Busy Saturday Ahead: Community Fundraisers, Golf and FCSA Meeting

Two local fundraisers will bring the community together Saturday, Oct. 17, with a golf tournament benefiting families in need and an evening gala raising scholarship funds for Kinney County students.

Saturday promises a full day of community activities in Kinney County, with two fundraising events offering residents opportunities to enjoy golf, dinner, live music and dancing while supporting local causes.

The Kinney County Church Alliance will host its 12th Annual Golf Tournament Saturday morning, followed by the Kinney County Junior Livestock Show Scholarship Gala that evening at the Kinney County Community Center. Both events will raise money for programs serving Kinney County residents, from assistance for families and seniors to scholarships for local students.

Church Alliance Golf Tournament Tees Off Saturday Morning:  The Kinney County Church Alliance will hold its 12th Annual Golf Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 17, beginning at 10 a.m. Golfers must check in by 9:45 a.m. Participants may register as a four-person team or enter individually to be placed in a blind draw of players. Entry fees are $25 per person or $100 per team. Green fees and trail fees are not included. Sponsored by the Golf Committee, the tournament benefits the Kinney County Church Alliance's ministries, which provide assistance to seniors, families and children in need throughout the community. For additional information or registration, call 830-867-4017.

Boots, Pearls and Scholarships Take Center Stage Saturday Night: The Kinney County Junior Livestock Show will trade livestock pens for an evening of western elegance Saturday as it hosts its 2026 Scholarship Gala at the Kinney County Community Center, 202 Spring St. in Brackettville. The event, themed "Boots & Pearls," will feature a steak dinner, live country music, dancing, auctions, door prizes and cash drawings, with proceeds supporting scholarship opportunities for local students.  Doors open at 6 p.m., with dinner scheduled for 7 p.m. and dancing beginning at 8 p.m. Hometown musician Dudley Ilse will be featured in the evening's live entertainment. Activities are scheduled to continue until midnight. Organizers have assembled an extensive selection of auction items, including a Pendleton blanket, western purses, statement jewelry, Navajo pearl-style necklaces, a Case XX pocket knife, a heavy-duty wagon, a doe hunt on Fort Clark and gift certificates from local businesses. The live auction will also include firearms and accessories from manufacturers including Browning, Smith & Wesson, Glock and CZ. One of the evening's featured attractions will be "Pearls for a Purpose," a fundraising drawing offering participants a chance to win half of the proceeds collected through pearl sales. Entries cost $20 each, with a buy-five-get-one-free offer. Nine entries will be selected during the evening, and a tenth will be auctioned to the highest bidder. Those 10 entries will then be placed into a final drawing, with one winner receiving 50 percent of total pearl sales. The remaining proceeds will benefit the scholarship fund.

The gala will also feature a grand prize drawing for a Shield Arms folding AR-15 with suppressor. A raffle entry is included with each gala ticket. Tickets are $80 per individual, $150 per couple or $600 for a VIP table. Organizers recently reported that only three VIP tables remained available, although individual and couple tickets were still being offered. 

The Scholarship Gala is one of the organization's fundraising efforts to invest in the educational futures of Kinney County youth. With a morning on the golf course and an evening of dinner and dancing, Saturday offers residents two ways to enjoy a community gathering while contributing to causes that directly benefit their neighbors.

Also Saturday, Fort Clark Springs Board Meeting: The Fort Clark Springs Association Board of Directors will hold its regular monthly meeting Saturday, Oct. 17, at 9 a.m. in the Fort Clark Springs boardroom. The agenda includes updates on the annual audit, insurance, the Smithsonian exhibition, Dickman Hall, the firehouse firetruck and the ongoing director removal process. Directors are also scheduled to consider elevator certification and maintenance, Kinney County tax payments, golf cart batteries, budget amendments and a review of the association's financial controls resolution. The board will report on an email vote approving a settlement by a 4-1 margin. The agenda does not identify the settlement. Members are invited to attend and may submit agenda-related questions to fcsa@fortclark.com.