“Ink It & Pink It”

Sundt Employee Giving Campaign Raises Over $26,000 for Life-Saving Breast Cancer Screenings

Gift is the largest contribution to Texas Tech Health El Paso’s 2024 Lighting Campus for Hope cancer-prevention campaign

Remaining true to their commitment to giving back to the community, the Sundt Foundation contributed more than $26,000 to Texas Tech Health El Paso’s seasonal campaign to raise money for breast cancer screenings. The Sundt Foundation led the way among donors to the campaign, which culminated with the second annual Lighting Campus for Hope winter celebration on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

Throughout October, Sundt employee-owners raised money for life-saving breast cancer screenings through their "Ink It & Pink It" campaign, which brought in more than $319,000 company-wide. 

As an employee-owned company, Sundt employee-owners contributed 50% of the $26,000 gift, with the other 50% matched by the Sundt Foundation.  Every dollar raised is donated to communities where they live and work. Their gift bolstered the $255,000 total amount raised for life-saving cancer screenings during the Lighting Campus for Hope campaign. The holiday event also raised money for colorectal and cervical cancer screenings.

El Paso’s Sundt leadership used their construction expertise to Build Hope hours before 1,000 Borderplex community members arrived on campus for the Lighting Campus for Hope event.

“This year was the 25th anniversary of our foundation and we wanted to do something a little special,” said Joseph Riccillo, vice-president and El Paso regional director at Sundt, and interim president for the Sundt Foundation. “We challenged ourselves to raise this money because we wanted to have a direct impact on our community by helping programs that provide service and care to those who need it the most. When we considered where we could touch the most lives and increase access for underserved women across our community, we knew Texas Tech Health El Paso would make every dollar count with life-saving screenings.”

Lighting Campus for Hope was a free, family-friendly celebration on the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus featuring festive holiday lights, live music, a fireworks extravaganza, photos with Santa and friends, a mascot dance-off and a showcase of cancer warrior bravery. During the event, cancer warriors shared their stories and were honored for their strength and resilience.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women and the most common cause of death from cancer among Hispanic women in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. 

The American Cancer Society reports that approximately 1 in 8 women will experience a breast cancer diagnosis. In the last decade, El Paso County has seen an increase in its breast cancer incidence rate, as indicated by National Cancer Institute data compiled by Healthy Paso del Norte.  

Cancer is often beatable if detected earlier, and breast cancer screenings play a pivotal role in treating and preventing cancer. 

Along with the Sundt Foundation as the Building Hope sponsor, Lighting Campus for Hope was supported by Texas Tech Health El Paso’s Presenting Hope sponsors, the Hunt Family Foundation and Lucky Duck. The generous support of these sponsors, plus many other sponsoring businesses and families in the community, made Lighting Campus for Hope a great success, and lit the way to a brighter future for cancer care in our region.

“Lighting Campus for Hope honors our cancer warriors and the strength and resilience they show,” said Andrea Tawney, Ph.D., vice president for Institutional Advancement at Texas Tech Health El Paso. “It’s also a celebration of our community of champions whose support will provide 1,350 life-saving cancer screenings. The ability to access and afford preventative care should not determine the fate of our community members. We’re proud that Sundt Foundation believed in our mission as their generosity will continue Building Hope for years to come.”

Lighting Campus for Hope sparked support and excitement for the future Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center, set to break ground in 2025 on the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus, where hope for cancer patients will take root for our entire region.

On Aug. 8, 2023, Texas Tech Health El Paso, alongside community leaders Steve and Nancy Fox and their daughters Paige and Ashley, announced a historic $25 million investment to help bring the comprehensive cancer center to life.

This past September, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation announced a transformative $5 million grant that will support the future Steve and Nancy Fox Cancer Center and be instrumental in elevating comprehensive cancer care by funding the recruitment of top-tier cancer specialists. This ensures the future center will be equipped to deliver expert care from its inception.

When completed, this facility will ensure cancer warriors can receive world-class cancer care right here in the region, sparing families the emotional and financial burden of traveling far from home for treatment.

About Texas Tech Health El Paso

Texas Tech Health El Paso is the only health sciences center on the U.S.-Mexico border and serves 108 counties in West Texas that have been historically underserved. It’s a designated Title V Hispanic-Serving Institution, preparing the next generation of health care heroes, 48% of whom identify as Hispanic and are often first-generation students.

Established as an independent university in 2013, Texas Tech Health El Paso is a proudly diverse and uniquely innovative destination for education and research.

With a mission of eliminating health care barriers and creating life-changing educational opportunities forBorderplex residents, Texas Tech Health El Paso has graduated over 2,400 doctors, nurses and researchers over the past decade, and will add dentists to its alumni beginning in 2025. For more information, visit ttuhscepimpact.org.