The mission of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso is to improve the lives of people in our State and our community by focusing on the unique health care needs of socially and culturally diverse regional populations through excellence in integrated education, research, and patient care.
Texas Tech Foundation advocates for successful performance by positioning the Texas Tech University System as an institution of distinction; raising and stewarding funds, caring for donors and reporting on gifts and endowments; partnering with the Board of Regents; and supporting and promoting all campuses of the TTU System.
Lighting Campus for Hope is an annual appeal that raises funds for cancer screenings for those in our community who cannot afford them. The appeal culminates each year in a spectacular holiday event on our campus, with fireworks, music, a chance for families to meet and take pictures with Santa, and other attractions to celebrate the holiday season and remind patients that hope begins right here in El Paso. Most importantly, Lighting Campus for Hope honors the strength of cancer warriors and reinforces our shared commitment to early detection and prevention.
This year’s Lighting Campus for Hope will be held on Friday, December 5, 2025. We anticipate a minimum of 1,000 participants. Our goal is to raise $200,000 from sponsorships for the event.
All funds raised for Lighting Campus for Hope 2025 will go toward our cancer prevention programs that provide no-cost lifesaving screening and diagnostic services to community members without the financial resources needed to access care. Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the U.S., and although survival rates have improved, the best hope for long-term positive prognoses continues to be early diagnosis. El Paso suffers from a disproportionately high burden of some cancers and has lower rates of screening than other populations. Data for El Paso shows the incidence of cancer and cancer-related deaths to be some of the worst in the nation, indicating the need for greater access to preventive measures like screenings.
Some of our most impactful cancer prevention programs include those focused on breast, colon, and cervical cancer. Since 2011, the Southwest Coalition for Colorectal Cancer Screening (SuCCCeS) program has enrolled 38,000 individuals and provided over 1,700 colonoscopies while helping 31 people diagnosed with colorectal cancers navigate their treatment.
The Breast Cancer Screening (BEST) program offers education, no-cost screening, and diagnostic testing. It has provided more than 5,000 mammograms and over 2,000 diagnostic tests such as ultrasounds and biopsies. With its help, 55 women have navigated treatment after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Our Medical Student Run Clinic also provides no-cost breast cancer screenings at various events throughout the year.
The De Casa En Casa program helps shoulder the burden of cervical cancer in our region. The program has enrolled more than 9,000 women, providing Pap smear testing to almost 6,500 and colonoscopies to nearly 500. It has navigated 12 women to treatment services.
The Texas Tech Dental Oral Health Clinic opened in 2021. Dental students under faculty supervision screen all dental patients for oral cancer and provides biopsies as needed. Several other departments, including internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology provide cancer screening and diagnostic testing and frequently have patients without the financial means to pay for services.
The GECU Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) public charity established to maximize philanthropic efforts to benefit education, community programs and charitable giving. If you itemize deductions on your federal tax return, you may be entitled to claim your donation as a charitable deduction. Please consult your tax adviser.