We’ve updated the organization’s name to Cougar Pride Alliance to reflect the expansion of our mission from assisting students specifically from Western Hills to helping students from the surrounding primary schools that enter WHHS. Consequently, we’ve updated this website to indicate the change in both name and goals. However, we didn’t want our readers to be unable to view past activities and achievements, so this we’ve created this page as an archive for the WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation.
aug. 2020
The Foundation Becomes The Cougar Pride Alliance
jun. 2022
2021-2022 Foundation Newsletter
apr. 2022
Foundation Quarterly Update Jan-Mar 2022
We will be providing quarterly updates in our continuing effort to inform our members and associates with the Cougar Pride Foundation’s many activities. Please clock on the link to view the latest information in PDF format. 2022 April CPF Quarterly Update
Parents Question Paid Parking Fees at Public High School Graduation
Fort Worth ISD is making preparations for graduation this year. Students will collect their diplomas at Dickies Arena. Several parents reached out to NBC 5 concerned that parking for the graduation would be $20 per car. Patty Pressley is an advocate for students at Western Hills High and says many students at the school live below the poverty line and asking them to pay to park is unfair (NBCDFW).
mar. 2022
Foundation Receives The Heart Of The Lion Award
Karen Lindsey Landon and Patty Pressley accepted the from the Benbrook Lions Club on behalf of the WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation. Renee Franklin and fellow Cougar, Gary Addison honored us. We are so grateful for the support by the Benbrook Lions Club. Thank you.
2022 Spring Break Bag Distribution
On March 11, 2022, WHHS students, faculty and Foundation volunteers helped delivery Spring Break bags to the students after school. The first few photos are of the students who did the hard work of carrying these bags into the building. We chose three locations and it worked out great. We provided about 300 bags. We made around 325. Thank you to Michelle George Sandi Spence Hanson Jessica Grima Angela Cohen, Ehrica Martin. Lacey Espree Megan Snyder and anyone else who helped make this a successful event. PHOTOS
dec. 2021
2021 Christmas Bags Project
350 Christmas Food Bags for our Cougars! Thank you to everyone who donated money, food and time! You are all greatly appreciated. PHOTOS
sep. 2021
What Does The Foundation Do?
This is a December 2020 video shot by videographer, Gary Collins, a 2002 WHHS alumni. He wanted to showcase who we are and what we are doing to make a difference for the students at Western Hills.
Ridglea Presbyterian Church Donations
Many thanks to the members at Ridglea Presbyterian Church for their sack lunch item donations during their June 2021 “Just Bring It” campaign. The Foundation received 4,100 lunch bags, 12,080 napkins, 2,570 granola bars, 900 baggies, and $650 cash. What a blessing to have this community support!
Blue Zones Project Article on Foundation Activities
The Cougar Pride Foundation’s activities have been reported by the Blue Zones Project, in an article highlighting the Foundation in the September 360West Magazine! Click on the link to view the article in PDF form.
aug. 2021
2021 Class Fundraising Challenge
ALUMNI and friends, Spread the word! The Annual Class Fundraiser Challenge begins on Wednesday, Sept. 1st! Here’s another opportunity to make your Class proud! Like last year, make a monetary donation to the WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation, add your graduating class year and your class will receive credit. Donations from non-alumni will be included if the donor specified which class should receive credit. (Alumni Faculty/current faculty can also be their own class!) We’ll tally up the donations by class on Homecoming, Sept. 30th. The winner from each year, posted on an plaque in Cougar Corner. COUGAR PRIDE NEVER DIES!
