Businesses helping Fort Hood Posted On: Sunday, Nov. 15 2009 05:49 AM By Matt Goodman
Killeen Daily Herald

In the wake of the Nov. 5 massacre at Fort Hood, area businesses have stepped up to donate money, food and services to those affected.

Some businesses began helping just hours after the sirens stopped ringing on post. Brad Beeman, owner of Chick-fil-A in Harker Heights, wasn't planning on immediately volunteering — then he saw all the children who weren't picked up from his kid's daycare at 5:30 p.m. that Thursday evening.

"That's when it hit me," he said. "We've got mothers and fathers on base stuck in lockdown."

Beeman grabbed his kids and went to work. He hurriedly packed about 100 kids meals and began distributing them to day cares in the area, free of charge.

"I know how important children are," he said. "When the mothers and fathers are on post locked down, I was glad to feel that we could help them there and provide some Kid's meals and nuggets for some of the kids in Harker Heights."

Joel St. Amant, managing partner of Texas Roadhouse in Killeen, got the go-ahead to help and hit post Saturday, he said. On Saturday night, St. Amant and his team at Roadhouse wrapped up 170 steak dinners and drove them to the crime scene. Those who were manning security stations were not allowed to leave post.

"Those working that site, the FBI didn't let you leave and come back," St. Amant said. "If they were stationed there they had to have food brought to them all the time."

On Sunday, St. Amant did lunch. This time, Roadhouse delivered about 400 pulled pork and BBQ sandwiches to the folks who weren't allowed to leave the site.

"We've never done anything like this before, it's kind of uncharted territory to do this type of thing off-site," he said.

On Veterans Day, Texas Roadhouse joined the myriad of restaurants and businesses that would donate its profits to the Army or offer Veterans free meals. Roadhouse offered lunch Wednesday with a minimum $5 donation that would go to the Central Texas chapter of the Association of the United States Army. In the three hours that the promotion was going on, St. Amant said the store had $6,000 to donate.

"I didn't ask anybody if I could do it, but it's kind of our culture to help," he said.

At Chick-fil-A, past and present soldiers got a free chicken sandwich. Applebees offered soldiers a free meal. Genghis Grill locations in Harker Heights and Georgetown donated all of its profits to AUSA.

"It'll go to support the families of the victims of last week's tragedy at Fort Hood," said AUSA president Ron Taylor. "There's discussion on setting up a scholarship fund, we're still in the infant stage, but it's going to have a profound impact on the families."

The Killeen Mall set up a blood drive in its parking lot after the shootings, and will have a collection site for donations during its annual Night of Giving fundraiser Nov. 22.

Fort Hood Auto Paint and Body will donate what it made during a raffle at its Fall Christian Car and Bike Show at Destiny World Outreach Center to AUSA.

"This is a good thing," Taylor said. "It'll go a long way in helping families."

Contact Matt Goodman at mgoodman@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7550.