LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Wes Welker, the newest member of the Texas Tech Ring of Honor and a five-time NFL Pro Bowler, returned to Lubbock to help raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of Lubbock.
The 29th annual Funding Great Futures was held at the Lubbock Civic Center Saturday evening. It included a live and silent auction, with proceeds going to the Boys & Girls Club.
Welker’s keynote speech focused on why giving back is so important, especially because of his time as a Red Raider.
“To come back to Lubbock and see some old friends, and also a great cause like the Boys & Girls Club is such a great thing,” Welker said.
Tech head football coach Joey McGuire introduced Welker on-stage. He said Welker is the kind of teammate you want any athlete to be, led by his effort to work harder than everyone else.
Welker said this area “is super special to me. Lubbock, Texas gave me a scholarship a week after signing day. I was their last recruit. And I’ve just been very blessed to have the opportunity to come here and the friendships I’ve made and the people I’ve met along the way. Texas Tech really gave me that first opportunity to really showcase what I can do out there on the field and really mold me into the person I am today.”
During the banquet, the Club honored Abigail Rosalez as the 2025 Youth of the Year.
Abigail Rosalez is the Youth of the Year award recipient.
Abigail Rosalez is the Youth of the Year award recipient.(KCBD)
She is a member of the Talkington Boys & Girls Club and is a junior at Lubbock High School. South Plains Electric Cooperative presented Rosalez with $5,000 in scholarship funds.
One of the attendees who won the live auction (whose name we didn’t get while at the event), with a bid of thousands of dollars for a Tech helmet autographed by Welker, told the auctioneers to give the prize to Rosalez, because she has earned it through her hard work.
Also during the live auction, someone in the crowd asked if Welker could wear his autographed Patriots jersey. He answered the call, put the jersey on, and drove up the auction price as announced by Sherman Auctioneers in this video.
Champion for Youth Award was presented to Gandy’s Dairy. From the Heart Award was given to Forza Site Services & Construction.
KCBD’s Matt Ernst emceed the event.
This is a busy time for supporters of the Clubs. The next big fundraiser is just weeks away, the ABC Pro Rodeo April 3-5 in Levelland.
You can learn more about the Boys & Girls Club at its website.
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