Competition, Drive and a Bit of Nostalgia
The Dr. Homer L. Avery Memorial Track Meet was a Vibe
On Saturday 28 June 2025, the Focus LBK Crew stopped by the Estacado Track to check out the Dr. Homer L. Avery Memorial Track Meet. We spoke with two of the men responsible for organizing the event.
Mr. Michael Lusk was quick to give the credit for the idea to Dr. Homer Avery. He told us that, “When I was young, I was under Pastor Avery, Homer Avery, Bishop Sean's dad. And I just remember the things they used to do with us as a kid. Now that I'm going to church as an adult…you notice that it's not many kids in church.”
“So we want to try to do something to show the kids that we want them to participate in what we're doing…whether it's a track meet or whether it's in the choir or whether it's being an Usher.” “Just to show them that…we're not leaving them out.
Dr. Kenneth Jackson, President of the African American Fellowship of Lubbock and vicinity told us that Pastor Deshaun Avery, Pastor Andre Toines, and Youth Director Debbie Anderson helped him organize the event.
The group planned “for like four or five months for all of this. So it's a lot of moving parts when you put together an event like this. A lot of logistics went into trying to put this together. And so they've been talking with me all along the way about where they are, what they're doing, what they needed.” They also worked with several donors to put on the successful community track meet.
The last time we set foot on this track was probably back in 1990 or ‘91 as varsity sprinter/jumper from Lubbock High.
Seeing the young people out running, jumping and playing around really brought back memories. There was a sweetness to them, tinged with a hint of sadness for the loss of our own youth, now long past.
Some of the adults present were not content to dwell in the past or rest on their laurels, though. There were several races between some of the organizers and volunteers, and while their spirits were certainly willing, their bodies were perhaps not as lithe as they once were.
Overall, the Dr. Homer L. Avery Memorial Track Meet was a wonderful way to spend a warm morning in June. The spectators paid rapt attention and cheered on the young athletes. The organizers ensured a safe, fun event, and we left feeling refreshed by the positive vibe. Hopefully Pastor Jackson and his crew will do it again this time next year.
