JOIN US SEPTEMBER 1 to 30, 2024
WHY WE’RE CALLING IT THE ELIZABETH FRANKEL WAYMAKERS RACE
Throughout the month of September, the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights will host its 4th annual Waymaker’s race to honor Elizabeth Frankel and to celebrate how each of us has the capacity to Be a Waymaker and walk with a child and their family, like Liz.
A tireless advocate, waymaker, and friend, Elizabeth Frankel joined the Young Center in late 2009 as the third full-time employee of the Young Center.
As part of a trio of attorneys who developed and implemented an entirely new model for advocating for the rights of immigrant youth, Liz led the charge in opening the Young Center’s Harlingen office to better serve immigrant children detained along the U.S. – Mexico border.
Her contributions and dedication in Texas were so significant that in 2013 the federal government decided to expand the Young Center’s programs. As a result of the seeds Liz planted in the Rio Grande Valley community, the Young Center created six new offices across the country in less than two years.
Through it all, Liz continued to teach at the Immigrant Child Advocacy Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School, inspiring the next generation of lawyers and advocates to fight on behalf of immigrant children.
She also continued to defend in court incredibly complex cases of children who came to the United States fleeing gang violence, political unrest, crushing poverty, and human trafficking.
Her work was guided by her zealous belief that newly arrived children and families had the right to be heard, the right to be free from detention, and the right to remain together.
Liz served as a guiding light to each child and parent as they made their way through an adversarial and punitive immigration and justice system. With each story, Liz walked firmly with expert practitioners, stakeholders, and Young Center staff and volunteers to forge a better path for all who come to this country seeking a new life.
In 2021, we lost Liz to cancer, but her spirit as a waymaker lives on in each of us.
HOW YOU CAN BE A SPONSOR
Join us as a sponsor of the 4th annual Elizabeth Frankel Waymakers Race this summer to advocate for immigrant children’s rights. All sponsors gain national exposure to the Young Center community, which comes from all 50 states, with concentrated support in our 9 regions of operation: New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, Chicago, Michigan, Washington DC, Phoenix, Houston, San Antonio, and on the border in Harlingen, TX.
WHY SPONSOR?
Partner with the Young Center to achieve your social responsibility goals! Companies that support the Young Center align their brand with an immigrant-led social justice organization rooted in values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice – building trust and loyalty with your existing and new customers that can drive business to new heights. In supporting the Young Center’s mission to help unaccompanied immigrant children find safety and advocate for just immigration policies, you are visibly investing in making our country a welcoming and safe place for all.