Former college basketball standout Shannen Hogue, now a detective specialist with the Yonkers Police Department, and brother Doug Hogue, previously a college and NFL football player, and now a teacher and coach in the Yonkers public high school, started the Hogue Foundation to uplift youth in Yonkers and be a force for positive change. On Juneteenth, the foundation held a fundraising event that brought together members of the Yonkers community.
“The goal of the fundraiser was to support our newly developed scholarships for student-athletes: one boy and one girl graduating from a Yonkers high school,” said Shannen. Putting together an event was new to the Hogues, “but people in the community really showed up in support of our efforts to do the best for the kids,” added Shannen. Among the 170 attendees were several politicians and local dignitaries.
Earlier this year, the Hogue Foundation put together a college tour for some of its teenage participants. In February, a group of almost 50 visited SUNY Albany, SUNY Cortland and Doug’s alma mater Syracuse University. “It was my first time actually roaming around the entire campus; I’d been once or twice to see my brother play football,” said Shannen. “It’s an amazing campus, and they showed us a very warm welcome.”
Among the evening’s honorees was Dr. Cheryl Brannan, founder and president of Sister to Sister International, who received the Trailblazer in Service Award. She has been a source of inspiration and information for the Hogues. Shalain Garcia, director of programs for NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, received a proclamation.
“It meant so much; it showed us that the support is there and people do see the work that we’re putting in,” said Shannen. “We collaborate so much here in Yonkers. We’re all interconnected. We have a deep love for the kids here in the city, and we know what they’re capable of. My brother and I left that night with a pep in our step and the feeling [of] ‘Let’s get back to work.’”
Other programs for the Hogue Foundation include the ‘26 Summer Mentorship Program, from July 8 to August 15, free for Yonkers students. The Lady Owls Girls Summer Basketball Camp, meanwhile, for ages 12–17, takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from July 13 to August 14.
