The Medical Center Health System Foundation will have two fundraising campaigns this week focused on helping veterans being treated at Medical Center Hospital.
MCHS will partner with Bubba’s 33 on Nov. 10 and Cpl. Ray’s Coffee (at its Odessa location at 3111 Faudree Road, Suite A) on Nov. 11.
Both businesses will donate 10 percent of their proceeds those days to the MCHS Foundation to help veterans being treated at MCHS with their healthcare needs.
On Nov. 10, Bubba’s 33, located on 6153, Tx-191, will have its fundraisers.
Ten percent of all total food and non-alcoholic purchases at its Odessa location will be donated to assist veterans at Medical Center Health System.
Customers will have the option to donate additional funds when paying their bill.
The same goes for Cpl Ray’s Coffee, and just like with Bubba’s 33, the money raised will fund vital treatments, equipment, charitable care and other necessities for veterans who receive medical care while at MCHS.
MCHS Projects Manager Rita Mata said this is the first year that MCHS has partnered with Cpl. Ray’s Coffee and Bubba’s 33 for Veterans Day.
“This was something that has been close to my heart,” Mata said. “We honor our veterans here but it’s usually during the time of death. We have an honor walk for them when we have a veteran that’s passed in our hospital. But we knew that we needed to honor our veterans while they’re still here, living. So we wanted to find ways to honor them while they were still here and receiving services from us. So we reached out to Bubba’s and Cpl. Ray’s and they were on board. That’s how this all came to fruition.”
When doing a different fundraiser for the first time, Mata talked about some of the challenges that occur but that she is grateful to get members of the community and partners onboard in helping provide crucial treatments for veterans at MCHS.
“Everybody respects a veteran and you want to give them the honor that they deserve,” Mata said. “If you don’t have a veteran in your family, you don’t know the behind the scenes stuff that goes on so when you go on about those things, it opens people’s eyes and makes them more aware of the process that does go on. When you give them that background, that takes that obstacle out…. It’s more educational, I guess you could say and they want to help out.”
Cpl. Ray’s Coffee, which is owned by the Bevel Family, is dedicated to their son Ray, who died while serving in Iraq in 2007.
The support from Andrews and around the Permian Basin led the family to open a coffee shop to honor their fallen son.
“We all know Corporal Ray’s story and how that business came to fruition,” Mata said. “My husband is actually a veteran and was a good friend of Cpl. Ray and that story hit close to home whenever this idea came about. We actually received some money from the Chris Kyle Statue. That was part of the agreement when it was built that any money left over would come back to our foundation.”