jun. 2021
Graduation Through Difficult Times
From Foundation member, Sarah Joy Smith~ This kid! When he lost his mom, Patty and I (and MANY other generous and caring people) came along side him and told him we would help get him to graduation. I remember the week his mom passed when I took him a meal, met him and found out he was one of Reagan’s closest friends at Hills. I came home and was telling my husband and boys that I didn’t know what we were supposed to do for Ro’Mello but I knew this wasn’t just about dropping off meals (as important as that is and was) and we were in it for the long haul. I also didn’t know how hard it would be but I had this woman with me and we made such a great team “co-parenting” this boy we adopted. There were days we near lost our minds trying to figure out what to do, there were tears and uncertainty but we did it. With the help of incredible teachers who never gave up, counselors and social workers who fought with us, THIS KID OF OURS GRADUATED! Patty, you are an angel and I will forever be grateful to have this bond with you. If you’re still reading this let me say one more things- go help. Go volunteer. Go mentor. Go speak life into a high school student’s life. Something happens when high school comes and volunteers, mentors and help is so hard to find. Go to your neighborhood school and ask what you can do, get a background check to prove your trustworthy and then help one kid. It will change their life and he’ll change this world. And WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation can always use your help!!!! School is out but they keep working. Join us!
Mobile Food Pickup
On June 16th, 2021, the Foundation held a mobile food pickup for the students of Western Hills high School. Words cannot express our gratitude to the students and friends of the Foundation who volunteered. It was 107 at the end of the day. The kids were warriors! Every single thing that had been planned was thrown out and rethought with extra work for us. But we persevered, mainly because of kids from IB, ROTC, Cheer, Football, Track. They knew Patty was upset about having them work harder in the heat. They just took over and got it done and they worked as a team and made decisions! Here are some pics of the day. Thank you to all the students and Foundation volunteers who helped. We have vowed never to do this again, but ask Patty in the Fall, maybe. A huge thank you to Diamond Wishes and Chisholm Trail Crime Prevention for donating the food for our Cougars. Thanks to everyone! Cheers to our Cougar Volunteers! PHOTOS
mar. 2021
2020 Foundation Survey Results
In October, 2020, the Foundation asked it’s members to respond to a survey related to how well they thought the Foundation was achieving it’s goals as well as what recommendation they could offer. This Report (PDF) is the result of that survey.
Birthday Donations for the Foundation
Honor a special person in your life with a donation to the WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation! For a donation of $25 or more, the Foundation will post a greeting in honor or memory of an alumni, staff member, or friend of Western Hills High School. Questions? Contact: karen@whhscougarpridefoundation.org. To submit your request, use this link: https://forms.gle/ybL4G4R1qQiju6MK8
jan. 2021
Benbrook News Reports on Our Winter Break Bag Distribution
The Benbrook News reported on the 240 bags provided to the WHHS students before the 2020 Winter break. The article also mentioned the Foundation’s work to provide hot meals and sack lunches to students, operating the Cougar Corner food pantry and clothes closet as well our assistance with programs such as Adopt-a-Senior, Homecoming, Prom and the WHHS 50th Anniversary celebration. Despite the pandemic, the Foundation continues to stay busy helping Western Hills students in a variety of ways!
aug. 2020
Cougar Pride Class Challenge
Here’s your opportunity to make your Class proud! Make a monetary donation to the WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation, add your graduating class year and your class will receive credit. Donations from non-alumni will be included if the donor specified which class should receive credit. (Alumni Faculty/current faculty can also be their own class!) At close on October 4, we will tally up by class. This will be an annual event with the winner from each year, posted on an plaque in Cougar Corner. COUGAR PRIDE NEVER DIES!
Benbrook News Reports on Our COVID-19 Response
The Benbrook News reported on the Foundation’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak and our focus finding ways to provide groceries for the students at Western Hills High School.
jul. 2020
Inaugural Foundation Newsletter
The Foundation is proud to announce that it has completed Volume 1 of the Foundation Newsletter. This newsletter covers everything from the beginning to the end of this past school year. Thank you to everyone that has helped us financially or by donating items or their time. We appreciate all of the support you have given us and look forward to more success.
jun. 2020
Food Bag Delivery Dates to Students
Adopt a 2020 Senior Gifts
On Tuesday, June 2nd, Seniors of the 2020 Class were provided gifts, graduation gowns and caps by Western Hills High School, with help from the Foundation. 90% of the Seniors were adopted by Western Hills alumni! The Seniors were both surprised and delighted with the gifts. Those handing the gifts out were reminded of their high school Senior experiences and grateful to be able to make a difficult year a little more joyful. A heartfelt THANK YOU to all who participated. PHOTOS
MAY. 2020
Shout Out to CC Gise!
