Members of the Texas Self Storage Association (TSSA) raised more than $188,000 last year for the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston, Texas, and surpassed $1 million in lifetime giving. The donation was the largest contribution the organization has made since it began raising funds for the hospital 15 years ago, according to a press release. In 2015, it raised more than $150,000.
TSSA representatives presented Shriners with a check to celebrate the milestone during a recent tour of the hospital. “When you see the way the hospital approaches care, treating the whole child—both body and mind—with the goal of returning their life to normalcy, you can’t help but be profoundly affected,” said Doug Hunt, co-chair for the TSSA Fundraising Committee. “TSSA members are incredibly generous, and this is such a worthy cause. It’s an honor to raise funds for this hospital, and I’m proud that we were able to surpass the $1 million goal this year.”
TSSA raises funds by hosting a silent and live auction as well as a charity poker tournament during its annual conference each fall. A significant portion of the funds also comes from individual members, the release stated.
“In reaching $1 million raised, TSSA has risen to an exclusive level that few supporters join,” said Dr. David Herndon, chief of staff for Shriners. “Their transformational gifts represent a commitment to support Shriners Hospitals for Children in our efforts to provide the best clinical care, to advance research and to train the healthcare professionals of tomorrow. We are deeply honored to have partnered with TSSA for 15 years, and look forward to many years of continued friendship.”
Since the hospital entered the burn-care field in 1966, the survival rate of children with burns on more than 50 percent of their body surface has doubled. Today, patients with burns on more than 90 percent of their body can survive and go on to lead productive lives thanks to the cutting-edge clinical care, research and education regardless of a families’ ability to pay, the release stated.
“TSSA members are very generous, and through their generosity, our budget remains viable while enabling us to remain the world's most recognized pediatric burns-treatment hospital,” said Greg McEwen, Shriner’s incoming chairman of the board. “Their gifts come from the heart, and we cherish the relationship not only with the TSSA, but also each of the members. I cannot thank them enough for what they do and mean to us.”
The TSSA Fundraising Committee is making plans for its next campaign, which will largely be executed at the association’s 2017 conference. The event is scheduled for Oct. 18-20 in San Antonio.
Established in 1986, the TSSA is a nonprofit trade association dedicated to enhancing the quality of the self-storage industry in Texas. The association provides opportunities for members to increase their knowledge of the self-storage industry through education, research, discussion and exchange of information.
Shriners Hospitals for Children includes 22 hospitals in Canada, Mexico and the United States, providing advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.
