Highland Village Police Chief Doug Reim said Friday that he is worried about a significant drop in attendance at the upcoming Steak & Stetson fundraiser for Special Olympics Texas.
This will be the sixth iteration of the annual event (which was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic). Last year, after being delayed and rescheduled multiple times, it “went surprising well,” said Reim, who chairs the event, as nearly every seat was filled.
This time, though, two weeks out from the event, Reim fears that it will not reach its goal of raising $70,000.
“I’m a little worried at this point, there are a lot fewer seats purchased than there should be,” he said. “We’re looking at possibly 1/3 of a drop in attendance … The numbers are not there right now, which is concerning.”
Reim said he isn’t sure why there is such a drop but expects it to be related to financial issues caused by inflation this year. The only significant change in the event is that it will be held on a Friday night, not a Saturday night like before.
Steak & Stetson is “a night of boot-scooting’ fun,” with a steak dinner, casino games, entertainment, dancing and silent and live auctions held at Circle R Ranch in west Flower Mound. State Rep. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, is the event’s honorary chair, and Denton County Sheriff Tracy Murphree co-chair’s the event this year. Proceeds from the evening will go to support training and competitions for more than 15,000 Special Olympics Texas athletes in North Texas. The prize of one ticket, $150, will support a full year’s worth of competition for one athlete.
Steak & Stetson is Special Olympics Texas’ biggest fundraising event, and Reim hopes more funding will come in soon because the organization was hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All nonprofits had a hard time during COVID, but Special Olympics was hit especially hard because of the nature of the illness and how much more susceptible the athletes are due to diminished immune systems,” Reim said. “Across the state, SOTX has taken a big hit.”
Steak & Stetson is so important to Reim because of the impact SOTX has on its athletes.
“SOTX is truly for the living souls on this planet with the most fantastic outlook on life,” he said. “You cannot walk away from this event without a smile on your face and without being truly impacted by the athletes.”
If you are unable to attend the event but want to help, you can donate on the SOTX website. Reim said he is still collecting auction items, which can be dropped off at the Highland Village Police Department.
Click here for more information and to register or donate.
