Group of Central Texas volunteers that helps people in need raises more than $1 million in 2025

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A local committee of volunteers who has made it their mission to help people in need hit a major milestone, raising over a million dollars in 2025 alone.

Wes Waller has led the effort of the team of 16 core volunteers for about a decade. He said the group of hard workers include business owners, bankers, GM’s of businesses and “ladies that just get it done.”

Many other volunteers jump in on each event to make it work.

The committee hosted a benefit Sunday for Melissa Richards, or Robinson, who is fighting stage four cancer.

After the event, Wes was told about the milestone.

“We have raised over one million dollars in 2025 alone and that’s not why we do it but with that being said when he mentioned one million dollars in 12 months, I just felt like this committee really needs to be recognized,” Waller told KWTX.

In 2025 the committee has hosted 10 large events mostly at Lee Lockwood Library in Waco.

Those included the “Miracle for the McFarland’s” event which raised nearly $150,000 for the family of Jack McFarland.

Jack was born with a combination of critical congenital heart defects which left him fighting for his life and hospitalized for six months.

He is home, healthy and loving life with his family today.

In August, the committee helped raise over $120,000 for Central Texas softball star Emily Bounds of Moody.

Emily is fighting stage four melanoma which left her paralyzed.

The group also raised money this year for the Robinson Education Foundation, Buzz Softball and this past week for the Reach Therapeutic Riding Center and the “Grand Slam for Melissa” event.

Wes said it’s taken a lot of dedicated volunteers but also the community for making the events successful.

“We meet weekly for these events, and we go out and we hustle live auction. We hustle silent auction items. We go beg and borrow everything we can,” Wes said. “We did that a lot this year, and I feel like it’s only fair for the community to know that they’re a big part of this. We put these events together and then four or 500 hundred people show up and make it happen.”

The committee consists of Waller and his wife Jae, Neil Ling, Colleen Ling, Kyle Heard, Vickie Heard, Dwayne Montigny, Sharon Montigny, Alicia Williams, BJ Dulock, Jennifer Dulock, Debbie Latham, Meredith Redding, Brenda Light, Mike Betke, Randy Solberg and Clayton Hall.

Copyright 2025 KWTX. All rights reserved.