CC is a Junior IB student who’s active in theater and the Cougar Mascot at Western Hills. She dropped a note at every door on her street and a couple of side streets. She later delivered a truck bed full of food and hygiene for our students. Hats off to you, CC. We’re PROUD that you’re a Cougar!
Memorial Day Food Bag Delivery To Students
PLEASE NOTE! Food bag distribution on Monday, May 25th, will be provided at only one location: Western Hills High School, from 3-4pm
apr. 2020
Adopt a 2020 Senior – Mission Accomplished!
THANK YOU! All of our Seniors have been adopted thanks to your extraordinary generosity. In the past Seniors have been gifted with bags of items like sticky notes, pencils, pens, note pads, paper clips, note cards, and any other “office type” things for them to use. If you have any contacts with Kroger, Wal-Mart, or any other store willing to donate, please consider reaching out to them and letting Patty Pressely know.
Tarrant Area Food Bank Provisions
On April 8, 2020, Foundation volunteers picked up 3 pallets of food from the Tarrant Area Food Bank and stacked them in the VR Promotions facility. These groceries will be used to provide food bags to students during the COVID-19 situation . A special “thank you” to Viren Patel for dealing with a minor (okay, major) mishap on the trip back like a pro! PHOTOS
Food Bag Delivery to Students During COVID-19
While WHHS students are learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation plans to hand out food bags for the next 13 weeks . The flyer below only posts the next 8 weeks, but the project will continue into July. Each Monday at 3 locations; – Western Hills Church of Christ – Birchman Baptist Church – the Western Hills HS Teacher’s Parking Lot we will have 35 food bags to hand out along with pet food and hygiene items. That’s 105 food bags a week. We currently have 200 bags ready to go. If you have a family of 3-4, you can volunteer your family to build bags. We are only using families to build food bags to keep all of our exposure to a minimum.
Temporary Storage Donation
A HUGE thank you to Viren Patel of VR Promotions for allowing the Foundation to use his space to store the provisions for our food bag distribution. Thanks to his generosity, we will be able to store more food and products to fill bags in response to this unexpected COVID-19 situation. So far, thanks to our volunteers, we’ve been able to pack and provide over 150 bags to our students. PHOTOS
COVID-19 Grocery Bag Distribution to Students
In response to the COVID-19 situation, the Foundation decided to provide bags of groceries to the students of Western Hills as we do during Spring and Christmas breaks. On April 1, 2020, we loaded up 45 bags and went to Western Hills. Students were driving by to pickup Chromebooks and hotspots for online school. As students and parents drove out of the parking lot, they rolled down their window and we asked if they needed food. We had a handful who didn’t need anything, but 45 families accepted a bag. That told us that we are on the right track to helping our kids. PHOTOS
Emergency Food Distribution Fundraiser
During this COVID-19 situation, we have setup an emergency fundraiser to raise extra funds to help students while they are off from school. Hopefully this will end in two weeks but in case of an extension, we will need to be prepared to purchase food and necessities! You can donate by on our Facebook page or by clicking on the DONATE link above and adding the note: Emergency Food Distribution. We have taken all of the food out of Cougar Corner and are ready to disperse when we get the call, but there isn’t much. A food truck will also be at Western Hills Elementary during the week from 10-1130 for kids to get a free meal. Many of our families are hourly wage employees and they will need our help. Thank you for watching our posts on Facebook and supporting our Cougars.
mar. 2020
Foundation COVID-19 Response
The Foundation has composed its statement regarding the Covid-19 crisis affecting our students and how we will respond to ensure that they continue to receive meals and assistance.
