- Wyatt Ranches Foundation has donated $1,072,000 - this year.
- Money donated to organizations like Ramirez School and the United Veterans Burial Association will be used to purchase a van and for veteran funeral expenses.
Already this year, donations and grants from the Wyatt Ranches Foundation and Wyatt Ranches have exceeded $1,072,000. Last week, during a Wyatt Ranches Foundation Board of Directors meeting held at the Tasajillo Division in Realitos, grants and donations were awarded to several organizations for needed services and to enhance the quality of life in rural communities of South Texas.
The United Veterans Burial Association, an organization that provides military funeral honors for veterans in South Texas counties, had requested a $2,000 donation. The Foundation surprised the veterans with a $30,000 grant, as advocated for by Jim Wells County Sheriff Daniel J. Bueno, who appeared in support of the veterans. The Burial Association’s Commander Gilbert Trevino, along with several honor guard members, expressed their appreciation for a previous grant from the Ranches in 2020, which funded a black Ford Transit van for transporting the honor guard to and from funerals. Comm. Trevino stated they were now needing funds for uniforms and other expenses to provide the military funeral honors. The Foundation acknowledged the veterans for volunteering their time to provide these emotional and final military honors for South Texas veterans.
The Ramirez Common School District had asked the Foundation for $70,000 to purchase a Ford Transit van. The van was needed for transporting pupils to and from school. The school was represented by Superintendent Gloria Hamill and Trustee Irma Lopez. The Foundation’s Board determined the school did not need a van, but an actual school bus. The Foundation provided a grant for almost double the school’s request in the amount $120,000 and a 2024 model school bus was delivered to the District within seventy-two hours. This new bus is the second school bus donated to Ramirez CSD by the Wyatt Ranches Foundation, as a previous new school bus was funded in 2021.
Alice Police Chief Eden Garcia and Police Department's Chaplain Troy Riggs appeared before the Foundation Board and requested funds for computer tablets and the corresponding mobile connections for their patrol cars. Chief Garcia spoke of the need to replace the officers’ older laptop computers with these more modern and efficient tablets. The chief also gave statistics that reflected a decline in burglaries and an overall downward trend of crime in Alice. A grant for $80,000 was awarded for the field-use computer tablets and the vehicle cradle points.
Roma Police Chief Iv Garcia Jr. accompanied by Officer Jorge Oyervides Jr., requested a paramedic response Chevrolet Suburban for emergency medical services to be provided by the Police Department in Roma when the Starr County Memorial Hospital ambulance was not immediately available or when needed in conjunction with their services. Chief Iv Garcia indicated almost all his police officers were cross-trained and certified in firefighting and/or EMS services. He stressed the need to not only provide the Chevrolet Suburban, but to also equip the vehicle with advanced lifesaving and rescue equipment, which the city could not fund. Chief Iv Garcia indicated that the increased border traffic of migrants has created many more calls for emergency services and local government resources were stressed. The Foundation provided a $100,000 grant for the Roma Police and thanked the Roma police officers for their dedication to public safety in their border community.
The Freer Independent School District requested funds for enhancements and upgrades to their athletic facilities. Duval County Commissioner Marty Perez accompanied Superintendent Conrad Cantu, and the District’s Athletic Director, Fran Adami, gave a detailed presentation of the school’s needs. Their request was unanimously approved and grant for $50,000 was awarded to Freer ISD.
Corpus Christi Police Department's Sergeant Ron Zirbes and Jon Box of the Police Athletic League received a grant for $30,000 for upgrades needed to their athletic complex. Sgt. Zirbes stated the funds would be used to improve the League’s facilities, which are used for after-school sporting activities for the youth of Corpus Christi.
Duval County Sheriff Romeo Ramirez, Chief Deputy Gino Martinez, and Sgt Lucas Wallek requested a grant for their continued community-oriented patrols, where deputies protect school sporting events, life safety services at neighborhood action events, funeral escorts, added patrols in rural and outlying communities - all after their regular duty hours. Community-oriented patrols are intended to build partnerships between citizens and law enforcement for safer neighborhoods, which allow for the deputies to engage more with the community. In addition, funds for a crisis entry team were requested to gain access to structures during emergencies. The board voted to award a grant for $100,000 to the Sheriff’s Office in San Diego.
The South Texas Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) requested funds for their military drills and training needs. Colonel Luis Barrera and Major Saul Gonzalez, along with an honor guard from the JROTC, appeared before the Board. Although the Colonel had requested $20,000 from the Foundation, the Board was moved by the group’s dedication and awarded a grant more than double their request, in the amount of $50,000.
The Texas DPS Troopers Foundation appeared before the Board and was represented by Director Clay Taylor, Highway Patrol Lieutenant Richard L. Jankovsky III, and by former Highway Patrol Sergeant and now Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne. Sheriff Hawthorne, who is now the President of the DPS Troopers Foundation, presented a request for scholarships to students whose parents are members of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for $60,000. In addition to the educational scholarships, their organization provides support for members of the DPS and their respective families, many of which are paramount when a member of the Department of Public Safety is killed in the line of duty. With this in mind, the Foundation’s Board provided a grant in excess of the requested amount and awarded $70,000 to the state trooper’s organization.
The San Isidro Independent School District received $20,000 for one $10,000 college scholarship and two $5,000 trade school scholarships to be awarded to students entering fields and trades relating to ranching and/or occupations that would benefit rural areas.
The San Diego Rotarians received their Duval County Fair 2024 allocation for $272,000, which exceeded last year’s grant provided by the Wyatt Ranches Foundation. The Rotarians will announce the details of the fair’s proceeds sometime in April or May.
Lastly, two health-related grants were awarded. Friends of Hope, an organization in the Rio Grande Valley, had requested a donation for $7,500.00 to aid children who are stricken with cancer. The Board surprised the organization with a grant in the amount of $30,000 to provide this critical assistance to children needing chemotherapy treatments. In addition, a grant in the amount of $120,000 was awarded to UT Health in relation to their treatment of children suffering from skin cancer.
Situated in South Texas and also in West Texas, Wyatt Ranches has six cattle ranching divisions. These cattle ranches are scattered south from Agua Dulce to the Rio Grande River; and west from Marfa to Valentine, with some ranches supplemented with agricultural farming operations. The Wyatt Ranches Foundation has made numerous donations to governmental entities and non-profit organizations in the rural areas of both South and West Texas…as well as donations to hospitals and teaching universities in the metropolitan areas of Texas. The Foundation’s Board of Directors includes Judge Ana Lisa Garza, Robert T. “Tio” Sakowitz, William C. “Billy” Wells, Oscar S. “Trey” Wyatt III, and Bradford A. “Brad” Wyatt.
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