MIDLAND, Texas — The Midland Children's Rehabilitation Center (MCRC) got a makeover and so much more on Friday.
The Young Women's Leadership Academy (YWLA) Students in Philanthropy (SIP) team participated in the Dallas Cowboys Community Captain competition. The Community Captain Initiative is a partnership between Chevron, the Abell-Hanger Foundation (AHF) and the Dallas Cowboys.
YWLA chose MCRC as their philanthropist project and renovate their equestrian facilities.
"Our motivations throughout this project was the kids of MCRC," said Community Co-Captain and YWLA Junior Marina Garcia. "Robert Dolan and Emma have been our motivation throughout this whole project and really just knowing that this is gonna help them and so many other kids, it's been the motivation of all."
Marina Garcia and Grace Muscroft were chosen by their peers to lead the YWLA SIP team.
Last fall their team entered a contest with Chevron and the Dallas Cowboys.
"The YWLA girls brought to us and said, 'Hey, we're going to do a service project,'" said MCRC Executive Director Kristal Kidd. "Is there anything that MCRC could use that needs 50 people? And we were like, yes, we need our barn fence painted. That would be fantastic."
The young ladies and volunteers spent the entire day giving the barn a chocolate brown makeover for an organization that was near and dear to their hearts.
"YWLA I think chose us and luckily they really connected with our mission and we're able to come out to the barn, see the area, see the horses," Kidd said. "I believe that some of them have had some friends, siblings who have been part of some of our programs. And so our mission just really resonated with them."
That passion traveled all the way from the Tall City to the infamous home of the Cowboys.
"I love being out here in Midland and the Cowboys, you know, have always been engaged with the community here in Midland and the Odessa community as well," said Former Dallas Cowboys Safety Darren Woodson. "But it's always been special to come back here and spend time."
Woodson talked about how special the YWLA team is and how they have "that spirit of wanting to get back".
Woodson added that if we could give young adults the resources and start them early on a path of philanthropy, hopefully they will continue to spread the knowledge and motivate those who come after them.
All the organizations involved were on board to give back to a facility that gives so much to its people.
"This place is so important to a lot of different people in the community and just outside of the community," said Community Captain and YWLA Junior Grace Muscroft. "It's one of the best places to get therapy at a very low or no cost at all. And it's just really important that this place gets a lot of love."
Everyone in attendance at the event realized how a shared vision can have the greatest impact.
"The whole reason that we exist is because of community support, and now we have a collaboration of all of all of those different groups, and that the high school kids are getting to be part of the process and hopefully carry this experience into their future and their communities and continue to give back is really special," Kidd said.