"Gena and I feel very blessed for the friends and supporters who have helped make the KICKSTART KIDS program the success it is today. Next to our family KICKSTART KIDS will always be Gena and my mission in life.

We began in 1992 with four middle schools, three in Houston and one in Galveston with 600 students. Currently, KICKSTART KIDS is in over forty middle schools throughout Texas with over 6,500 students. We have graduated over 70,000 students in 19 years, with many of them graduating from college. One KICKSTART KIDS student got a full scholarship to MIT.

KICKSTART KIDS students develop the mental and physical strength to deal with the challenges they will face in the future. Gena and I have witnessed first hand many of our youngsters grow into adulthood, face challenges head-on and overcome any obstacles that got in their way toward achievement.

To say how proud we are of these incredible young people would be an understatement."