Horseshoe Bay firefighter defies odds in recovery; fundraiser set for Nov. 3

DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR

HORSESHOE BAY — When doctors began treating Horseshoe Bay firefighter Jeff Walker after an August car accident, they told his friends and family the father of three faced great odds in recovering.

“They said he had a one-in-10,000 chance of surviving,” said Austin Fletcher, a friend of Walker’s since elementary school. “He’s surpassed those odds.”In fact, Walker has already defied most prognoses, from walking again to talking. Recently, he even attended a Marble Falls Middle School football game to watch one of his sons play.

Despite the distance he’s covered since the Aug. 17 accident, the road ahead for a full recovery is long and steep.

“He still has quite a ways to go,” Fletcher said. “His medical bills already are astronomical, and he’s going to need a lot of help.”

So Fletcher and several other of Walker’s friends decided to throw a fundraiser. On Nov. 3, they are inviting everybody to the It’s All For Jeff! Ultimate Fundraiser, which features a golf tournament on Ram Rock at Horseshoe Bay, a barbecue dinner at Quail Point Lodge, a chance to win $5,000, a silent auction and a treasure hunt.

“We came up with a lot of different things because we know a lot of folks may not play golf,” Fletcher said before continuing, “but how many people do you know get to play on Ram Rock for $100?”

The cost of the four-person scramble is $100 and includes a barbecue dinner. For information or to register, contact mfletch@nctv.com or (830) 613-0367.

Organizers also are selling 300 chances to win $5,000. The tickets are $100 each. This is a last-ticket-drawn contest, so there will be lots of consolation prizes along the way. The drawing is 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3 at Quail Point Lodge, 107 Twilight. People can purchase tickets by contacting Susie Keiser at susie@susiestraveltime.com or (830) 693-3505.

There also will be a silent auction and a barbecue dinner in conjunction with the event at the lodge. The silent auction starts at 5 p.m., while the dinner starts about 6 p.m. Tickets for the dinner are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 4-10.

Another twist to the event is a treasure hunt.

For $25 per person, people can go on a treasure hunt around Horseshoe Bay before returning to Quail Point Lodge at the end. Contact Sam Martin at sam@horseshoebay.net for more information.

The fundraising efforts and other support hasn’t gone unnoticed by Walker’s family.

“We are humbled about the love and support of Marble Falls and Horseshoe Bay communities,” said his mother, Trish Walker. “Jeff is cognitive enough now to appreciate all the efforts as well.”

Jeff Walker is currently at the Texas NeuroRehab Center in Austin undergoing treatment.

“He says he knew he had lots of friends, but he had no idea how much he meant to so many of them,” Trish Walker said. “He is amazed at all the love and support.”

As family and friends settle in for Walker’s road to recovery, they know he has plenty of support to guide him along the way.

“It’s really a miracle how much he’s accomplished considering what doctors expected,” Fletcher said. “I know there has been a lot of people praying for him, and we just ask that everybody keep those prayers coming.”

Trish Walker agreed.

“We give God all the glory for Jeff’s recovery,” she said.

Contact Fletcher at (830) 220-3107 or at austin@edwardsrisk.com for more information or to get involved.

daniel@thepicayune.com