Spine Gear Sponsors Annual SEF Thurgood Marshall College Fund Brunch to Support College Students
Spine Gear is proud to sponsor the 19th Anniversary SEF Thurgood Marshall College Fund Brunch hosted by The Sphinx Educational Fund, Inc. (SEF) and Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF). This annual fundraising event supporting TMCF scholarships takes place on November 4, 2023, at the Desert Willow Conference Center in Phoenix.
For the past 19 years, the SEF Thurgood Marshall College Fund Brunch has been a signature event within the Greater Phoenix community with an audience that includes members of the business community, clergy, political and community leaders, as well as, students and scholars.
Spine Gear supports TMCF scholarships that are both merit and need-based to address the growing financial challenges of students attending college. These scholarships provide talented students from underserved communities nationally with the resources to earn an affordable college education with minimal to no debt.
“I’m reminded of the importance of opportunity and accessibility to higher education when I look at my own team at Spine Gear. We have an incredible group of young professionals and recent college graduates from diverse cultural backgrounds,” Bilal Abdur-Rahman, CEO and founder of Spine Gear said. “Attending last year’s brunch inspired me to want to do more toward helping aspiring young professionals grow in their careers without being hindered by financial barriers.”
Despite the numerous challenges that face today’s college bound students, TMCF transforms the lives of thousands of students each year and has awarded more than $300 million to students and member-schools including 53 publicly-supported Historically Black College Universities (HBCUs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), and medical and law schools.
The organization distributes 98% of its awards exclusively to HBCUs and PBIs and boasts an 80-90% graduation rate of its scholars – compared to a 40% graduation rate for African American students overall.
“Spine Gear takes pride in being of service for our surgeons, customers and community,” Abdur-Rahman said. “Making the world better starts within our homes and communities and organized efforts like the SEF Thurgood Marshall Brunch directly help the youth with scholarship funds and awards community members dedicated to making a difference in our wonderful state.”
The theme for this year’s brunch is “The Importance of Civic & Community Engagement in America.” Milton C. Davis, Esq., the keynote speaker, will deliver a powerful message that addresses the theme and gives students and professionals the encouragement they need to make an impact on the world today.