{"id":466256,"date":"2026-10-15T00:20:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T00:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/466256\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T00:20:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T00:20:08","slug":"fort-worth-chef-video-raises-1-million-for-kids-with-learning-differences-nbc-5-dallas-fort-worth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/466256\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Worth chef video raises $1 million for kids with learning differences \u2013 NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Fort Worth chef is using his own experience with dyslexia to do something good for kids with learning differences.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time I was in the 4th grade, I was pretty well done with school. I’d stacked up enough failures to get put in the resource program,\u201d Marcus Paslay said as he talked about the learning differences that made school a challenge. He was tested and diagnosed with dyslexia.<\/p>\n

\u201cFortunately for me, I have great parents who are not only able but willing to provide the private education needed to overcome some of those hurdles,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Paslay had parents, teachers, and resources to find strategies that helped him get through school, taught him techniques, and restored his confidence. College was more difficult, but culinary school opened a path to the restaurant industry.<\/p>\n

He opened his first restaurant in 2013 and now has six under his From Scratch Hospitality brand. <\/p>\n

With their success, Paslay and his wife Emily founded The Paslay Foundation<\/a>. The nonprofit hosts spirited celebrations of community and cuisine to raise funds in support of organizations changing the conversation about kids with learning differences.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe felt a real natural connection to do some sort of fundraising for organizations and for work that help kids with learning differences because we think there’s a lot of potential in those kids,\u201d Paslay said. \u201cThey just need the proper testing and tutoring and specialized education to achieve their potential. It’s certainly good for me, so it’s been great to give back.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Sunday, October 11th, Paslay hosted the 5th annual Indulge and Inspire event and transformed his Clay Pigeon Restaurant into a Casino Tropicana.<\/p>\n

Paslay believes through food, drink, and a revelatory spirit of giving, one night out can make a generational difference.<\/p>\n

In five years, his nonprofit has donated a million dollars to organizations such as Hill School, Key School and Literacy United.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think a lot of people either have personal experience with some sort of learning difference or know someone that does,\u201d he said. \u201cYou know, it’s tough when you’re struggling through school. And, you know, the first 13 years of your life, you’re kind of stacking up a lot failure. You know, that can really damage a kid’s confidence. And if we can step in early enough and give them the skills they need. To be successful in school and out of school, that confidence stays high, and it allows them to realize their potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paslay says he’s not a great reader or speller, but he’s learned techniques that help. He encourages kids with learning differences to see past any failures to a future where they can be successful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose struggles are making you stronger in other ways, and they’re honing skills that you’ll use one day, and they are gonna be very, very valuable to you,\u201d he advised. \u201cThat toughness, that grit, that resilience is gonna pay off one day, you know, maybe later, but it will pay off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paslay is also the parent of a child with a learning difference, and he offers encouragement to moms and dads, too. <\/p>\n

\u201cI would tell a parent, you know, be involved. Be an advocate for your kid, don’t be discouraged,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is not one path to success. It can go a million different directions, and your kid will find its way.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Fort Worth chef is using his own experience with dyslexia to do something good for kids with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":466257,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[116,118,117,5262],"class_list":["post-466256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-worth","tag-fort-worth","tag-fort-worth-headlines","tag-fort-worth-news","tag-something-good"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466256"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466256\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}