By Julie Catalano

What do Texans say when asked to step up to a challenge? “Hold my beer and watch this!

That goes (more than) double for The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch membership, who rallied together during a time of tragedy in the wake of killer storm Hurricane Harvey that hit the state in September.  The relentless rain caused devastating flooding along the Texas coast and the city of Houston, leaving the Red Cross in need of help in providing relief efforts to our Texas neighbors.

The membership fundraising campaign was carried out entirely by email and on the web, thanks to the efforts of Brianna Botine, the Club’s Member Relations Coordinator. Using the hashtag #CordilleraCares, it was the perfect name to represent the amazing Club members and staff who stepped up in a big way. The organizers used a third party to track the contributions and then make the distribution directly to the Red Cross.

The original goal was set at $10,000 and quickly revised to $15,000 when $8,700 was donated in less than three hours.

As impressive as that was, #CordilleraCares was just getting started. Thanks to the community’s commitment and generosity, the wildly successful campaign resulted in a grand total of $40,890 raised for Harvey relief — more than twice the revised goal of $15,000.

“Thank you very much for supporting our efforts to raise funds for the American Red Cross,” said Monty Becton, General Manager of The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. “This contribution, along with your thoughts and prayers, will provide assistance to those dealing with the impact of Harvey.”