High Point, N.C., Oct. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 29, 2020 – Dr. Nido Qubein, High Point University president, announced today that HPU is issuing a challenge gift up to $500,000 to the High Point Community Investment Campaign, a new fund for minority entrepreneurs in the city, and called on community investors to support the initiative, too.
High Point City Councilman Cyril Jefferson is spearheading the project. Qubein and Jefferson have worked together with other city leaders, including Dr. Bob Brown, chairman of the HPU Board of Trustees, to launch the campaign and boost the city’s economy.
“When you’re trying to get a project going, you need people who can lift you up and say, ‘Yes, this can happen,’” said Qubein. “So today, we want to make a gift to get this project going. We want to make a challenge gift to this program that is 50% of what they need. High Point University today announces that we are matching up to $500,000.”
“We have a duty to ensure that we rise to the occasion at every turn in every way to make our city a better place,” said Qubein. “After all, we’re the only university in this city. We know we must step up and step out when the need arises. When we find leadership that we believe can carry a project forward, then we partner with them to make good things come to be.”
The fund’s initial goal is to raise $1 million, and HPU helped it achieve 50% of that goal today. Through the fund, minority and women-owned businesses and entrepreneurs (MWBEs) can apply for capital, and they can also access other resources, including guidance on business plans, mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs and more.
“We consider this a very bright moment in our city’s history,” said High Point City Councilman Cyril Jefferson. “Our city is one I am very proud of. It’s a city that breathes a spirit that says, ‘We can.’ It’s because of leaders and folks with courage, like all of you here today, and especially High Point University and Dr. Qubein, saying we are willing to take on the charge to make things happen.”
Brown commended civic leaders in attendance, as well as Jefferson, Qubein and the university, for providing the foundational launching pad for this project.
“This is a momentous time for us in the city of High Point,” said Brown, longtime community leader and international consultant. “Dr. Qubein has done a fabulous job for us. He’s lifted us all up and lifted our community up. Dr. Qubein, I just want to thank you for all you have done. You are a mastermind behind much of what has been done in our city, and you’ve let God use you. My grandmother used to tell me to let God use you, and He will take you to the mountaintop. That’s what God has done for Dr. Qubein and for me. He’s taken us to the mountaintop. Today, we’re continuing to let Him use us and give it back to Him. All of what you see is not for me and not for Dr. Qubein. It’s for generations and generations of young people who will come here and from all over the world.”
HPU’s leadership as the largest seed investor reflects Qubein’s commitment to the city. Since 2017, he has helped lead the city’s efforts to transform downtown High Point, which include securing the High Point Rockers professional baseball team and naming rights for the Truist Point Stadium, along with establishing new catalyst projects in the downtown area, such as the Nido and Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum.
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