HOUSTON - Feb. 1, 2005 marks one-year since Houston hosted Super Bowl XXXVIII. Most of those involved with the Super Bowl packed up and moved on months ago; however, there is one small group that has been working non-stop this past year to make this a very special day.
Chuck Watson, Chairman of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee and YET Center, will announce the official groundbreaking of the two YET (Youth Education Town) Centers on Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 3 p.m. at James Driver Park.
The Youth Education Towns are educational and recreational facilities for at-risk children that have been established in every Super Bowl Host city since 1992. The NFL historically donates $1 million toward the YET Center. However, due to the vast success of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee the NFL, for the first time ever, donated $2 million to the cause. The Houston Super Bowl Host Committee added another $2 million donation that gave Houston the opportunity to build two YET Centers.
"If it wasn't for sponsors like BMC Software, ConocoPhillips, Waste Management, Randalls and the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau (GHCVB) the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee would have never been able to contribute this amount of money to the YET Centers," Watson said.
"The NFL is extremely proud of Houston and excited about the impact two YET Centers will have on this community," said Bob McNair, Chairman and CEO of the Houston Texans.
The Houston YET center in Precinct 1 will be located at Finnigan Park (4900 Providence) and the center in Precinct 2 will be located at James Driver Park (10918 1/2 Bentley). Both Commissioner El Franco Lee (Precinct 1) and Commissioner Sylvia Garcia (Precinct 2) have agreed to give park space and accept the YET Center buildings as county buildings and have committed precinct funds for the next decade in order to maintain the building and pay for the management by the Boys & Girls Club.
"We are excited about this new addition in Finnegan Park," said Lee. "We are thankful for the NFL and Super Bowl Host Committee's contributions and look forward to working with the Boys and Girls Club to make this a very successful program."
"The word is out and the kids and parents are thrilled about the new YET Center," said Commissioner Sylvia Garcia. "We chose a site that was most in need and I know it's going to make a positive influence in these kids lives."
The primary mission of the YET Centers is to positively enhance educational opportunities for at-risk children.
