It’s time to get active with the Houston Texans! Running of the Bulls 5K Run and Walk presented by H-E-B and TORO’s Kids 1K presented by Texas Children’s Hospital are back for 2017, and special early bird pricing is available now!
Early bird pricing ends on Friday, July 7 at 5 p.m., so register NOW to secure the best price available for this year’s event!
You’ll get the full Texans experience at the Finish Line presented by Mattress Firm by running through the Houston Texans gameday bull tunnel and finishing on the floor of NRG Stadium for our post-race party! The party will feature free food and drinks, live music, giveaways, autographs from Texans celebrities, and more!
The moment Hellen Weberpal’s bow hit her cello, 13-month-old Kimberly Guerra was mesmerized. The little girl shot up in her seat in her inpatient room on the ninth floor of the Cancer Center and watched Weberpal as she played her instrument. During the 10-minute serenade, Kimberly smiled, giggled and clapped in joyous wonder.
Weberpal, a Houston Symphony Community-Embedded Musician, said she has had many experiences at Texas Children’s similar to the one she had with Kimberly.
“Every time I come to the hospital I enjoy it,” she said. “There’s never a day that I don’t have a good time getting to see these kids.”
Weberpal is one of four community-embedded musicians who come to Texas Children’s Cancer Center weekly as part of a partnership between the Periwinkle Arts In Medicine Program at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers and the Houston Symphony. During their visits, the string players perform at the bedside of inpatients, lead a small music education class with patients and their siblings, and work with Purple Songs Can Fly to create unique scores tailored for each child.
View photos below from some of the musician’s visits.
The purpose of the partnership is to expose children to classical music and give them a sense of normalcy they often don’t get in a hospital setting, said Emily Nelson, the manager of education and community programming for the Houston Symphony.
“One of the benefits we’ve heard from the hospital staff and families is that the musical interactions give the patients a sense of control,” Nelson said. “They get to choose if they want slow music, fast music or even no music at all.”
When Weberpal visited 8-year-old Eduardo Castro’s hospital room, he asked her to play something fast, something slow and then something very specific – the music played in Star Wars when Darth Vader is on screen. Weberpal delivered Eduardo’s request without a hitch, concluding her visit with a smile and a high five.
“I’m always happy to meet another Star Wars fan,” Weberpal said.
Through observations, Carol Herron, coordinator of the Periwinkle Arts In Medicine Program, has noticed the encounters between the musicians and the patients are much more than a show-and-tell type performance.
“There’s a connection that these musicians make,” she said. “That is what makes these relationships so special.”
To learn more about the Houston Symphony’s Community-Embedded Musician initiative, click here. To learn more about the Periwinkle Arts and Medicine Program at Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers, click here.
February 21, 2017
Want to be part of the largest USATriathlon sanctioned kids triathlon in the world? Sign up to volunteer for the 2017 Houston Texans Kids Triathlon.
Presented by Texas Children’s Hospital, the event will be Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21 at NRG Stadium. Drawing more than 3,000 participants ages 6 to 15, the event aims to help build a generation of healthy, active responsible children.
Volunteers are needed for everything from course set-up and clean-up to registration, expo and race-day assistance. Click here to learn more and to sign up to be a 2017 Houston Texans Kids Triathlon volunteer.
February 7, 2017
In case you missed it on Super Bowl Sunday, Texas Children’s patients took center stage right before the on-the-field action during FOX Sports’ pregame show.
The segment highlighting Texas Children’s focused on a very special football-themed party with Houston Texans defensive end, Devon Still. The party, held in December, was a treat for Cancer Center patients and their families.
Devon’s daughter, Leah, who is now in remission following a battle with neuroblastoma, also joined the football-themed fun. The group, gathered at the Cancer Center, played football with Devon, made jewelry with Leah and received signed copies of the book “I am Leah Strong.” The pair also spent time talking with patients in their rooms.
As the father of a child who battled cancer, Devon shares a unique perspective with the families. He offered words of encouragement and let the families know they are not alone in their fight, encouraging words for which one mother was especially grateful.
