The world’s largest youth empowerment event, WE Day, was held March 20 at the Curtis Culwell Center. An unparalleled celebration of young people committed to making a difference, the event brought together over 8,000 students and educators from across the state for a life-changing experience.
The lineup for the event included hometown icons Pat and Emmitt Smith, Ally Brooke of Fifth Harmony, actress Lizzy Greene, Rico and Raini Rodriguez and Lizzie Velasquez along with Ann Curry, hit pop duo Jack & Jack, singer/songwriter Johnny Orlando, Lonnie Chavis of NBC series This Is Us and more. The lineup shared their passion for change and motivated the crowd to continue to take action on pressing issues to affect positive change.
“We are big promoters of family, togetherness, and creating the best team around you, and that’s why we keep coming back to WE Day,” said Rico and Raini Rodriguez. “We are beyond excited to be co-hosting the first-ever WE Day in our home state of Texas! We are so in awe of the power and positivity of the young people at We Day—their accomplishments are inspiring and their passion for change is infectious.”
Youth from across Texas shared empowering stories and the Curtis Culwell Center was filled with thousands of young change-makers who earned their tickets by taking action in their local and global communities.
This special day is connected to the free service learning educational program WE Schools. Providing schools and community groups with curriculum, educational resources and action campaigns, the program is designed to enhance a school’s existing social initiatives or spark new ones.
In the 2016/2017 school year, schools and groups across the U.S. helped their communities through WE Schools, volunteering 3,559,650 hours and raising funds to support over 2,050 local and global causes. Starting in 2017, schools across Texas began to join the movement to create change, supporting causes like North Texas Food Bank, Salvation Army, Red Cross and more. Their efforts address issues such as racial equality, bullying, poverty & homelessness, education and immigration.
“I was blessed with a mother who showed me to share God’s love and lend a helping hand to others,” said Pat Smith, co-founder Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities. “Especially those in need—like the students we provide school uniforms for each year at our Back to School event, helping parents who are struggling to make ends meet and then must face difficult decisions like paying their rent or providing their kids with back to school supplies and uniforms.”
“I have taught our TEAM 22 students and my own children that ‘to whom much is given, much is required’,” said Emmitt Smith, co-founder and chief operating officer of Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities “As Pat shared, we were blessed with mentors and people who opened doors for us when we grew up, so we want to do the same for others. I know what it was like to go without and it’s important to me that I always give back and help others in my community.”
WE Day is part of WE—a family of organizations making doing good, doable.