The Jim Wells County community and the Driscoll Children’s Hospital partnered Tuesday, July 15th, for the annual Cattleman’s Roundup to raise money to help children in South Texas.
Many people gathered at the Auction Barn to support the hospital and their continued efforts to care for children in the Coastal Bend.
For more than 35 years the county’s 4H organizations have helped raise money for Driscoll Children’s Hospital. The non-profit hospital helps families around South Texas including Eddie Saenz.
"I think it's a blessing. I know it's been a blessing for me,” said Eddie Saenz, whose son was a patient of Driscoll Children's Hospital.
Saenz’s son then 4-years-old got really sick. Another hospital sent him home, but they wanted a second opinion.
"So, we went to Driscoll and they found out he wasn't digesting his food. So, if we had just gone home, you know, our son would've died,” Saenz said.
He said without Driscoll Children’s Hospital many families wouldn’t have a place to turn to, especially if they don’t have insurance.
That’s why they depend on the community to keep them going by selling home baked goods, home decor, and farm and ranch supplies.
"We're having our annual Cattleman's Roundup here at the Gulf Coasts Auction Barn and we are so excited because all of the kids from the 4-H groups, local community members, ranchers, farmers, all the supporters out here come out,” said Whitney Hendley, Driscoll Children’s Hospital Major Gifts Officer.
Whitney Hendley said events like this keeps this hospital running.
"Driscoll Children's Hospital is a non-profit hospital and we serve a lot of kiddos from this area. And it's great to get them the care they need,” she said.
Over the years, the Cattleman’s Roundup has helped raise more than $4 million.
Kinleigh Carr has been a part of this event for the last 12 years with the Orange Grove Country Kids 4H. She said she’s proud to be a part of it.
"The benefit of this event is truly just being able to have a peace of mind that there is somebody out there that can take care of their child and somebody, a community that will back them in the end,” Carr said.
This year, all the money raised will go towards the hospital’s critical care transport team.
Organizers hope to raise more than $40,000 for Tuesday’s auction.
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