Photo courtesty of The Austin Babtist Women.
COMMUNITY HERO
THE AUSTIN BABTIST WOMEN
I
BY GARRY HOLLEY
n September of 1986 Glen Hostetler, Tim Jackson, Philip Prock and I, all members of TGRA Austin decided to put together a little entertainment for the TGRA state meeting in Austin. Who would have dreamed that 31-years later our tongue-in-cheek joke would still be helping fund HIV/AIDS and breast cancer patient care, education and research? Starting with tacky dresses, gray wigs, pearls, glasses, gloves, rolled-down knee-high hose and makeup from St. Vincent de Paul, we learned to perfectly lipsync the old Happy Goodman Family’s “Looking for a City.” The Austin Babtist Women were BORN! With the credo “Raising Spirits and Money for Charity,” we hit the road with hymnals and tambourine in hand. As requests grew, we juggled jobs and lives with performances until we finally became a commercial group. We’ve performed all over the U.S. on legitimate stages, open fields, parks, barns and pools; we’ve even been honored and recognized by mayors, state representatives, senators and local, state and national organizations. But we’ve never forgotten our TGRA roots and still work with the Austin chapter as well as travel to perform at state rodeos. We will continue our mission until there is a cure, Lord willing, by booking as many fundraising events as possible. As of September 2017 we have helped raise $7,368,034.00 across America for HIV/AIDS and breast cancer causes. So when you hear “Austin Babtist Women,” come out and support the effort – it’s guaranteed to be a great cause as well as a pretty dang good show. For a giggle, check out our website: www.babtistwomen.com. It guides you to our Facebook pages and some You Tube clips. For booking information contact Garry Holley at 512-291-1563.
Garry Holley www.competenetwork.com 15
