Texan’s dedication to helping others leaves lasting legacy in Lone Star State
For someone who is traveling far distances to battle cancer, having somewhere to call their “home away from home” is important. When Bart Wulff, chair of the selection committee for the G.R. White Trust, heard about plans for the American Cancer Society Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge in Dallas, he knew it would be a fit for the mission of the trust. Founded by Bart’s great-uncle, George Rollie White, the G.R. White Trust focuses on making healthcare and educational resources available to Texans, particularly those in rural areas. The trust has committed to support Hope Lodge through a generous gift.
George Rollie White (1875–1965) came to Texas as a young child in a covered wagon with his family. They settled in Brady, Texas, a small community in McCulloch County. He became a successful rancher and banker who cared deeply about bettering the lives of his fellow rural Texans.
“We support local organizations based in McCulloch County dedicated to providing support to people who have cancer,” Wulff said, “and the creation of Hope Lodge seems to be the way to help from the other end—making support available in a metropolitan area to people from rural areas.”
Each year, thousands of patients battling cancer travel from throughout the region to receive potentially lifesaving treatments in Dallas. Hope Lodge will help ease the emotional and financial toll these families face when traveling long distances for care. Located on property donated by Baylor Scott & White Health adjacent to Baylor University Medical Center, the facility will offer cancer patients and their caregivers complimentary lodging while they are receiving care from any of North Texas’ premier medical centers.
Baylor Scott & White and the American Cancer Society broke ground on the facility in May of 2019, and construction is well underway. The Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge is expected to host its first visitors in early 2021. Once the doors are open, the facility is expected to provide more than 18,000 nights of free lodging annually.
In addition to their support of Hope Lodge, the G.R. White Trust has funded several initiatives at Baylor Scott & White that help make life better for Texans, including the system’s Child Life program, which received its first dedicated gift from the Trust and whose continued support has enabled the program to expand to additional BSWH hospitals across the state.
“Hope Lodge is a place that will have a large impact for so many Texans,” Rowland K. Robinson, president, Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, said. “What a wonderful way to honor the memory of a man so dedicated to his friends and neighbors by creating a home away from home for them at a time when they need it most.”
For more information on how you can support the American Cancer Society Gene and Jerry Jones Family Hope Lodge, contact Melissa Dalton at 214.820.2705 or Melissa.Dalton@BSWHealth.org.
