THE ROLANDO JIMENEZ MEMORIAL FOUNDATION STORY
"It'll be fine"
Rolando “Ro” Jimenez was the friend who lights up a room. He had a huge smile with a loud and joyous laugh. It seemed like Ro knew everybody, and everybody wanted to know Ro. You would be hard pressed to find a picture of Rolando where he doesn’t have his arms around his friends with a huge smile. He had a positive attitude about everything, and his famous tag line was, “It’ll be fine”.
For 10 years, starting in 2005, Rolando “Ro” Jimenez hosted an annual Memorial weekend crawfish boil with a few friends. The event grew over the years from 20 or 30 family and friends to 200 or 300 extended friends and family. Ro and a few freinds always covered the cost of the annual event with lots of food and even live music. It was just something they loved to do for their friends and family. As the event grew to close to 400 or 500 people, Ro had the idea of making the annual boil a charity event. Ro would mention, “We should take advantage of such a large gathering of people for some sort of greater good”. Rolando realized with putting on such an event for free folks would likely be willing to chip in a few bucks towards some sort of cause.
Sadly, before Rolando turned his idea into a reality, he passed away in March of 2015 from an undiagnosed heart aneurysm, leaving behind his pregnant spouse and young daughter. However, knowing his wishes, Ro’s friends turned the Memorial weekend boil into a Charity event in 2015, raising money for Ro’s widow and two young children that first year. For 5 years Rolando’s friends continued to host the annual event and raise money each year for a local family in a similar situation as Rolando’s; families in need due to the recent and unexpected death of a parent. Then, in 2021, Rolando’s friends along with Ro’s widow, Amber, took a big step forward and founded a Texas Non-Profit Corporation in their friends name; the Rolando Jimenez Memorial Foundation.
Our 501(c)(3) charitable organization still holds the annual Memorial weekend crawfish boil and charity event. Our board members and officers draw no salaries from the Foundation. Further, board members are required to pay annual membership dues designed to cover the cost of our main annual charity event so that every dollar raised at the event goes to the famines in need. Other corporate expenses and any additional charitable events are covered by generous donations made throughout the year. As we grow, we hope to offer additional forms of help such as scholarship funds for children effected by the sudden loss of a parent.
Please consider donating to the Rolando Jimenez Memorial Foundation. You will be helping recently widowed parents and their children as they make the very challenging transition to life without a parent. We know Ro is smiling down on us with pride in the legacy we have carried on in his name, as we help assure families recently experiencing loss that “It’ll Be Fine”.