with disadvantaged and at-risk youth statewide who have struggled in a traditional high school setting and would not otherwise have the chance at a diploma. The organization believes providing the highest quality education for all students is necessary to ensure their economic independence. To date, more than 151,800 students have changed their lives and the lives of their families through Texans Can Academies.

What:   2019 Texans Can Academies - Dallas Cares for Kids Golf Classic

When:  Monday, October 28, 2019

     Registration at 11:00 a.m.

     Shotgun Start at 12:30 p.m.

Where: Gleneagles Country Club

     5401 West Park Blvd.

     Plano, TX 75093

Cost:    Sponsorships and tickets are available

     Individual tickets cost $300; Four-person teams cost $1,000

     Sponsorships begin at $1,000 

Tickets and sponsorships may be reserved by contacting Felicia Gummi, Dallas Development Director, at 2144-882-7949 or fgummi@texanscan.org. For more information about the 2019 Dallas Cares for Kids Golf Classic, please visit www.TexansCan.org/Event/2019DallasGolf.

Texans Can Academies will honor longtime philanthropist Maurine Dickey at the annual Texans Can Academies - Dallas Cares for Kids Luncheon on Friday, September 20, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the Belo Mansion. The Cares for Kids luncheon is open to the public and annually recognizes individuals who exemplify family and community leadership while benefiting the students who attend the six Dallas-area campuses.

Maurine Dickey will be recognized for her generosity to Texans Can Academies and dedication to helping children overcome obstacles. For more than six years, she served as Chairman of the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, an agency that is devoted to the protection of children. In addition, she was chair of the Dallas County Child Welfare Board and served on the County Juvenile Board.

As a former Dallas County Commissioner, Maurine Dickey served two four-year terms from 2005 to 2013 with a focus on regional issues such as transportation and high speed rail. She was the only County Commissioner to have ever served on the Parkland Hospital Board of Managers. While a Commissioner, she chaired initiatives such as the County’s Clean Air Task Force and the non-profit Prostitute Diversion Initiative, and was Vice President of the Texas High Speed Rail Corporation.

Maurine Dickey and her husband, Roland Dickey, own Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, a franchised chain of 500 restaurants across the country. Dickey’s was originally established by Roland’s father in 1941, and the original store is on Knox Street and North Central Expressway in the Knox/Henderson district of North Dallas.

The Dickey family and its family of restaurants takes pride in serving those who serve local communities through its foundation, Barbecue, Boots & Badges. Through the national campaign led by Maurine Dickey, local support benefits law enforcement and firefighters who put their lives on the line every day by serving the public. Barbecue, Boots & Badges creates partnerships between local law enforcement and communities that are crucial in orchestrating crime reduction programs and initiatives. Additionally, the foundation provides educational programs to the public that will enhance safety, build career awareness, encourage volunteer opportunities and provide funds to enhance these services.

As this year’s Texans Can Academies - Dallas Cares for Kids Luncheon honoree, Maurine Dickey recently visited the Texans Can Academies - Dallas Oak Cliff campus to speak with the students about education and to provide them with helpful life lessons. She also treated a select group of students to lunch at the original Dickey’s Barbecue location.

Tickets and sponsorships for the 2019 Texans Can Academies - Dallas Cares for Kids Luncheon are now available. Individual tickets are $150 and a VIP table is $1,000. Sponsorship levels include: Valedictorian Sponsor - $25,000; Graduate Sponsor - $15,000; Senior Sponsor - $10,000; Junior Sponsor - $5,000; Sophomore Sponsor - $3,000; and Freshman Sponsor - $1,500.

Valedictorian Sponsors will receive three VIP tables for the luncheon, pre-event recognition in media materials and on social media, on-site recognition in the form of program, event signage and presentation advertising, and post-event recognition with a feature in the 2020 Sponsorship Kit, among other great perks.

Proceeds from the 2019 Texans Can Academies - Dallas Cares for Kids Luncheon will benefit the students of Dallas Can Academies who seek a second chance and renewed hope of brighter futures through a high school education. Texans Can Academies believes a high quality education for all students, especially those who have struggled in a non-traditional high school setting, is the key to ensuring economic independence and success.

The luncheon’s Honorary Chairs are Lucy Billingsley and Florence Shapiro. Co-Chairs include Milla Jones, Jim Pitts and Mabrie Jackson.

What: 2019 Texans Can Academies - Dallas Cares for Kids Luncheon

When: Friday, September 20, 2019

   11:00 a.m.

Where: The Belo Mansion

     2101 Ross Avenue

     Dallas, Texas 75201

Cost: Sponsorships and tickets are available

  Individual tickets cost $150; VIP tables cost $1,000

  Sponsorships begin at $1,500

Tickets and sponsorships are available by contacting Felicia Gummi, Dallas Development Director, at 2144-882-7949 or fgummi@texanscan.org. For more information about the 2019 Dallas Cares For Kids Luncheon, please visit www.TexansCan.org/Event/DallasLuncheon2019.

Every year Texans Can Academies strives to fulfill the needs of each one of our students. Since 95 percent of the student population is economically disadvantaged, most students cannot afford daily necessities. Texans Can Academies exists to remove those obstacles in students’ lives so they can focus more fully on their education in order to move onto brighter futures. 

Because of our supporters, we were able to help hundreds of students last year by providing glasses, immunizations, uniforms and more. As new students enroll, a variety of basic survival needs arise. 

Texans Can Academies provides students with a high quality education, access to resources, and the skills they need, so they can achieve their own economic independence through a pathway of success, which is all made possible from the help of our supporters. 

Texans Can Academies is committed to helping the whole student. We rely on our community here in North Texas to support the students at our eight campuses in Dallas and Fort Worth. Donations are used toward providing students with eyeglasses, clothes, vaccinations, food and access to dental and mental health resources along with whatever else our students might need to succeed. 

Texans Can Academies are a unique network of 14 dropout prevention and recovery schools located in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. The schools are tuition-free, open enrollment, public high schools of choice serving students who have struggled in a traditional high school setting.

For more information about Texans Can Academies, please visitwww.texanscan.org.

Texans Can Academy - Dallas North opened its doors this week to high school students in the Lake Highlands community of Dallas. Texans Can Academies’ newest dropout prevention and recovery school offers services and resources to at-risk students beyond the classroom.

Located near the intersection of Forest Lane and Skillman Street, the new campus is made up of three buildings and has the capacity to serve up to 350 total students. Building A, the largest of the three buildings, opened its doors to 205 eager students on its first day, offering 15 different classes dedicated to student success and graduating thinkers.

The school offers two half-day programs every weekday for their enrolled students. Students are able to attend school either four hours in the morning or in the afternoon to allow them time to work if needed. In addition, classroom sizes are kept small to help students receive the undivided attention they need, with a student-to-teacher ratio average of 17:1.

Texans Can Academy - Dallas North will provide opportunities like dual credit courses for students that want to continue with college. The school plans to focus on helping interested students achieve Microsoft Certifications and offer other resources that will help them in their future careers. Additional services provided include 24/7 counseling, Care Vans that provide immunizations and flu shots, complimentary eye exams and eyeglasses, college and career resources and transportation.

Located at 9704 Skillman Street in Dallas, Texans Can Academy - Dallas North is still enrolling students for the fall semester. Texans Can Academies serves students who have struggled in a traditional high school environment and offers students the chance to achieve a high school diploma instead of a GED.

For more information about Texans Can Academies, please visit www.texanscan.org.