Commissioner Miller Coordinates Donation for Hurricane First Responders (9/13/2017)

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller today announced the GO TEXAN program has helped facilitate a donation to first responders, search and rescue organization and others in the Houston area in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

GO TEXAN Ambassador, former Dallas Cowboy and three-time Super Bowl champion, Billy Davis, worked with 1Tac, a tactical gear company, to coordinate the donation of tactical flashlights, survival gear and personal water filtration systems to areas devastated by this historic storm. Davis and 1Tac personnel arrived in Austin on Wednesday to meet with TDA staff and coordinate travel to the Houston area to distribute supplies.

“Since Hurricane Harvey, Texans have responded with compassion unmatched by any disaster in our history,” Commissioner Miller said.  “Individuals and companies have given generously, meeting every need from food to clothing; however, this disaster has hit our first responders and rescue personnel hard, too. These local authorities have been working tirelessly to rescue their fellow Texans and get them to safety. This donation is for them. I want these heroes to know their incredible work is appreciated and will not be forgotten.”

Commissioner Miller thanked Davis and the leader of 1Tac, Rick Bennink, for their time and assistance in making this generous donation to Hurricane Harvey victims and the first responders giving aid to those victims.

“Our GO TEXAN Ambassador program was began earlier this year to help spread the word about our GO TEXAN program, but we are especially thankful that Billy Davis has stepped up in this time of crisis to harness Texas-based resources and get much-needed supplies to our first responders," Commissioner Miller said. "That’s the true spirit of Texas!”

If you’d also like to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, consider donating to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s State of Texas Agriculture Relief (STAR) Fund. The STAR Fund was created expressly to provide funds to ag producers affected by natural disasters. TDA harnesses the power of individual private donations to ensure that the most help can be given to those farmers and ranchers who face devastating losses in the wake of events such as Hurricane Harvey.

For more information on the STAR Fund including how to donate or how to apply for funding, please check out our STAR Fund webpage. For more information on the GO TEXAN Ambassador program, please visit our website at gotexan.org.