“We had the honor and privilege of meeting Leah [and Devon] tonight at Texas Children’s, and we also met more fighters and parents of cancer patients,” she said. “Once again, I am deeply moved, and my emotions rise to see the grave and harsh realities of childhood cancer. Being back on the ninth floor is the most humbling experience. I continually pray for a cure for all cancer.”
January 11, 2017
Texas Children’s employees know how to show their team spirit!
Last week, several Houston Texans fans across the Texas Children’s system sported jerseys, shirts or team colors to support our home team, who, for the second year in a row, clenched the AFC South title and are now in the playoffs.
On January 7, in front of a home crowd of 71,790, the Houston Texans defeated the Oakland Raiders 27-14 in the AFC Wild Card game to advance to the next round of the NFL playoffs. The Houston Texans will continue the postseason with a trip to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots in the AFC Divisional round. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. CT on Saturday, January 13, at Gillette Stadium.
To continue our support of the team, Texas Children’s employee fans are encouraged to wear Texans jerseys, shirts or team colors on Friday, January 13, and Saturday, January 14. Khakis or similar slacks may be worn but no denim jeans, as we wish to present a spirited yet professional appearance to our patients and their families.
The Houston Texans organization has been an incredible partner for Texas Children’s. Together with their enthusiastic players, cheerleaders and TORO, we continue to reach thousands of children in our local communities through fun and educational camps, school programs, special hospital visits and appearances.
As we cheer on the Houston Texans, especially in this Saturday’s game with the New England Patriots, please share with us examples of your team spirit! Send photos of you and your co-workers in your Texans gear to HR Communications at dialogue@texaschildrens.org.
January 10, 2017
The 50 complimentary spots offered below have been filled. If your child would still like to participate, you can register them at the link below for $50 per child.
Want to help build a generation of healthy, active children? Sign them up for the 2017 Houston Texans Kids Triathlon and Texas Children’s Hospital will pay their registration fee.
As the event’s presenting sponsor, the hospital will foot the bill for 50 children of employees to participate in the event slated for May 20 and 21 at NRG Stadium. The complimentary registrations are not retroactive, therefore if you have already signed up for the event, we cannot provide a reimbursement.
Drawing more than 3,000 participants ages 6 to 15, the event is expected to be the largest USATriathlon sanctioned kids triathlon in the world for the fourth consecutive year.
If you are interested in receiving one of the complimentary spots, please fill out this form and submit it to Alexandra Comerota at alexandra.comerota@houstontexans.com. The deadline to use these complimentary registrations is Wednesday, March 1, so don’t delay!
November 1, 2016
“Tomatoes! Bananas! Carrots!” yelled out the students at Galatas Elementary in Conroe, sharing their favorite fruit and vegetables.
Earlier this month, Texas Children’s Hospital leaders, TORO and Charles James II traveled to The Woodlands to teach the importance of getting fit and staying healthy with our ‘Get Fit with TORO’ event.
At the beginning of the program, each student received an activity book as well as a Texas Children’s beach ball, and five lucky students got the opportunity to answer trivia questions regarding health and fitness for a chance to win an official TORO T-shirt.
The event included a special talk by Senior Vice President Dan DiPrisco, a video conference hosted by Texans Voice Marc Vandermeer and featuring J.J. Watt, Kareem Jackson and two Houston Texans cheerleaders about the important of nutrition, exercise and playing 60 and two Houston Texans cheerleaders.
“I had an awesome time at Galatas Elementary,” James said. “Staying fit and healthy is very important to me, so I’m glad I was able to explain that importance to some great students.”
Kids also danced with TORO, answered nutrition/health related trivia questions for TORO prizes, etc.
It’s time to get active with the Houston Texans! Running of the Bulls 5K Run and Walk presented by H-E-B and TORO’s Kids 1K presented by Texas Children’s Hospital are back for 2017, and special early bird pricing is available now!
