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Big Springs Ranch Auxiliary & Thrift Store |
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Gary Priour, Founder of HCYR at Ingram and Big Springs Ranch for Children, 50 miles west, near Leakey, says that the Auxiliary organizations in Kerr County and in Real County are the backbone of the ministry, and one of the best thing the kids have going for them. "You just can't imagine what these organizations do for the children. They raise money for their programs and get them important gifts at birthdays and Christmas, but even more than that, they are an extended family -- ambassadors in the community, a welcoming committee, a set of individual mentors, aunts, uncles and grandpas waiting to greet each child with special affection and care." The Big Springs Ranch Auxiliary was formed in 1999 as a response to the opening of BSRC's first children's residence, the Davenport Homestead. Two Leakey leaders, Judy Taylor and Pat Hamman, invited area men and women to an initial meeting, and within a year, there were over 100 members in a town that boasted a population of "less than 400". Beginning with that first Dedication Ceremony on April 30, 1999, the Big Springs Ranch Auxiliary has hosted an annual barbeque for an average of 400 guests a year who come from far and wide, from across Texas, to see the year's progress at Big Springs Ranch and share a meal on the banks of the beautiful Frio River. Following in the tradition of the Hill Country Youth Ranch Auxiliary in Kerr County, the organization started immediately in 1999 welcoming the new children who come to live at the Ranch, providing them with a welcome basket of personal items, and special gifts on their birthdays and at Christmas. The women also provide each new child with a homemade quilt, given at a Christmas party they host at the Ranch. Members go out of their way to include the children in community activities, inviting them to their churches, and reaching out to make them feel at home in the small rural town just 9 miles south of the Ranch.
Activities sponsored by the Auxiliary include helping the children enter the annual Leakey Christmas tree decorating contest, which the children have won for several years running, and taking part in the "Relay for Life" program which raises money for cancer research. Each year, the group helps the children build and enter a float in the parade during the "July Jubilee", Leakey's biggest traditional celebration, held the week of July 4. BSRC has won "Best Entry" in the parade five of the last six years, thanks to the Auxiliary's commitment to involve the children in all aspects of the project. Above, Oma Bell Perry rides in her last parade in 2002, holding the trophy won by the children living at her Ranch.
In 2000, the Big Springs Auxiliary opened a thrift store in Leakey's town square, on Evergreen St., just behind the county courthouse, in a donated building which volunteers soon fixed up in to one of Leakey's quaintest shops. The store has become a community treasure, a place for locals and tourists to visit and shop, and a bountiful source of goods and revenues for BSRC children and programs. The Auxiliary also raises funds for an educational endowment, the Oma Bell Perry Scholarship Fund, which makes gifts to Ranch graduates who go to college. |
Big Springs Ranch Brief History of Big Springs Ranch
AKA: The Place of a Thousand Angels ~~~ The Big Springs Ranch Thrift Store is open 10:00 to 4:00 Thursday, Friday and Saturday of each week. ~~~ The Store is growing and needs more volunteers! The Store offers a wonderful opportunity for service and involvement. We invite you to visit, to browse, and to find out how you can help. ~~~
Big Springs Thrift Store
(behind Leakey Courthouse) ~~~ For more information on joining the BSRC Auxiliary, call 830-232-4121, the main BSRC number, and speak to one of our staff about contacting the Auxiliary in Leakey, or attending an upcoming meeting. Call the same number to inquire about a tour of the Big Springs Ranch. ~~~
"We can never say it enough: it is only through the dedication and hard work of our volunteers that the Ranch has been able to grow and prosper and expand into two ranches, each with its own extended family and auxiliary support system." HCYR and BSRC Founder and Director Gary Priour |
