KYLE – Come April 6, Operation: Hats Off for Veterans will be celebrating 20 years of raising funds to support veterans in achieving their goals.
Founded in 2005 and coordinated by Lisa Adams, the event was originally called Hats Off For Hospice, which had a goal of fulfilling local hospice patients’ end-of-life wishes. Due to the support of the community, several came true from hot air balloon rides to family portraits to fancy meals that never seemed possible and even playing with the band again.
“We had a lady who'd never eaten lobster ever. She'd never had a lobster and she would say to us, ‘That was rich people's food,” Adams, the CEO of the operation, said. “We had an executive chef come into her little, tiny apartment and cook her the biggest lobster you could possibly imagine on a plate.”
Adams worked for the hospice program at Central Texas Medical Center in San Marcos when she originally launched Hats Off for Hospice, but when she left the hospital, she knew that she did not want the event to come to an end. Thanks to the continued support of Kent Black of Black’s BBQ, Larry Kruzie of Texas Old Town and Texas Oncology San Marcos, she was able to continue the event, known as the Operation: Hats Off for Veterans BBQ Gala, in a new light.
“As the community event started to grow in 2023, I think we hit almost close to 800 people in attendance, we decided to make it a nonprofit. And now, two and a half years later, we have already given out a few grants and scholarships. We're really excited about what the future holds for us now as a nonprofit,” the CEO said. “This 20-year celebration is really a milestone for us as far as the community event coming so far of bringing people together. It doesn't really matter what the cause was; it's just so cool that the same people come together every year, expecting this Hats Off community event.”
The organization focuses on higher education, workforce development and mental health for veterans in Texas.
As one of its focuses on higher education, Hats Off offers two scholarship opportunities. The Higher Education Scholarship Fund is open to veterans enrolled in both two- and four-year programs who are working toward their first undergraduate degree. The scholarship offers a $2,000 award per academic year, provided as a single payment upon submission of proof of enrollment and registration. For 2025, two scholarships will be awarded to honorably discharged veterans.
Another scholarship, the MSG Jimmie Quintero Endowment is an annual contribution from retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant Jimmie Quintero and his wife, Shin. This $1,000 scholarship is awarded to a veteran beginning their college journey as a freshman in 2025.
“Although the military provides the GI Bill for the veteran, which covers 100% of their educational costs, it doesn't help pay for living costs, such as groceries or mortgage, rent, car payments, things like that,” Adams explained. “This scholarship that we give … it's really just an extra allowance for the veteran to have to keep their mind at peace [and] to kind of lessen their stress.”
Hats Off also values providing mental health resources for veterans across the state with its program called Courage to Connect, which focuses on being a navigation tool for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Zoom meetings are held at 7 p.m. Central Standard Time the first Monday of every month.
“Veterans from around the world — [it] doesn't matter where you are — can log in the first Monday of every month to this Zoom and talk,” Adams said. “It's kind of like Alcoholics Anonymous, but it's for veterans who are suffering from PTSD. So, veterans log in and they speak with each other, they share their stories and they support each other and we sponsor that.”
As the gala is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and the organization continues to see growth in ways to help veterans, Adams is looking ahead with a goal to go nationwide and have a chapter in each state. But currently, the strategic plan is to raise enough funds to support the scholarships, along with the grant workforce and mental health programs.
“I appreciate my volunteer board of directors. Without them, we could not do this. We are all volunteers. We do not have a paid staff member,” Adams concluded. “I volunteer my time as a CEO … We do this as a community and I'm grateful for them, that there are those people who've been around these last 20 years to help us with this.”
The 20th anniversary of the Operation: Hats Off for Veterans BBQ Gala will be held from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, April 6, at Texas Old Town, 1205 Roland Ln, Kyle.
To find ticket information for the gala, or to learn more about Hats Off for Veterans, visit www.ohofv.org/home.