New Foundation Instagram Page
The Foundation has created a new Instagram Page to help publicize its activities and programs. It’s still in the initial stage, but more photos are coming!
DEC. 2019
Christmas Break Bag Packing Party!
On Saturday, December 7th, thanks to twenty two (22) volunteer Elves we had another successful Christmas Break bag packing party with 225 bags filled with food and snacks for WHHS students before running out of some items. Our goal is to pack 300 bags this year. This achievement could not be possible without the help; and dedication of wonderful volunteers and alumni. Thank you SO much! PHOTOS
OCT. 2019
Christmas Food Bag Item Request
Here are some of items we are putting in our Christmas Food Bags! We have added a box of any kind of pasta and a can of Alfredo Sauce with a pop top (available at Dollar Tree locations). UPDATE: You can order from Dollar Tree and have delivered to the store. If you have delivered to Camp Bowie in Ridglea, I can meet to pickup there! Pop tarts, jelly, Alfredo Sauce, canned chicken breast, pasta sides and potatoes are all a $1!
SEP. 2019
On Friday, August 16th, Western Hills High School and the Foundation provided hot dogs, watermelon and lots of other yummy snacks for students and parents who attended the Bash to pick up registration packets and learn about the schools many clubs and programs. Foundation members prepped for the event, grilled hot dogs, sliced watermelons and served food to the many people who attended. It was quite a party! Many thanks to those who helped make the event a great success. PHOTOS
APR. 2019
It’s Not too Late to Become a Prom Sponsor!
The Prom is scheduled for Saturday, April 27th, but it’s NOT too late to become a Sponsor! Thank you all for your donations in support of our Senior Class Prom effort. The Senior sponsors are devastated that they have not sold more tickets. We need to raise a total of $8,500 to help these students. If we don’t, they will not have a prom. We don’t even want to think about that. We have raised $1,500 so far with those that have promised and money that has already come in through PayPal. We still need $7,000.
MAR. 2019
Letters to Cougar Corner
During last Thanksgiving and Christmas, Cougar Corner received several notes of “thanks” from students who’ve been impacted by the Foundation’s work. HERE are some of the letters are available for viewing. We urge you to take a look.
Spring Break Bag Delivery
WHHS students, faculty and Foundation volunteers helped delivery Spring Break bags to the students after school. The grateful faces of those receiving the bags were more than worth the effort. PHOTOS
Spring Break Bags Prep
Due to our wonderful volunteers, the Foundation prepared 470 bags of groceries to provide to students for Spring Break! Thanks again for your dedication and hard work. PHOTOS
FEB. 2019
JAN. 2019
Christmas Break Bags in the Benbrook News
The Benbrook News reported on the 500 bags provided to the WHHS students before Christmas break. Pictured are Tom & Betsy Strother and Frankie Smith, who along with many others, helped hand out the bags. Click on the photo to view the article.
DEC. 2018
Foundation’s Amazon Wish List
You can now use Amazon’s Wish List option to donate much needed food and snacks that are provided daily to the students. The Foundation provides food and snacks to students every day, whether it be sandwiches to sports teams and the Band, snacks to students between classes or food bags to students for Christmas break. Your donation can make a big difference in these student’s daily lives.
WHHS Cougar Pride 50th Anniversary T-shirts in the Benbrook News
The Benbrook News reported on the 50th anniversary t-shirts provided to each WHHS student and staff member by the Foundation thanks to generous donators. The article also noted that the t-shirts were designed by Heath Jackson, WHHS Graphic Design Teacher and Head Wrestling Coach. Click on the photo to view the article.
