HOUSTON — Radio host Sarah Pepper announced Thursday that she is resigning from Mix 96.5.
"It breaks my heart to say that I have to leave," Pepper told listeners.
Pepper said her reason for leaving was because of her mom's health. She said the best decision she could make for her and her mom was to move them back to their hometown in Indiana.
"If you've been through this then you know when parents get old, it's really hard to accept the fact that they are getting old, and as hard as it is for me, my mom is not going to get any younger," she said.
Pepper used her resignation announcement to reflect on how much Houston means to her. The popular radio host said she was 28 years old when she first came to Houston for a job interview. She said the minute she landed and had real Tex-Mex food, she was hooked. She called her mom that night and told her they were moving to Houston even before being offered the job.
For 16 years, Pepper called Houston home.
"I was scared, I was excited, I was so unsure of the future and what it was going to hold, and if I had to write my own story, it never would have been as good as the one Houston wrote for me," Pepper said.
For Pepper, her job and her fans kept her in Houston longer than expected. She spoke of stories of how she was at work taking pregnancy tests while she was going through IVF, how listeners sent her clothes when her daughter was born and how fans sent her flowers and food when her brother died -- a call she got when she was at work on the air.
"I thought I would be here 5 years max," Pepper said. "It is hard moving to a new city and you only know two people and you're surrounded by 6 million strangers, but you all made Houston home for me."
Pepper said she knows how lucky she has been to call Houston home and ended her message by thanking her fans for embracing her.
"This city has a crazy way of grabbing ahold of your heart," Pepper said.
Fans of Pepper responded to the resignation post on Mix 96.5's Instagram page, showering her with many praises.
"Seriously one of the top morning shows I have ever listened to," a person posted. "You will be missed."
"I am balling crying," another person posted. "I will miss you dearly, listening to your soothing voice every morning and around the community."
"Sarah, you befriended an entire city," one fan said. "Your name is synonymous with Houston radio forever because of your work and efforts. You've been a beacon of achievement and how to lead in community involvement since the first day I met you."
Pepper was a co-host of "Sarah Pepper & Jessie Watt Mornings." The show aired every morning from 5:30 to 10 a.m.
