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Businesses partner with Salvation Army to help central Texans beat the heat

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Published  June 28, 2025 3:41pm CDT
Austin
FOX 7 Austin
article

The Brief

    • A fan drive by Breed & Company, Ace Hardware, and the Salvation Army raised over $4,200 to purchase 237 fans for Central Texas residents.
    • The fans will be distributed to vulnerable groups, including seniors and low-income families, to help them cope with the summer heat.
    • The Salvation Army will announce a public fan giveaway online and through social media, with plans to make the drive an annual event.

AUSTIN - Beating the Texas heat isn’t easy, especially if you don’t have air conditioning. But thanks to a local fan drive, hundreds of central Texas residents now have a way to stay cool this summer.

Central Texas Fan Drive

In Texas, a little airflow can go a long way, especially for those without reliable A/C.

To help, Breed & Company and Ace Hardware partnered with the Salvation Army for a fan drive, collecting donations from customers at checkout.

The effort raised $4,220, enough to purchase 237 box fans. And every single one will stay right here in central Texas.

The Salvation Army says this would not have been possible without the generosity of local shoppers.

The fans will help vulnerable groups like seniors and low-income families—anyone without a way to stay cool in dangerous heat.

The Salvation Army plans to announce a public fan giveaway online and through social media.

What they're saying:

"It was pretty neat the way the folks came in. They were able to round up at the register and, when they did, they gave them a discount on their purchase and with the funds generated they were able to get these fans," said Major Lewis Reckline, Area Commander with the Salvation Army.

"We’ll give them out to our social services program, we have clients who lead our shelters, we'll give them some of them, we'll make sure that the folks who need these get these," said Reckline.

"It’s central Texas, right? And we know how hot it’s going to be, and it takes its toll and so having a fan next to you is a good thing, but you have to find a way to stay cool and that’s tough for folks who are working outside all day, so these are very important to them," said Reckline.

What you can do:

If someone needs help right now, they can call their local Salvation Army office.

What's next:

The Salvation Army is now working to get those fans into the hands of those who need them most.

With strong community support, the Salvation Army hopes to make this fan drive a summer tradition.

The Source: Information in this story came from the Salvation Army.

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