Let’s Help SA Raises $3.16 Million To Help San Antonians Recover From Winter Storms

SAN ANTONIO, TX, March 1, 2021 – Let’s Help SA, spearheaded by the Morgan’s Wonderland Inclusion Foundation (MWIF), has raised $3.16 million thus far to help San Antonians recover from the ravages of recent winter storms.

“We’re absolutely delighted with the amount received during the past week, and the good news is that donations are still coming in to provide even more assistance to those in distress throughout the community,” said Gordon Hartman, the driving force behind MWIF and creator of world-renowned Morgan’s Wonderland theme park. “We are sincerely and deeply grateful to everyone who gave so quickly and generously to the emergency fund. The donated dollars will help our neighbors in need of food, water and shelter get back on their feet.”

Hartman emphasized that the success of Let’s Help SA would not have been possible without generous contributions from Valero Energy, philanthropist Harvey E. Najim and many others in the community.

“We accepted Gordon Hartman’s call to action as so many people in San Antonio are suffering hardships through no fault of their own,” said Joe Gorder, Valero chairman and CEO. “Despite the historic challenges our business faced this past year, our company has been blessed, and we’re happy to support Let’s Help SA and provide food, shelter, fuel and other basic needs so important to everyday life but never more critical than during extreme weather events.”

“San Antonio once again has clearly demonstrated what a caring, supportive community it is through Let’s Help SA,” Najim added. “This swift outpouring of support to help people with food, shelter and utilities makes me truly proud to be a San Antonian. May our neighbors in tough circumstances recover from the winter storms as quickly as possible.”

MWIF identified three highly-respected, local non-profits – the San Antonio Food Bank, SAMMinistries and Haven for Hope – to receive Let’s Help SA funds to aid families and individuals in difficult circumstances. Hartman said the Let’s Help SA funding came just in time because the budgets of the three charitable organizations were already stretched thin due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden arrival of brutally-cold weather. All tax-deductible donations to Let’s Help SA via www.LetsHelpSA.com are going directly to winter storms relief. MWIF led the emergency fundraising effort but did not share in any of the campaign proceeds.

Fifty percent of the funds raised will be distributed today, and the remaining funds will be distributed by the end of the week, Hartman said. While the funds are being disbursed immediately, a formal check presentation will be announced in the coming weeks to give all partners involved in Let’s Help SA a chance to thank the community.

MWIF, an outgrowth of the success of the world’s first theme park designed with individuals with special needs in mind and built for everyone’s enjoyment, coordinates planning, fundraising and communication among Morgan’s Wonderland and other endeavors to help those who deal with physical and cognitive special needs. For more information about MWIF, visit www.MorgansWonderland.com/MWIF, or call (210) 495-5888.

Information about the non-profit organizations distributing Let’s Help SA aid can be found as follows: San Antonio Food Bank, www.safoodbank.org; SAMMinistries, www.samm.org; Haven for Hope, www.havenforhope.org.

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Adam Caskey

Adam's enthusiasm for the weather dates back to an early age, when he developed a natural curiosity for the inner workings of the atmosphere with a distinct interest in storms.

As he grew older, Adam’s interest in the weather blossomed, so he followed his passion all the way to the University of North Dakota where he learned from some of the best in the industry and earned a degree in Atmospheric Science.

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While in Washington D.C., Adam earned the coveted "Certified Broadcast

Meteorologist” designation by the American Meteorological Association, and in 2017, The Washington Post deemed him one of the country’s coolest Meteorologists. When he’s not busy forecasting enthusiastically for KSAT-12, Adam can be found refining his hobby of making homemade thermometers from scratch. Adam takes pride in crafting and calibrating each and every accurate thermometer for his very popular “Thermometer Thursday” segment where he gives them away to loyal viewers and donates them to local charities.

A native Minnesotan who enjoys the outdoors and loves to fish, Adam now calls San Antonio home where he resides with his wife, Pam and their three kids who all love their frequent visits to Morgan’s Wonderland.

Joe Mantegna

Joe was awarded the Tony and Joseph Jefferson Award for his acclaimed performance as Richard Roma in David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Glengarry Glen Ross. Some of Joe’s film and television highlights are; House of Games, Searching for Bobby Fisher, Godfather III, his Emmy and Golden Globe nominated role of Dean Martin in The Ratpack, his Emmy nominated role of Pipi Delana in “The Last Don,” and the voice of Fat Tony on The Simpsons. For two seasons Joe stared with Mary Steenburgen and Amber Tamblyn in the critically acclaimed CBS drama Joan of Arcadia, winner of the 2004 People Choice Award for best new drama as well as picking up three Emmy nominations. In 2008 Joe reprised his Emmy nominated role of Lou Manahan opposite Debra Messing in USA Network series The Starter Wife. Joe has also lent his voice to the Disney/Pixar film, CARS2 and continues his 26-year run as Fat Tony on The Simpsons. In April of 2011 Joe received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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In 2014 Joe received the Lifetime Achievement award from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for his dedication to the community and craft of acting. Joe wrapped up his role as FBI Special Agent David Rossi in the fifteenth and final season of the Hit CBS Drama Criminal Minds in 2019.

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Bill Taylor

Bill Taylor is the weather chief for KENS 5 in San Antonio, Texas.

He grew up in northern New Jersey and first moved south when he was 19. For most of his life, he thought "down south" was Virginia. Then, he found out about southwest Louisiana and the Cajun life. Between crawfish boils and Mardi Gras, he squeezed in a degree in journalism from McNeese State University in Lake Charles.

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Allan Castro

Allan Castro, serves as Chief Executive Officer at The Multi-Assistance Center at Morgan’s Wonderland. Allan has been leading the planning and development of The Multi-Assistance Center at Morgan’s Wonderland since inception in 2018. Allan is a healthcare industry executive with 20 years of experience building, managing and growing health care centers, programs, products and teams that deliver results and provide value. Allan has worked at hospital systems, outpatient health centers, non-profit organizations and a national hospital association. This broad experience has allowed Allan to develop a wide-ranging health care and non-profit industry knowledge allowing him to assist healthcare and social services entities improve clinical and operational performance. Allan possess strong strategic, coalition-building, operational, analytical and interpersonal communication skills.

Gordon Hartman

Native San Antonian Gordon Hartman is a philanthropist and former homebuilder who at the age of 15 started his own landscaping business while attending a local seminary. By age 19, he had saved enough to begin his homebuilding business, and by age 23, he had started a land development company. Founded in 1983, Gordon Hartman Homes built housing for low- to moderate-income families. Over the next 22 years, Gordon grew his company into the largest locally-owned homebuilding and land-development enterprise in San Antonio. In recognition of his successes in business, he has earned membership in both the San Antonio Business Hall of Fame and the Texas Business Hall of Fame. Gordon was also inducted into the San Antonio Sports Hall of Fame in 2018 for bringing professional soccer to San Antonio.

Leslie Mouton

Leslie Mouton, a two-time Emmy-award-winning former TV news anchor and public speaker, is the Creative Media Director for 501 c(3) nonprofit Morgan's Inclusion Initiative.

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Mouton gained national attention after going public with her breast cancer battle in October 2000. At the age of 35, Mouton discovered a lump in her breast during a self-exam and learned it was a very aggressive form of breast cancer. She anchored a newscast without her wig to bring awareness and encourage other people battling breast cancer. At a time when cancer was still considered taboo, her actions gained the attention of ABC's "Good Morning America," "Weekend Today," and "Oprah." Newspapers worldwide and television programs "Inside Edition" and "Primetime" featured stories about her battle.

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