Photo shows children playing on a swing set. Two of the children are wearing WoodmenLife T-shirts.

One Year Later: Kerrville Playground Symbolizes Resilience Following 2025 Texas Floods

Jul 4, 20267/4/2026

Community

On July 4, 2025, central Texas suffered devastating flooding along the Guadalupe River. It resulted in more than 130 deaths and dozens of homes and buildings destroyed.

One of the greatest tragedies was at Camp Mystic, a summer camp in Kerr County. Flash flooding in the early hours took the lives of 27 campers and staff members.

As a whole, Kerr County experienced significant loss, particularly in the communities of Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville, Center Point, and Comfort.

Photo shows 11 people standing in a row, holding a blue ribbon. A man in the middle is holding oversized scissors, about to cut the ribbon. Behind them is blue playground equipment.
WoodmenLife and the community celebrated the completion of the Kerrville playground with a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony in March.

Taking Action

From the very first day, Community Outreach Advisor Vanessa Dean knew WoodmenLife had to get involved. Her team was on board.

“The day of the storm, I got a text from Vanessa that said, ‘I just have it in my heart that we have to do something,’” said Trae Gonzalez, Regional Director. “Kerrville is a major part of our region. This was a tragedy in our backyard, and we believed we could make a big impression — it was a no-brainer for us.”

WoodmenLife has been able to support central Texas in several ways:

First, members across the country donated $160,000 in relief funds, cleaning supplies, diapers, water, and other necessities to those affected by the storm.
WoodmenLife Representatives took on a Giving Together project, where volunteers helped rebuild a local resident’s destroyed home.
WoodmenLife team members assisted families who had trouble accessing government-funded assistance, raising money for 15 families to support their rebuilding efforts.

Photo shows many children playing on a playground.
Dozens of families attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony in March, and the kids were eager to test out the new playground equipment.

A Passion Project

Finally, one of the most impactful ways WoodmenLife was able to help was with the construction of a new playground at Flat Rock Park in Kerrville. WoodmenLife completely funded the work.

Dean and Gonzalez said the idea to rebuild the playground quickly became a passion project.

“When we started receiving support and donations on a national level, it was very moving for us. We knew it was important that we were able to put the funds back into the community,” Gonzalez said. “When this idea came up, I felt it was a great opportunity for us to give back to something that was once there that families enjoyed.”

WoodmenLife brought the idea to Kerr County officials, who approved construction to commence.

“We worked with the county’s maintenance team to build out the playground and amplify it up from what it was before — providing shade because Texas summers are really bad, adding rubber mulch underneath, and a swing set,” Dean said. “In true WoodmenLife fashion, the playground was also set up with a flagpole and American flag.

“We just wanted to make it a better experience for those children and families.”

Photo shows a large rock with a plaque on it. The plaque reads: "In Memory of The Lives Lost, July 4, 2025. May laughter and love fill this place once more. A tribute to the resilience & unbreakable spirit of Kerr County. Donated by WoodmenLife." Behind the rock is a new playground.
Community Outreach Advisor Vanessa Dean said she hopes the playground can serve as a healing place to remember those who were lost in the floods.

Ready to Play

WoodmenLife and the community celebrated the completion of the playground with a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony in March. Dozens of families, children, Kerr County officials, and WoodmenLife associates attended.

The Kroc Academy of Kerrville bussed in students from its spring break camp to take part in the dedication and to test out the playground equipment.

In addition, WoodmenLife donated $3,468 to the Kroc Academy, and the children in attendance received backpacks filled with food.

“It was extremely cold for us south-Texas people, but we were still able to get a lot of people there,” Gonzalez said. “The Kroc Academy kids were powering through the cold, but they were so excited to see the playground.”

Photo shows 10 people standing together, with the middle two people holding an oversized check. The check is made out to Kroc Academy in the amount of $3,468. Behind them is a white school bus.
At the playground ribbon-cutting ceremony, WoodmenLife donated $3,468 to the Kroc Academy.

A Lasting Impact

Dean and Gonzalez said they were touched to see just how much the new playground has impacted Kerrville residents.

“While the maintenance workers were working on the playground, during a time where it was basically done and safe for kids to play on, one of the workers calls me in tears and tells me a little kid ran up to him, hugged him, and said, ‘Thank you for building this,’” Dean said.

“We went to go and have lunch after the dedication at a local restaurant, and the word had gotten out about what WoodmenLife was doing,” Gonzalez added. “We had the owner of the restaurant personally come up to us and thank us for what we were able to do for the community.”

Having continued support from WoodmenLife chapters nationwide was imperative to get construction started, Dean said.

“It was six months later, and I’d get this random check in the mail to support these efforts. It was so moving because it meant people were still thinking about our community and our kids and the losses we had endured,” Dean said. “The chapters nationwide made this happen.”

Dean said she hopes the playground can serve as a healing place to remember those who were lost in the floods.

“These kids were affected greatly, so this lasting impact for me is so important,” she said. “We have a plaque out there that says, ‘May laughter and love fill this place once more,’ and I think that is the lasting impact. It’s bringing joy.”

Written by: Cheyenne Alexis, Communications Strategist

Photo shows a table filled with full backpacks. Adults on one side of the table are handing the backpacks to children on the other side of the table.
Students from the Kroc Academy of Kerrville took home backpacks filled with food.

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