Over the years, our wonderful community has found many different ways to give back to GRACE and its programs. From 5k runs, to special projects, and honorary awards, these are some of the few ways our community gives back. We want to take this time to shout out a very special individual who goes all out each year for GRACE, and we can’t thank them enough.
In 2020, Chick-Fil-A franchise owner, Louie Murillo bought a bulk of decorative Santa Claus garden gnomes to complete his family Christmas card pictures. He realized that he had more than he expected and soon turned his yard into a complete Santa Wonderland, with over 1,000 Santas in the front yard.
While preparing for that year’s Christmas, he realized how many individuals and families were struggling throughout the entirety of that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so he decided to partner with GRACE to raise funds for the Christmas Cottage. After speaking with GRACE staff, he informed them that his goal was $20,000.
After all of the prep work, volunteers, energy-efficient LED lights, and promotion, Louie was finally able to see his vision of creating Santa’s House come true. Santa’s House ended up raising over $55,000.
This year, Louie is back with the Santa House again. This year his goal is to raise $70,000 for GRACE—$35,000 from corporate match funds including Sam Pack’s Five Star Subaru, Bank of the West, Sewell Automotive Dealerships, TXU Energy, The Morgan Family Foundation., added to the anticipated $35,000 that will be raised from public GoFundMe, Venmo, and “Mailbox” gifts (per tradition, visitors have dropped cash gifts into Louie’s mailbox).
“Visiting the Christmas Cottage and seeing people pick out presents for their kids is a cool experience.” said Louie. “To see people who wouldn’t have been able to have a big Christmas and give them a little bit more of a blessing is so amazing to me and I love the outcome of it.”
If you have not, please go check out the Santa House at 3373 Spruce Lane, Grapevine. If you are interested in being matching donors, please contact Mark Woolverton at mwoolverton@GRACEGrapevine.org.
