On Tuesday night, I was lucky enough to be at the 2014 Shell Legacy Award dinner and see a true Houston community hero—and a friend—honored in Brian Ching. If you don’t know about the Shell Legacy Award, it was established in 2008 and recognizes and honors individuals who have greatly impacted and improved the local community. Past recipients include former First Lady Barbara Bush, former Secretary of State James Baker III, former Dallas Cowboy and Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith (who sat at Brian’s table last night) and former Heavyweight Champion George Foreman.
Dynamo President Chris Canetti and the first House that Ching Built recipient Teresa Urbano spoke about Brian’s commitment and dedication to making Houston a better place. Chris touched on his accomplishments on and off the field (which are many), and Teresa really brought a personal viewpoint to all Brian has achieved in the community.
The one area where Brian really excelled was around setting the tone in the Dynamo locker room. Not only did he tell his teammates how important it is to give back to the community, he went out and led the way for him. A true leader is one who can talk the talk and then back it up personally by walking the walk. Through his work with Recipe for Success, Habitat for Humanity, Ching’s Champions, Building a Better Houston and visiting kids, taking pictures, giving autographs, etc., Brian showed his teammates what it truly means to be part of the Houston community. I think he said it best last night: “Neighbors helping neighbors—that’s what it is all about.”
We at Dynamo Charities are so glad that we have had the chance to work with Brian—and will continue to work with him to do a third House that Ching Built next year. Thanks to the donation tied to the Shell Legacy Award and additional money that Dynamo Charities has raised, we are only a few thousand dollars short of accomplishing that goal. Get involved—help us get there and then help build the house next year.
And the best news of all: Brian is still with the organization, still using his time and effort to truly Build a Better Houston.
Lots of Dynamo Charities events coming up; follow on twitter @dynamocharities and @dynamochrtytony for up to the minute details, or go to dynamocharities.org.
