PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 7, 2020) – The date was set. Torrance, California, was designated as the place, and Prairie View A&M University’s team was ready to compete in the 2020 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) National Championship Tournament. But, when it became clear that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was becoming a global pandemic, HCASC organizers determined that the health and welfare of the guests would force a cancellation.
PVAMU’s 2020 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge team from left to right: Thomas Gray III (sophomore architecture major), Caleb Fisher (junior business management major), Gerald May (junior English major), Joseph Dowell (assistant coach), Quymesheia Page (sophomore psychology major), Ronald Savage Jr. (team captain, senior communication major), Thomas (legendary coach).
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to compete this year,” said Herbert R. Thomas, a career advisor at PVAMU and coach of the university’s Honda Campus All-Star Challenge program. “However, Honda still wanted to partner with institutions to help those in our communities with food or medical support as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. President Simmons agreed to partner with Honda and use the funds to assist in food insecurity and health care support in the Greater Prairie View communities. Her decision made PVAMU the first institution to agree to the Honda (COVID-19 Support) Partnership.”
This week, the American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) made good on its promise to offer community assistance. PVAMU, along with the 47 other institutions that qualified to participate in the 2020 HCASC, received a $7,000 donation from the company.
The money PVAMU received from Honda will go to the Prairie View Volunteer Firefighters Association, Waller County EMS, Fort Bend Family Health Center, Inc. dba–AccessHealth (Prairie View WIC Clinic), Houston Food Bank, House of Help–Hempstead, Waller Assistance and Restoration Ministries, Inc., Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels, and HealthPoint-Hempstead.
“Many of these organizations rely on donated funds to support their missions. This will provide financial support for the purchase of needed personal protective gear, food, and health care products,” said Thomas.
Stephan Morikawa, vice president of Honda Corporate Relations and Social Responsibility, said in a statement, “at this time when families are so important, we would like to invite HCASC Teams to be part of Honda’s overall commitment to address [the] lack of food supply and medical care in our local communities” and “use the 2020 HCASC NCT (National Championship Tournament) competition grant funds to distribute among the agreeable Great 48 teams with the goal of identifying those non-profits in your community that are on the front line of keeping the community healthy during this crisis.”
“I believe this is a noble gesture considering the impact of COVID-19 on society as a whole. The university’s commitment to the cause places it among institutions that are engaged in the affairs of the local community,” said Thomas. “We are so grateful to American Honda for the partnership in addressing food insecurity and healthcare needs and allowing us to support organizations in our local community. I saw in a recent Honda COVID-19 commercial, ‘Because the way we’ll get through this, is by remembering to care for each other.’”
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