This summer’s Annual Golf Cart Poker Run was more than just a memorable day of beach cruising—it was an extraordinary display of community spirit and compassion that reached far beyond our shores.
With over 500 competitors loading into 172 vibrantly decorated golf carts, the event was an overwhelming success, raising significant funds earmarked to support our local schools and volunteer fire departments, as it does every year.
A Turn to the Texans in Need
However, in a truly heartwarming gesture, our local officials decided to re-direct this year’s funds. Recognizing the catastrophic impact of the July 4 floods in the Texas Hill Country, leaders from our local schools and fire departments agreed to donate their expected share to their counterparts devastated by the disaster.
Last week, the spirit of our Poker Run was carried directly to the impacted region. Crenshaw Principal Tracie Camp and her husband Bryan made the trip to deliver checks to the designated recipients, bringing a little bit of coastal hope inland.
Delivering Hope to Small-Town Heroes
The trip highlighted the critical needs in smaller communities often overlooked by major media coverage, which largely focused on the larger town of Kerrville.
- In Bandera, they met with Paul Heitzman, a dedicated volunteer fireman with the Waring VFD, who was deeply grateful for the unexpected support.
- In Ingram, Tracie and Bryan met with three School District Superintendents who were visibly overwhelmed to receive money specifically earmarked for their students and teachers.
“The superintendents were so grateful to us for doing our homework and finding out that the little districts were desperately in need as well,” Tracie reported. “They had been mostly left out of the news stories, and this money will make a huge difference in getting their schools back on their feet.”
Echoes of Home
The devastation in the area, from Ingram to Hunt and beyond, was shocking. Tracie described a landscape radically altered by the flooding: riverbeds extend nearly to the highway in many places, and many homes are simply gone, leaving only concrete slabs. The scene, she noted, was a poignant reminder of our own peninsula after Hurricane Ike.
The success of the Poker Run—and the generosity of our local leaders in directing the funds where they were most desperately needed—proves once again that our community is defined not just by the fun we have, but by the compassion we share.
THANK YOU!! from Lauren Tripp, Communications Director, Ingram Independent School District
Hi Tracie,
Thank you so much for taking the time to visit Ingram ISD today to present the generous donations from the Bolivar Peninsula Golf Cart Poker Run fundraiser to Ingram, Center Point, and Hunt ISDs. Your thoughtfulness and the outpouring of support from your schools and the Bolivar Peninsula community means so much to us all.
It’s clear that your kindness comes from a place of deep understanding. Hearing how your school and community has weathered hurricanes and received help from others made your visit especially meaningful. We are so grateful that you chose to extend that same spirit of compassion to our schools.
Please share our heartfelt appreciation with everyone who contributed to this incredible gesture. It was truly a pleasure meeting you, and we wish you safe travels back to the coast.
