BOERNE, Texas – Only slightly over a month after his death, Texas Department of Public Safety Highway Trooper Chad Walker is being honored in a big way in the City of Boerne.
The benefit concert “Operation Walker” will take place on Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of Compadres Hill Country Cocina and aims to raise money that will be given directly to the Walker family.
Mark Sierra, owner and chef of Compadres Hill Country Cocina, is spearheading the event through his nonprofit Task Force VOSBO, which stands for Veteran Owned Small Business Organization. The objective is to help raise funds for Walker’s children and wife.
“It’s actually been a very inspiring thing, knowing that the entire community is coming together for this, for the cause without taking any kind of different political stance on it,” Sierra said. “It’s more of supporting the family, right, rather than the organization.”
More than 20 businesses across the Hill Country have come together to donate their services or products for the raffle to help honor Walker. Walker was shot during an ambush on March 26 and died days later.
Although the family has been very private since Walker’s death, they’ll be in attendance Sunday afternoon.
“They’re just incredibly grateful, you know,” John Henderson said. Henderson, along with his wife Amy Henderson, run the nonprofit Legacy Farmstead in their ranch in Boerne. The nonprofit focuses on providing equine therapy for veterans and military families as well as those of law enforcement.
Henderson has been hosting the family, including Walker’s widow and four children, for the past week.
“They’re excited to be down here and get a chance to get away and be at the ranch, secluded and be together as a family.”
It’s a full circle moment for Henderson, who serves as a special adviser for Task Force VOSBO, as he had the opportunity to meet Walker a year ago during an outreach event with another organization based out of Houston.
“I was connected with Chad (Walker) through another organization called the Kallie Mills Foundation,” Henderson said. “We partnered with (the foundation through) Legacy Farmstead, to serve families, the middle class families that have lost a loved one in a car accident.”
Walker was the first trooper to respond to a car accident that killed the parents of four children in the City of Groesbeck. Walker, along with others, helped the four children rebuild.
“Chad Walker, of course, living in Groesbeck, was involved in that, and so I met him there,” Henderson said. “Just got to see his serve heart, not just with wearing a uniform and (through) his career, but what he did for his community (was touching).”
The concert benefit has gained a lot of interest on social media thanks to the active support of another special adviser for the nonprofit, wrestling superstar Bill Goldberg.
“No matter who you are (or) no matter what your background (is), when somebody falls in the community, you come to their help and you try to wrangle as many like-minded people as possible,” Goldberg said. “When I moved here to Boerne, I found out that most everybody is just like me in their heart, and… (that’s) a wonderful feeling. We’re just trying to comfort the family any way we can, and obviously we’re trying to help them financially.”
Now the task force and Boerne will have an opportunity to give to trooper Walker’s family. The family will get every dollar raised through today’s benefit.
The event will take place at 209 Lonham Street, Boerne, TX from noon to 5 p.m.. The concert benefit will feature special performances by Bubba Strait, the Isaac Jacob Band, Jerry de Leon, Clay Hollis and Danny Greigo.
Adults will be charged a $25 entree fee. Children can enter for $10.
For future Task Force VOSBO initiatives, click here.
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