Foundation Interview on JoCo Community Radio
On Friday, November 30th, Patty Pressley, John Medina and Karen Landon were interviewed about the activities of the WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation on JoCo Community Radio with Ron Moore and Tiffany Kutch in Burleson, TX. The interview centered on the establishment and evolution of the Foundation, as well as how it has impacted the community. The interview, begins at the 8:02 mark.
OCT. 2018
Matching Donation to the Foundation
Thanks to the generosity of WHHS Alumna, Wendy Crawford Payne, and her family, they have offered to match donations to the Foundation of up to $10,000 from now until the end of the year. That’s a potential $20,000 for the kids at WHHS!
AUG. 2018
50th Anniversary T-shirt!
For a $50 donation to celebrate 50 years of Western Hills, not only will you receive a LIMITED EDITION T-Shirt (only 250 available), but a faculty/staff member and three students will also receive one. Our goal is to give a shirt to every student, faculty & staff member to show them that WE ARE WESTERN HILLS COUGARS and proud Alumni. The remainder of that money will go towards our mission of helping our fellow Cougars.
Jul. 2018
New Cougar Corner Floor Renovation
Thank you to all the Foundation volunteers who did such an incredible job in renovating the floor in the new Cougar Corner. It looks fantastic! PHOTOS
Weight Room Renovations!
A sincere “THANK YOU” to Sherwin Williams Benbrook, Southern Painting, Hart Flooring and all the wonderful volunteers who helped make this project such a success. PHOTOS
Jun. 2018
The Foundation is Alive & Active!
So what has the Foundation been doing lately? In April and May, it
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- provided 1173 meals fed to students
- served 340 meals fed to faculty & staff from money specifically donated for Teacher Appreciation Day.
- cooked and served 2000 breakfast tacos fed to students for STARR Testing Days
- Sent 32 Seniors to Prom
- Helped with Senior Breakfast and Meals for Senior Field Day
- Initiated Band Sponsorships to feed Band students before all football games next Fall. Sponsorship is $60/student. Please consider becoming a Sponsor!
- Held a Tailgate before the TCU Baseball game for Cougar Baseball
- This summer, we’ve also been feeding sandwiches to the athletes who have been working out since school has been out, in our new space. We see about 15-25 kids Monday – Thursday, They sit in Cougar Corner and chat with us while they eat. If you would like to come and hang out, we are in 306 from 930-12.
The Foundation will continue to be very active during the summer. We held a very successful monthly meeting on Saturday, June 24th. Discussions involved:
- the current move of Cougar Corner and the immediate need to volunteers to help
- Current and future volunteer needs
- Foundation activities during the summer and next Fall
- Specific food and clothing donations needs
- Future fundraising programs and activities
HERE are the minutes report with more specific details. Please take a look and consider how you can contribute to help continue the Foundation’s work.
Help Needed at Cougar Corner
Help sorting clothes! We are in the process of moving Cougar Corner from one temp building to another, so we need help sorting and organizing. If you are available to come and help sort clothes, please text or call Patty Pressley to let her know ASAP. Thanks!
MAY. 2018
Help Appreciated
Early this morning, I was unloading in Cougar Corner. My tailgate was up because I had more to bring inside. Two boys came in carrying the rest of the items from my car, without me asking for help. I asked them if they wanted a snack and they said, We didn’t do this for a snack, we did it to help you! He saw all the food bags and said, I’m one of those kids on the Free lunch program. And I told him that these were for kids like him. Warms my heart. Another example of the good kids at WHHS. #cougarforlife #westernhillshighschool #whhscougarpridefoundation #300bagsoffood
WHHS Boys and Girls Wrestling Tournament
The WHHS Boys and Girls Wrestling Tournament was held on January 19th and they definitely represented well!
APR. 2018
Prom Dresses Requested
The Foundation is now accepting all Prom dresses, shoes and accessories for girls. As well as dress shirts, suits, ties and bow ties for boys. All sizes accepted! Please contact Patty Pressley for more information. Thank you.
