Newswise — EL PASO, Texas — Ten-year anniversaries call for special gifts.
In this case, Casa Ford is partnering up with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso to give a red 2021 F-150 truck to one lucky winner in celebration of the Hunt School of Nursing’s 10-year anniversary. The donated truck has an FX4 package and is valued at $55,075.
The Paso del Norte Community Foundation is selling the raffle tickets for a chance to win the truck: one ticket for $200, or three for $500. Only 600 tickets will be sold, and they can be purchased at https://pdnfoundation.org/events/red-raider-truck-raffle. All funds raised, which is expected to be at least $100,000, will go directly toward Hunt School of Nursing scholarships.
The first two individuals to buy tickets and support nursing students were TTUHSC El Paso President and Foster School of Medicine Dean Richard Lange, M.D., M.B.A., and Hunt School of Nursing Dean Stephanie Woods, Ph.D., R.N.
The raffle winner will be announced on May 6, 2022, during Cirque de Corázon, the school’s 10-year anniversary celebration and shared via Facebook Live on TTUHSC El Paso’s page.
“A Texas Tech-red F-150 pickup will make a perfect centerpiece for our event,” Dr. Woods said. “It’s beyond exciting to have this wonderful opportunity to raise funds for scholarships. Imagine it: You can be generous, help our students and then possibly drive away in a new truck. What could be better?”
Dr. Woods thanked the Casa Auto Group and the Lowenfield family for donating the vehicle, which is their latest contribution to the Hunt School of Nursing over the past few years. Casa Auto Group has also provided two free car leases to nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic and previously participated in a nursing scholarship gift-matching campaign with its employees.
“This is yet another generous display of their support for our community,” Dr. Woods said. “I’m so grateful that Casa and our business community understands the critical need to invest in our future nursing heroes.”
Casa Auto Group Owner and General Manager Ronnie Lowenfield said the Casa family of dealerships is always eager to partner with TTUHSC El Paso and the Hunt School of Nursing to benefit future health care professionals.
“Nurses have given their hearts to our community over the past couple of years, and now it’s our chance to give our hearts back to them,” said Lowenfield, who is also a member of the TTUHSC El Paso President’s Development Council. “We're honored to help Hunt School of Nursing students prepare for a lifelong career of service. We look forward to giving this beautiful F-150 truck to one lucky ticket holder. It’s a win-win for everyone involved, including our El Paso community, which will benefit from more nurses in our health care facilities where they are needed now more than ever.”
Thanks to community partnerships like the ones with the Paso del Norte Community Foundation and Casa Ford, TTUHSC El Paso can provide scholarships to Hunt School of Nursing students to ease their financial burden and allow them to focus on their studies. It’s important for our community to come together to address the critical nursing shortage intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and create opportunities for local students to pursue their dream in health care.
Before the establishment of the Hunt School of Nursing, El Paso County faced a 40% shortage of nurses compared to the national average. Since the school opened, the number of registered nurses in the county has increased by 45%. Students can earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree in just 16 months. The Hunt School of Nursing offers the only accelerated B.S.N. program in the region.
“We’re educating compassionate and competent new nurses who are well-prepared to serve in our local hospitals,” Dr. Woods said. “We’re putting new nurses into area hospitals two years sooner than most. This is a game changer for local hospitals, especially now.”
To date, the Hunt School of Nursing has graduated more than 1,000 students, with nearly 90% staying to practice in the region. The school has partnerships with every hospital in the El Paso community, which includes both clinical rotation opportunities and job placements post-graduation.
Casa Ford is the longest continually operating Ford dealership in El Paso. They are a member of Casa Auto Group, a family of dealerships that includes Casa Ford Lincoln, Casa Nissan, Casa Kia, Casa Buick GMC and La Casita Used Cars. They have been a trusted part of the El Paso community for over 50 years and are committed to redefining the car business by serving others, doing what is right, and valuing people. They are frequent supporters of local charitable organizations.
The Paso del Norte Community Foundation is a public charity established in 2013 to make a difference in the community through partnerships with individuals, corporations, foundations, and nonprofit organizations in the Paso del Norte region. For more information, visit their website at pdnfoundation.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Patrick Espinoza at 915-204-2370 or [email protected] Veronique Masterson at 915-433-7407 or [email protected]
####
RSS