Winter Texans Open Hearts To RGV

Auctioneer Bruce Henderson takes bids during an auction at 4 Seasons Resort RV to benefit a local toy drive administered by the Brownsville Police Department.

The roughly 100,000 Winter Texans in the Rio Grande Valley do more than enjoy each other’s company at social events and spend their dollars at local restaurants and stores.

Winter Texans are known for their volunteerism and philanthropy, such as a recent event in Brownsville to donate toys and funds to benefit local children.

They also give back to Valley communities. Winter Texans do so through their volunteerism benefitting hospitals, schools and nonprofit organizations. Many provide financial donations as well in supporting a wide variety of worthwhile efforts and projects in the RGV.

Kristi Collier is the president and chief executive officer of Welcome Home Rio Grande Valley, a company that provides Winter Texans with an array of services and products. Collier is at the forefront of studying the economic and social impact Winter Texans make on their Valley communities. The aspects of volunteerism and philanthropy as provided by Winter Texans deserves more intensive study, she said.

“It’s no secret that Winter Texans volunteer, whether it be in their RV resort or in the local community, but the impact of this seasonal manpower has gone unmeasured,” Collier said. “I feel that is such an important piece of the puzzle that we have added questions to our economic impact study to try to find out just how much they contribute.”

‘Happy They’re Here’

Collier wants to dig deep in determining not only the time donated by Winter Texans with volunteerism, “but where, as well as measuring donations, whether they be cash or in kind.”

Auctioneer Bruce Henderson gets help from a 4 Seasons park resident at a fundraiser to benefit Brownsville children.

All of that is to be precisely determined. In the meantime, those on the receiving end of Winter Texan volunteerism and financial donations already know what they mean to RGV communities.

“We’re happy they’re here,” said Commander Robert Martinez of the Brownsville Police Department while attending a recent event at a local RV park. “They open their hearts to our community. They are not originally from here but they’re part of the community.”

All of that was evident during an early December soup dinner night at the 4 Seasons RV Resort in Brownsville.

The residents of 4 Seasons RV Resort in Brownsville gather yearly for a soup supper and fundraiser to benefit children in Brownsville during the holidays.

Park resident and auctioneer Bruce Henderson stood before a roomful of fellow Winter Texans. He was on a mission to sell toys back to the residents who had previously purchased the Christmas gifts at area stores. It’s all part of a yearly fundraiser and auction at 4 Seasons, an annual event at the Brownsville RV Park since 1982. The park’s manager Joanna Keller calls it “the most important event for our park every year.”

And it’s all to benefit the children of Brownsville who live in low-income neighborhoods and who count on the donated toys to brighten up their Christmas. The 4 Seasons residents buy back the toys they previously purchased and the items are then donated to the police department for direct distribution to local youth. The funds raised during the auction are also given to the police department and its dedicated holiday fund to buy Brownsville children Christmas gifts. The park donated $7,000 and toys to the police department in 2022.

“They show a lot of kindness for our kids,” said Martinez while Henderson enthusiastically auctioned off the toys at bids three or four times greater than actual store value. “It just goes to show how much they do and how important Winter Texans are to our community.”

The residents of 4 Seasons RV Resort in Brownsville gather for a fundraiser auction to benefit a toy drive project administered by the local police department.

Making Kids Smile

Wayne Morrison’s mother, Gloria Laney, was among the three founders of the 4 Seasons toy drive in the early 1980s.

Morrison is now a 4 Seasons resident himself and noted the event also includes baked goods like cakes and pies made by park residents. They sell the baked goods to each other for over $100 a piece to raise additional funds for the local holiday toy drive.

“The auction is such fun,” Morrison said in a written account of the auction’s history. “There is always friendly but serious rivalry between bidders that provides lots of laughs.”

The end goal is always the same. The 4 Seasons residents want Brownsville kids to have a happy Christmas.

“It’s wonderful to see the faces of the kids when they receive their gifts,” said Mary Kaye Derring, a 4 Seasons resident and activity director at the park. “It’s something that’s really important to us. We talk it up at our meetings and everyone joins in to help.”

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