Lance Winter
DRIFTWOOD — Shotguns echoed across Hog Heaven Sporting Club Saturday, June 6, as participants gathered for the Hill Country Rally for Kids’ annual sporting clay shoot, raising funds and awareness for Foster Village, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children and families impacted by foster care.
The event, one of Hill Country Rally's largest fundraisers of the year, designated Foster Village as the beneficiary of proceeds generated from the competition.
"This event only is benefiting the people here at Foster Village," said Ross Van Burkleo, chairman of the board for Hill Country Rally for Kids.
Founded nearly 20 years ago, Hill Country Rally began as a small effort by car and motorcycle enthusiasts who wanted to provide tennis shoes for boys living at the Burke Center in Driftwood. Since then, the organization has grown into a nonprofit that supports children's charities throughout the Texas Hill Country.
"In 2027, we'll celebrate our 20th anniversary," Van Burkleo said. "We're close to scratching $2 million in 20 years. We're so blessed."
This year's beneficiary, Foster Village, was founded a decade ago in Dripping Springs by Crystal Smith and her family after experiencing firsthand the challenges of foster parenting.
"Anybody who has kids, I think we'd all agree it truly takes a village," Smith told attendees. "The proverb is true and we learned that there's really no such thing as other people's children."
Smith said her family's experience of fostering children revealed how isolated many foster families feel and how often they lack the support needed to succeed.
"There are thousands of kids in Central Texas navigating the foster care system," she said. "What we learned while we were fostering is that there is a lot of isolation and that families who step up to foster are often doing it without the support they need."
What began as a grassroots passion project has grown into a comprehensive support network serving foster, kinship and biological families. Foster Village operates a resource center that provides clothing, diapers, shoes, baby supplies and other essentials for children entering foster care or other crisis situations.
"Any given day, you're going to see kids and families there who have just been taken out of a really traumatic situation and are met with community," Smith said. "They get the essential items and support they need and we get to tell them it was provided by the community."
According to Smith, the organization's impact extends far beyond emergency supplies.
Historically, more than half of foster families stopped fostering within their first year. Smith said support provided through Foster Village has helped change that trend.
"More than 98% of the families we serve say they're able to keep going because of the support they've received," she said.
Since its founding 10 years ago, Foster Village has supported families caring for nearly 15,000 children throughout Central Texas.
Van Burkleo said Hill Country Rally focuses its charitable efforts on organizations serving children, primarily in Hays County. Through annual grant programs, fundraising events and vehicle raffles, the nonprofit works to identify needs and direct resources where they can have the greatest impact.
"We really try to focus on the Hays County area to be the most impactful," he said.
The organization hosts several events throughout the year, including a car show, championship barbecue competition, annual gala and plans to revive a golf tournament next year at Vaaler Creek Golf Club in Blanco.
Van Burkleo said one of the most meaningful lessons he has learned through the organization's charitable work is that recognition can be just as valuable as financial support.
"I delivered a check for just $2,000 once and didn't think it would mean much," he said. "The person told me it wasn't just the money. It was knowing somebody was listening and cared about what they were doing."
As Hill Country Rally approaches its 20th anniversary, organizers hope more residents will become involved by attending events, volunteering or supporting fundraising efforts.
For Smith, community support remains the key to helping vulnerable children and families thrive.
"It's things like this that make it possible," she said. "This is making it possible for these kids and families to get the support they need."
For more information about Hill Country Rally for Kids and its charitable programs, visit www.hcrally.com.
