CHRISTUS Spohn Foundation 2019 Annual Report - Page 10

South Texas Charity Weekend
For more than 30 years, a group of dedicated
community leaders has accomplished big things
in their Kingsville, Texas community.
The South Texas Charity Weekend has
distinguished itself as the premier fundraising
event in the Kingsville area raising millions of
dollars for local institutions and charities.
Through the generosity of the annual event’s
participants, it’s safe to say countless lives have
been changed for the better in Kingsville.
“It’s just amazing how many people want to come
back each year and donate and participate,” said
Gus Canales, co-chair of the South Texas Charity
Weekend. “It really has brought the community
together to benefit our local entities.”
The idea first began three decades ago when
Frank and Mary Grace Horlock, Nolan and Ruth
Ryan, and Tio and Janell Kleberg teamed up to
create an event to raise private donations for
charities in and around Kingsville.
Since those early days, the event has raised more
than $15,000,000 for area charities with more
than 90% of those funds being distributed directly
to the organizations.
The weekend’s reach now includes funding
for projects and upgrades to CHRISTUS Spohn
Hospital-Kleberg, the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife
Research Institute, the King Ranch Institute for
Ranch Management at TAMU-Kingsville and
Halo-Flight.
One organization in particular, CHRISTUS Spohn,
is near and dear to founder Tio Kleberg’s heart,
who himself was a patient after suffering a heart
attack and has had many family members treated
at the hospital.
“I’m really focused on the health care; if you do
not have your health you have nothing,” shared
Kleberg, co-chair of the South Texas Charity
Weekend. “You can have all the things — a good
job, good family, but if you’ve lost your health all
of it is for no reason.”
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Kleberg says elevating the care of the hospital
into a state-of-the-art facility is something he is
passionate about. “I have a lot of friends who have
utilized this hospital, there’s not another one like
it in South Texas,” Kleberg added. “It has the best
people, the best nurses and doctors; it takes care
of you on a first-class basis.”
“It’s the mission of CHRISTUS Spohn to extend
the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to all they are
privileged to serve which makes it such a valuable
community partner, and one which needs our
support”, South Texas Charity Weekend Co-chair
Bill Colston shared.
“The philosophy to love and care for patients
changed exponentially when Spohn took over the
facility,” Colston said. “It didn’t matter if someone
could pay or not, they were going to take care of
that person and I appreciate that and will never
forget. That’s what they do - that’s their mission.
For Colston and his fellow chairmen giving
their time and talent to the South Texas Charity
Weekend is a labor of love as they have seen
firsthand the impact participants’ generosity has
had on the community.
“These are our people; these are our friends and
neighbors we have known all our lives. It’s huge to
bring in this money and help these institutions,”
Colston added.
Each year, the South Texas Charity Weekend
kicks off late in January with a Friday night
cocktail party at the home of Janell & Tio Kleberg.
Brad Lomax, owner of Water Street Seafood Co.,
has generously donated the food for the cocktail
party for the past 15 years.
While word has spread not only about the
fun events, great experiences and the lasting
friendships being built for the benefit of the
community, the guest list remains limited.
“About 80 percent of the people who come each
year have been coming for the past 18 years or
more, and I think that says a lot about the event,”