As communities across the Texas Hill Country marked one year since the devastating Fourth of July floods, people gathered at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels on Saturday to honor those who lost their lives while raising money for families still recovering.
The Independence Day celebration featured live music, food, games and family-friendly activities, with fundraising efforts benefiting the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund.
Saturday marked one year since the catastrophic flooding that claimed the lives of more than 100 people across the Texas Hill Country.
Organizers said they wanted the event to celebrate Independence Day, while recognizing that many families continue to recover from the disaster.
“We wanted to celebrate, we also had to keep in mind that a lot of people are still struggling, a lot of people still need help, and so we’ve been talking about it all year, about what we can do to help them move forward,” said Tim Conway, senior director of operations for Momentous Concepts.
Attendees said the anniversary served as a reminder of how quickly lives changed one year ago.
“It really put everything into perspective, how something can happen so fast,” Laura Baker said. “How a beautiful, happy day can quickly turn into one of Texas’ biggest nightmares … disasters.”
Baker said attending the event was one way to support families still grieving.
“I think it’s for a great cause,” Baker said. “I feel like there are so many families who are grieving and I don’t mind us being here to help benefit them.”
Fundraising efforts throughout the day included hot dog sales benefiting the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, round-up donations at points of sale and a $1,000 donation from Independence Brewing Company. Additional money was raised through special promotions and auctions during the event.
Even a year later, attendees said they want those impacted by the floods to know they have not been forgotten.
“Everybody is still praying for all those people, and still supporting all those people, because we can’t even imagine what they’ve been through,” Deborah Stolle said.
Michael Gosselin said he continues to think about the families who lost children in the flooding.
“Those people that lost their kids … Could you imagine sending your daughter to camp and they don’t come back?” Gosselin said.
Organizers said they hope the event serves as a reminder that while the anniversary marks a year since the tragedy, the need for support continues for families rebuilding across the Texas Hill Country.