A Legacy of Love

Written by Mitch Campbell. Posted on December 10, 2024 in Talk Tuesday

Grady Doles Kids' Foundation

• Status: 501(c)(3) Certified since 2023
• Years in Operation: 5 years
• Activity: Annual "Day of Christmas" for the kids of The Texarkana Baptist Children's Home

How It Began

During COVID, my wife, Lori, and I began occasionally delivering lunches to The Texarkana Children's Home. We wanted to help ease the burden of providing additional meals, knowing their budget likely wasn't prepared for the increased demand caused by school closures.

When I shared this with my friends at Gusano's Pizzeria, they were eager to get involved. One of our group members, Mr. Grady Doles, had a particularly soft spot for kids and was passionate about supporting this cause. With Christmas approaching, we decided to honor Grady by planning a special day for the children.

Sadly, Grady fell ill and was admitted to the hospital as we prepared for the event. Determined not to disappoint the children, we decided to proceed as planned. In the early morning hours of the event day, Grady passed away at the age of 92. Our hearts were shattered, but we came together and agreed to move forward with the event, knowing that's what Grady would have wanted.

What began as a way to honor our dear friend transformed into a tradition in his memory. Each year on December 21, since the day we lost Grady, we gather with friends to share a day filled with smiles and joy. While the faces and numbers may change, the abundance of happiness remains constant, filling the children's hearts—and ours—with love and the true spirit of Christmas. This year, for the first time, the event will take place on December 19 to accommodate holiday travel schedules. While the date may be different, the spirit of the gathering remains unchanged—a celebration of community, kindness, and the enduring legacy of Grady's generous heart. 

The Day's Events

1. Limo Bus Ride(Santa's Sleigh): The children and resident parents are picked up at the home around 12:30 PM.
2. Lunch at Gusano's Pizzeria: Gusano's provides lunch free of charge for the children, parents, and shopping volunteers—After all, that is where most of our group meets and where we spend time together regularly. 
3. Shopping at Sam's Club: The children's and home's needs lists are fulfilled free of charge, and Sam's wraps the gifts. Employees gather to welcome the kids with heartfelt enthusiasm—there's rarely a dry eye in the room.
4. Walmart: Each child is given a designated amount of money to shop for whatever they want. We encourage our group members to bring their children to shop with the kids of the home to increase the joy of the experience even more. 
5. Academy Sports: Each child is given another shopping budget to choose whatever they desire. Academy Sports has donated a portion of the purchases every year and continues to do so.
6. Evening at Northridge Country Club: The day ends at the fire pit with s'mores, time for the kids to relax and play, and a raffle drawing for a gun and spa package.

 In past years, Chick-fil-A has provided nugget trays for the kids to take home. This year, Bubba's 33, courtesy of Cody Hildebrand, will send meals home with the children and parents.

Making a Bigger Impact

This year, the foundation was able to donate $5,000 to help the home purchase school clothes. Additionally, Lamar and Melissa Grace generously provided backpacks chosen by the children.

As you can see, we work hard to make this day as special as possible for the children in memory of our amazing friend, Grady Doles. Our dream is to expand these efforts and help even more children throughout the year.

How You Can Help

Our foundation has been primarily funded by our group of friends, with additional support from Diamond Bank and State Bank. However, we need more contributions to continue growing this mission.

If you would like to contribute, you can:

• Contact Mitch Campbell at 903-908-9715 or Robert Davis at 903-277-5899.
• Make a deposit at Diamond Bank into the Grady Doles Kids' Foundation account (501(c)(3) receipts available upon request).
• Visit us at Gusano's Pizzeria and ask for the foundation at the first high-top table.

Thank you for your consideration and support. Together, we can continue bringing smiles to faces and joy to hearts!

Special thanks to SkinsRN for donating the spa package, Joe Fowler for his gun raffle donation this year, and Jerry Rochelle for his contribution to last year's raffle.