The outpouring of care and compassion was magnified Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although a number of efforts<\/a> are ongoing to help people affected by the Central Texas floods as a whole, the Aughinbaugh girls wanted to create a fundraiser specifically for Camp Mystic. In less than 24 hours, the daughters were able to put together a lemonade and bake sale in support of a camp loved by the Aughinbaughs and so many.\u00a0<\/p>\n For four hours at the Overton Park Tennis Courts in Fort Worth\u2019s Tanglewood neighborhood,\u00a0 Mystic girls, families and others in the community came together \u2014 one cup of lemonade, one cookie and one hug at a time. The fundraiser has garnered over $64,000 in support, with more donations coming in as of Monday afternoon, Charity Aughinbaugh told the Fort Worth Report.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy oldest daughter said, \u2018I think so many people want to help, but they haven\u2019t known how to help, and a lemonade stand was just an easy gesture,\u201d Aughinbaugh said. \u201cPeople were not buying lemonade. They were buying hope. They were buying faith. They were buying love.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n A camp beloved by many<\/strong><\/p>\n The Aughinbaugh parents learned about the Christian summer camp, a place where girls make lifelong friendships built on faith, tradition and sisterhood<\/a>, while they were in their early 20s. From then on, the couple decided, if they were to have daughters, their girls would attend Camp Mystic.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBefore they were even born, we had the application filled out for them,\u201d their mother said.<\/p>\n This summer it was eldest daughter Libby\u2019s seventh year at Camp Mystic, followed by her sister Margaret Anne\u2019s fifth year and littlest sister Claire\u2019s second year. Libby and Margaret Anne\u2019s cabins were on a more elevated part of the campgrounds known as Senior Hill. Claire was among the younger campers in the Chatterbox cabin, located on the campgrounds known as \u201cthe flats.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s really hard to talk about what her three girls experienced that weekend, Aughinbaugh said, but she documented some of their harrowing journey on Facebook.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe water pressure didn\u2019t allow them to open the door and water was forehead high. They broke a window and started evacuating the cabin that way,\u201d she wrote, recalling a phone call with her youngest daughter. \u201cClaire was the last one evacuated out of her cabin and got swept away and hung on to a rock until she was saved. Beyond thankful for her life and God\u2019s protection.\u201d<\/p>\n Camp Mystic, named after the morning mists<\/a> that rise from the Guadalupe River, is a private Christian summer camp for girls. It was established in 1926 by University of Texas coach \u201cDoc\u201d Stewart. The camp strives to provide young girls with a \u201cwholesome Christian atmosphere in which they can develop outstanding personal qualities and self-esteem,\u201d according to the website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The flash floods during the July 4 weekend killed at least 131 people in the Hill Country and Central Texas, with more than 150 people still missing, according to Texas Public Radio<\/a>. The deaths include at least 27<\/a> Mystic campers and counselors.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to take time as we continue to grieve the loss of our precious girls, to thank all of our counselors that embodied the Mystic Spirit and put their campers first as they guided them to safety,\u201d a July 12 Camp Mystic statement reads. \u201cThere are many counselors and others that we claim as heroes that night and we will be forever grateful.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n On Saturday, streamers in Camp Mystic\u2019s signature green were draped atop the white lemonade stand decorated with pastel polka dots in green, blue, pink and yellow. A blue \u201cK\u201d and red \u201cT,\u201d symbolizing the Tonkawa and Kiowa \u201ctribes\u201d adorned the stand along with other Camp Mystic signage. Friends, family and members of the community visited throughout the day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Putting together the fundraiser was \u201ca labor of love,\u201d Aughinbaugh said. On Friday afternoon the Aughinbaugh family got to work: Libby put together a spreadsheet, chairs were picked up from Taylor\u2019s Rental and they reached out to Westfork Garden Market to ask about borrowing the lemonade stand used for Colonial Kids for a Cause. On Saturday morning a family friend picked up 500 cookies from Costco, and Colonial Country Club and River Crest Country Club both donated lemonade, cookies and Uncrustables sandwiches, Aughinbaugh said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just such an outpouring of love in the community,\u201d Aughinbaugh said. \u201cIt was just special to see the community come together and just talk and interact and support the girls and say, \u2018We love you, and we\u2019re praying for you guys.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org<\/a>. <\/p>\n News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n
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