Cougar Pride Flip-flops!
Attention all Cougars near and far! Believe it or not, Summer is coming! Get your WHHS flip flops ordered now. They will arrive mid May! You can pre order now.
We Need Heavy Duty Clothes Racks
Please consider donating any heavy duty clothes racks to the Foundations. We’ve been fortunate to have donors provide clothes to Cougar Corner (and please keep donating them), but they need to be hung up to keep them in good shape. Your donation would be sincerely appreciated!
MAR. 2018
“Celebrity Bartending” Fundraiser at GRACE on Tuesday, May 22nd
Mark your calendar! The Foundation will be hosting a “Celebrity Bartending” fundraising event at GRACE (777 Main, downtown Ft. Worth) from 5:30 – 7:00pm. There are more details to come, but we need a couple of “celebrities” behind the bar (it’s really fun and easy), so if you have connections, please contact Saralyn Carillo. The rest of us can just enjoy happy hour!
Cougar Corner is Collecting School Supplies!
There are now 2 new ways you can help! The Cougar Corner is now collecting school supplies and books! These supplies will be distributed to teachers as needed for classroom use. Be on the look-out for sales of these items. Supplies and books can be dropped off at the Cougar Corner portable. Please contact us in advance to arrange a drop-off date & time. Requested items include (in alphabetical order): [wptb id=2046] The Cougar Corner is also collecting NEW and GENTLY USED young adult and children’s books. We have limited space, so we are asking for ONLY books in good condition. These books will be given to students prior to summer break so that they may have reading material during summer months. The children’s books will be distributed to local elementary schools. Books can be dropped off at the Cougar Corner portable.
Volunteers Needed for Spring Break Bag Distribution on Friday, March 9th
Please join us at Cougar Corner at 3pm to plan our giveaway of 300 food sacks to the students. Please check in at the main office with your identification before coming to Cougar Corner. We will walk towards our different locations starting at 3:15pm.
WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation Decals
The Foundation created decals to advertise our organization and gain interest in our mission. We are in the process of revising them to adhere to our new name. Our current plan to is have a similar display as before.
Spring Break Bag Packing Party
Thank you to everyone who attended the Spring Break bag packing party today. You all did an AWESOME job! We’ve managed to pack 250 of our 300 bag goal. The rest will be packaged this week for distribution before Spring Break. Photos may be viewed HERE and HERE
March 2nd Foundation Meeting
Thanks to everyone who attended the WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation’s monthly meeting at Angelo’s BBQ tonight. It was very productive and there are some exciting projects planned for the near future. We’ll be meeting again next month and remember, everyone is invited to the meetings!
FEB. 2018
WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation Donation Options
Donations in Rodd Brann’s Name
Many of you have asked about sending donations for our dear friend, Rodd Brann. Geana loves the idea of giving to the foundation for the Western Hills kids. If you would like to make a donation in his name to the WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation, we will do something special to honor him. You can do so via PayPal to: patty@whhscougarpridefoundation.org or by mail to our P.O. Box: WHHS Cougar Pride Foundation 4455 Camp Bowie Blvd, Suite 114 PMB 109 FTW, TX 76107Calling All Volunteers!
We need you! We have many projects and activities planned for the near future and we can’t achieve our goals without your help and guidance. If you’re interested in volunteering, please go to the Fort Worth ISD Volunteer Page to fill out the online volunteer application and read the requirements.Golf Clubs and Bags Needed!
Spring Break Food Donations Needed
This photo shows you most of the items we will be putting in the take home bags for Spring Break. If you would like to donate any of these items, we are taking donations NOW!
Please come to Cougar Corner (at WHHS) to drop off the food . The deadline for donations is Friday, March 2nd. Our goal is to provide 300 Spring Break bags to the students on March 10th. Contact Patty Pressley @ 817-455-5676 if you would like to assist or have any further questions.