20 Years, 20 Stories – Bill Sleep: Receiving More Than Giving

Years Active: 2015-Present Bill Sleep recounts his first TEXSAR meeting in 2015 when attendees were asked, “Do you like to get muddy? Have you ever slept in a ditch? Do you like being outdoors?”  He replied, “Yes, yes and yes.” The match was made whereas previous attempts to volunteer for various organizations did not prove to be aligned with his interests, skills and background. Bill joined TEXSAR at 67 years old. Blending a love for adventure...

20 Years, 20 Stories – Charlie Grove: A Lifelong Passion that Benefits the World

Years Active: 2013-Present Charlie Grove loves the outdoors and in early 2013, he searched the web for possible organizations with which to place his desire to serve in ways that took him outside.   As luck would have it, he discovered TEXSAR and its upcoming meeting was just a few minutes from his home.  “I enjoyed meeting the people and seeing their commitment,” Charlie said. “All the meetings after that were on the other side of Austin,”...

20 Years, 20 Stories – Jamine Doty: Because Everyone is Deserving

Years Active: 2015-Present Jamine Doty’s first major experience with emergency response came when she and her sister helped save the life of a Texas Department of Public Safety officer who was hit by a car as he got out of his vehicle. They were high school students at the time. “An hour after we got home, it all hit me. I had been a lifeguard for years, so I knew first aid and the importance of controlling...

20 Years, 20 Stories – Joe Huston: Heroics Under the Radar

Years Active: 2013-Present “We prefer to stay under the radar,” TEXSAR (Texas Search and Rescue) volunteer Joe Huston said. “We don’t see ourselves as heroes, though there are, truthfully, a lot of heroics in the work that all the team members do. Without a doubt.”  Huston has been involved in the search-and-rescue arena for more than 25 years. He joined TEXSAR in 2013.  “I first got involved in this work when I lived in The Woodlands...

20 Years, 20 Stories – Carine Chalfoun: More Than a Leader, a Superhero

Years Active: 2012-2020 For Carine Chalfoun’s 50th birthday party, attendees were told to dress as superheroes. And despite only one of her friends dressed as Carine, all in attendance thought of her as their favorite superhero. Carine-as-a-superhero describes her and the life she led. Six months after her party, she passed away, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of many and on the many organizations she supported and loved, including TEXSAR. According to Carine’s friends, her commitment to the first responder...

20 Years, 20 Stories – Alan Huddleston: A View from the Outset

Years Active: 2004-2022 Alan Huddleston has a special perspective of TEXSAR’s beginnings. He has been there from the outset; he has seen a lot of changes in the organization, and a constant thread that has run throughout its history. Together, change and constancy has created a unique formula for success. He can cite the many steps from the earliest beginnings when the quest to develop a search-and-rescue team led to the formation of an Austin-area chapter...

20 Years, 20 Stories – Greg Fair: Hunter to Rescuer

Years Active: 2015-Present “In preparation for a backcountry Wyoming elk hunt, I found that I needed to know how to not get lost. I ultimately found my way to TEXSAR,” said TEXSAR volunteer Greg Fair. “The idea of being of service to others while being outside appealed to me. It was the Wimberley Memorial Day flood event of 2015 that had me fall in love with this work.” Greg joined TEXSAR in April 2015 after completing...

TEXSAR Takes 2nd Place for Land Rover Service Award

What an incredible experience! We don’t have a new vehicle, but we have thousands of new friends, reminders of how appreciated TEXSAR and its volunteers are, and increased awareness about search and rescue and TEXSAR’s critical mission. That is definitely a win. For all that, and more, everyone at TEXSAR is appreciative of Land Rover and its partners for all that they do for nonprofits. To our volunteers, our community members, the agencies we work with, and dedicated supporters – thank...

TEXSAR Receives 2022 Governor’s Volunteer Award

We are proud to officially announce TEXSAR has been recognized by the OneStar Foundation and the Office of the Governor of Texas with the 2022 Governor’s Volunteer Award for Excellence in Disaster Volunteerism. TEXSAR President and CEO, Justin McInnis, said, “TEXSAR prides itself on its mission of service above self. We are truly Texans helping Texans and we are humbled by this recognition.” TEXSAR was founded in 2004 and has dedicated volunteers trained in multiple disciplines located across the entire state...

Record Attendance at 2018 Annual Meeting

TEXSAR members gathered at McKinney Roughs Nature Park outside of Bastrop, Texas, in January for their Annual Meeting and Training weekend. Because of a grant from a generous foundation, the members were able to attend this event at no cost to themselves. Over the course of three days, 100 members heard from such esteemed professionals as Texas Ranger Michael Smith, Deputy Police Chief Seth Herman (Midland Police Department), Gene Robinson with Drone Pilots, Inc., and Johnny Gonzales,...

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