OUR STORY
KCEF was founded in memory of my daughter, Kym Coleman, who perished in a plane crash in 1993. Kym had a mission to assist school children that were not as fortunate as others were and to help improve their quality of education. Kym was also a staunch believer in the power of a college degree and often said she wished she could make it possible for everyone to pursue higher education. Through the KCEF Foundation Kym's spirit, memory, and mission live on!
KCEF funds support incentive programs in low income elementary schools, like the Honor Roll Bicycle Program. This program awards students that achieve honor roll status with a brand new bicycle and helmet. In December 2016, we awarded 141 bicycles to Ketelsen Elementary School students that reached this achievement. We are very excited that the number of students benefiting from the Honor Roll Program continues to increase year after year, and are proud to announce that on May 23, 2017, we will again support Students at Spring Shadows Elementary School achieve Honor Roll status. And in recent news, KCEF added a new school in 2018, with the addition of Blackshear Elementary!
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In 2007, KCEF added a new incentive program Most Improved Student Awards; this program inspires students to work hard and improve their grades and conduct by awarding a bicycle, giving them the experience and pride of success and academic achievement. KCEF also supports the Art Contests in our schools with the KCEF Directors judging first through twelfth place, with the winners receiving a gift card from Target. 2014 was a big year for KCEF, as we supported literacy in our schools; A Book Drive for Spring Shadows Elementary Schools Summer Library Program: KCEF collected one-thousand books to give to the school for children to check out during their vacation, continuing their education even after the school-year ends!
ABOUT Kym Coleman Education Foundation
KCEF Chairs Roxy & Matt Sanford and CO-Chair Carolyn Nihon are honored to be Chairing the 2025 Kym Coleman Education Foundation’s 27th Annual, Thanks for Giving Gala, “AN EVENING IN VENICE”. Our fundraising event will take place on Saturday, October 11, 2025 and promises to be a fun-filled evening with Live, Silent, and Big Board Auctions, including dinner and dancing at Bayou City Event Center’s Grand Ball Room.
We unite in prayer and continue our mission of promoting Education in the schools we support. Our goal is to continue to encourage the children that depend on KCEF and look forward to making Honor Roll and receiving their bicycle each year and award a scholarship through HLSR.
KCEF Foundation was formed in memory of my daughter, Kym Coleman. Kym’s mission was to assist school children that were not as fortunate as others to help improve their quality of education. Kym was a staunch believer in the power of a college degree, and she wished she could have made it possible for everyone to pursue higher education. Through the KCEF Foundation, Kym’s spirit, memory and mission lives on.
How Your Donation to KCEF Gives Back to the Community:
• Honor Roll Bicycle Program in Houston area under-served elementary schools
• Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Annual College Scholarship
• Most-Improved Students & Art Contest Awards
• KCEF supports many other Houston-Area Children’s Charities in their Fundraising Efforts!
KCEF is a small Charity, but we are a Mighty Charity, from our Gala Funds in 2024 we Awarded 300 Bicycles and 150 Gift Cards to students that made Honor Roll, Art Contest Winners, Scholarship through HLSR at our schools andDonations to other Charities in the Houston area! A total of $87,650,00. Thank you to all our Donors & Supporters!
KCEF funds support incentive programs in under-served elementary schools in the Houston area, with our Honor Roll Bicycle Programs, Most Improved Students and Art Contest. In 2024, we awarded bicycles to Ketelsen Elementary School to students that achieved Honor Roll status. We also awarded gift cards to 2nd Year Honor Roll students. KCEF will be presenting Scarborough Elementary School with bicycles to students that made Honor Roll Status and gift cards to Art Contest winners for their great achievements. Our Programs improve Children’s lives for the better.
We are excited to announce our 6th Annual Charity Golf Tournament, April 20, 2026, to our fundraising efforts. Outside of our work with local elementary schools, our foundation underwrites a scholarship each year. In 2024, KCEF donated $31,500 to HLSR, which provided a scholarship as well as help to HLSR auction exhibitors. Our 2025 Scholarship Recipient, Audrey Coto, is attending Texas A&M, majoring in Business Administration. Audrey, is invited to this years Gala and will be this years guest speaker.
KCEF values all levels of education!
We invite you to participate in our “Thanks for Giving Gala.” Every year our Live, Silent, and Big Board Auctions are a huge success, due to the generosity of our donors. To keep this tradition of giving going strong, we would sincerely appreciate your unique donations of vacation rentals, vacation destination packages, sporting events packages, dinner restaurant packages or other unique items/services for our various auctions.
Enclosed is our Auction Donation Request Form and Sponsorship Form. We look forward to your participation and thank you for your
generous contributions and support of the KCEF Foundation.
We thank you for your support and generosity.
With our deepest gratitude,
President & Founder
2025 Gala Chairs
2025 Gala Co-Chairs
Kym Coleman
Our Silver Anniversary reminds us that there is also a Silver Lining...
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All of us coming together, honoring Kym's Memory and Mission supporting elementary school children to do better and be successful students and most importantly proud of their accom-plishment of making honor roll. Kym would be very proud of our efforts as children's education was important to her.
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Our programs do improve children’s lives for the better!
