Jana's House Fundraising Goal Met

 

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express is excited to announce they have hit their initial fundraising goal for Jana's House, a new home for orphaned girls at the Family Legacy Mission's Tree of Life Children's Village in Zambia. The Express, in conjunction with Ryan Sanders Baseball, had a goal of $250,000 which included the construction of the home.

The final $18,000 needed to meet the fundraising goal was raised this past month when Wag-A-Bag partnered with Brown Distributing for a donation drive at Wag-A-Bag locations. Fundraising efforts for Jana's House will continue as there is a yearly endowment for the house upkeep and maintenance. Plans for future fundraisers will be announced at a later date.

The Express would like to offer a heartfelt and sincere thank you to everyone who has donated or supported the fundraising efforts for Jana's House. None of this would be possible without the community's generosity.

The home is being built in honor of Jana Almendarez, the late wife of Express President Chris Almendarez. Jana passed away on May 14, 2016 after an 11-month battle with Stage IV Glioblastoma.

Chris, Express founder Reid Ryan, CEO Reese Ryan and General Manager Tim Jackson will travel with their families to Zambia to dedicate the house in Jana's memory in December. The Tree of Life Children's Village works to rescue children from extreme cases of abuse and poverty in the region.

The Round Rock Express has been a part of the Family Legacy Mission for the past three years. In 2013, Chris and his son Chase traveled to Zambia to help coach a baseball camp for orphaned boys. In 2014, they returned with Jana and their youngest son Luke. It was a life-changing trip for the whole family, but it seemed to impact Jana the most. With her strong faith and loving heart, she truly bonded with the orphans she met over there. One boy, George, impacted the Almendarez family so much so that they ended up sponsoring him, providing a long-term and loving environment of nurture and care along with necessities such as food, medical care and education.

The Express has sent coaches from its youth baseball camps to Zambia to teach baseball through Family Legacy's Dream Camp to more than 300 children who wouldn't otherwise get that opportunity. The Express will continue their dedication to spreading the game of baseball in Zambia as part of Jana's lasting legacy.

For more information on Jana's House and the story behind the mission, visit the community tab at RoundRockExpress.com.