HOUSTON- Just a short few weeks after the month dedicated to riveting achievements in the Black community, the YMCA of Greater Houston extends the celebration with its annual Minority Achievers Gala, now in its 41st year.  Attendees will dine at the Houston Marriott Westchase, 2900 Briarpark Dr. on March 27, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. while enjoying an array of talent and recognizing a host of outstanding individuals.  The evening’s theme honoring the timeless visionary and program Founder, Mr. Quentin R. Mease, is “The Legacy Continues… .” Mease passed away last month at the age of 100.
This year’s motive is fueled by stellar leaders from a wide variety of business and industry, who exude the ideals of outstanding achievement. Past galas honored change makers like the late Judge Carl Walker Jr., former Mayor Lee P. Brown, Congresswoman Shelia Jackson-Lee, businessman Kase Lawal, retired Urban League President Sylvia Brooks, and Pastor Terrance H. Johnson.  Raising the bar for youth this year as Super Achievers are Dr. John M. Rudley, the 11th President of Texas Southern University and Marcus Davis President and CEO of TBK Holdings, Inc., the mother company for the Breakfast Klub and Reggie Hutt restaurants.
Along with Super Achievers’ Dr. John Rudley and Marcus Davis, 21 other accomplished Houstonians will also be honored. They are: Delilah Alexander, Gert Frank, Sandi Newkirk, Kimberly Barrett, Priscilla Graham, Johnny O’Connor, Joyce Bethany, Viola Hebert, ReShonda Tate-Billingsley, LaVerne Byrd, Marian Jackson, Ramsi Taylor,  Dr. Camille Cash, Glenda Jones, KaRon Wade, Alice Chen, Daphine Lambert, Amy Woodard-Davis, Linda Etuk, Kim McLeod, and Reginald Yancy. Eleven high school students from the Youth Achievers program will also receive scholarships. They are: Osita Anusi, Niko Nkululeko, Kanani Tolla, Tien Hoang, Ariel Reyes, Sparkle Williams, Chloe Johnson, Aimable Rukundo, Amanuel Zeru, Anh Nguyen, and Mattricia Titus.
Rich with history, the program’s earliest roots trace back to Houston, Texas in 1968 when one of Houston’s most accomplished community activists and forward-thinking leaders, (Mease) created the program at the South Central YMCA.  With continued development and monumental advancement, the program now changes the lives of youth throughout the Houston area and in over 250 cities across the country.
Gaining heartfelt acclaim from both corporate and social organizations, the Minority Achiever Program provides youth with access and exposure to business clusters, entrepreneurial activities, college readiness, SAT/ACT preparation as well as scholarships.  Proceeds from ticket sales for the gala will fund the Achievers program for youth and provide those youth eligible with college scholarship dollars.
First organized in 1886, the YMCA of Greater Houston’s mission is to put Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body.  The YMCA seeks to serve those of all faiths, or none.
Locally, the YMCA utilizes the skills of nearly 6,000 staff members and 15,000 volunteers.  We strive to turn no one away due to inability to pay. 
The YMCA of Greater Houston is a non-profit organization funded by the United Way. To learn more, call (713) 659-5566 or visit their Web site at www.ymcahouston.org.