Celebrate service to community, Donald Fawcett’s legacy March 29
Volunteers assembled bed frames at Wallace Riddell Park during the inaugural Donald Fawcett Community Service Day in 2024. This year’s event is March 29 and includes service projects, free dental and vision clinics, and a scholarship fish fry in honor of Fawcett’s legacy. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
Burnet residents will come together Saturday, March 29, for the second annual Donald Fawcett Community Service Day and Fish Fry, which honors one of the city’s most beloved public servants. It takes place from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at three locations.
The day’s activities include a morning bed-building project, free dental and vision clinics, a fish fry fundraiser for scholarships, and a community raffle, each reflecting Fawcett’s lifelong commitment to helping others. Community members are also encouraged to take part in acts of kindness around town, such as yard work or picking up litter.
The day of service begins at 8 a.m. at Wallace Riddell Park, located at Texas 29 East and Rhomberg Street, where the Rotary Club of Burnet will partner with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build beds for local children in need. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. No tools or experience are necessary. The project runs until noon. Sign up to help online.
From 11 a.m.-2 p.m., the Burnet Community Center, 401 E Jackson St., is the site of a fish fry prepared by the Masonic Lodges of Burnet and Lake Victor. Dine in or carry out for a $15 donation. Tickets to a fundraising raffle are $20 each with themed packages, including Burnet Bulldogs, outdoors, and cooking, up for grabs. Proceeds go toward the Donald Fawcett Scholarship Fund, which supports Burnet High School seniors pursuing higher education at a university, college, or trade school.
The Burnet Lions Club will offer free eye screenings for children at the community center from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., while Hill Country Smiles holds a free dental clinic at the nearby Sylvester H. Reed Building.
A LEGACY OF SERVICE
The day honors the memory of Donald Fawcett, a longtime figure in the Burnet community who was known for his tireless generosity. His acts of service included delivering milk to Camp Longhorn for 58 years, driving after-school buses, cooking for school events, and buying class rings for students who couldn’t afford them.
He also coined the phrase about his hometown’s name: “It’s Burnet, durnet; can’t’cha learn it.”
In a 2025 proclamation, the Burnet County Commissioners Court officially declared March 29 as Donald Fawcett Day of Service, calling on residents to carry forward his legacy of service.
For more information about Donald Fawcett Community Service Day and Fish Fry, call the Burnet Chamber of Commerce at 512-756-4297 or go to burnetchamber.org.