As the North Houston Frontiers Club prepares to host its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Breakfast, the organization is mindful of its past accomplishments while anticipating the future.
The NHFC breakfast will be held Monday, Jan. 16, at 8 a.m. at the George R. Brown Convention Center, and highlights include the awarding of scholarships to students graduating from high school.
Founded in 1986, NHFC is a non-profit service organization dedicated to providing educational and charitable assistance to minority students in the greater Houston area. The organization is comprised of all volunteers with no paid staff.
“Our major accomplishment has been the dollar amount of scholarships awarded,” said Donnell Cooper, who has served as NHFC president for five years. “Since our inception, we have given more than one million dollars in scholarships.”
There will also be a major announcement impacting the future of the organization.
“This past September the board voted to change the name from North Houston Frontiers to Greater Houston Frontiers,” Cooper said. “We will unveil the new name at the breakfast. We hope it will be a more inclusive and embracing concept so we’re very excited about it.”
Guest speaker at the breakfast will be Mayor Sylvester Turner. Honorary co-chairs are business leader Jodie Jiles and Defender CEO Sonny Messiah Jiles. The MLK Drum Major Award will be presented to attorney Ricky Anderson.
“Ricky Anderson is a native Houstonian and one of most successful African-American entertainment lawyers in the country,” Cooper said. “We are honored to recognize him.”
Anderson is managing partner of Anderson & Smith law firm and a television and film producer. He represents such stars as Steve Harvey, Yolanda Adams, Mo’Nique, Mary Mary and Isaiah Washington.
Cooper said NHFC is proud to recognize scholarship recipients as well. Scholarships of $1,000 or $500 are awarded to students who will be enrolled as freshmen at an accredited four-year institution or two-year community or technical institution. In 2016, 26 students received scholarships.
Cooper added that by empowering young people and promoting diversity, NHFC is helping to keep Dr. King’s legacy alive.
Visit www.nhfrontiers.com for more information.