“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” -Luke 12:48 (NIV)
When many of us think about what we would do if we had a lot of money someday, starting a chartible foundation may not be at the top of our list, but that is exactly what former San Antonio businessman Gordon Hartman did. Hartman along with his wife, Maggie, started The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation to fund Morgan’s Wonderland, an amusement park that is catered to individuals with special needs. Morgan’s Wonderland, which opened in 201o, was inspired by and named after the Hartmans’ daughter, Morgan, who has a cognitive disability. Hartman wanted to develop a place where kids could play together without barriers. The amusement park’s motto is, fittingly,”Where Everyone Can Play.”
Morgan’s Wonderland has also prompted other opportunities for the special-needs community. In the fall of 2011, Monarch Academy, a specialized learning facility opened. Hartman has also opened a soccer complex and started the San Antonio Scorpions soccer franchise in order to use profits to support Morgan’s Wonderland. The Scorpions just debuted in the spring of this year, and according to the Morgan’s Wonderland website, “It’s the first team in pro sports history to be organized for the benefit of a non-profit dedicated to helping those with special needs.”
It’s definitely inspiring to see someone dream (and achieve) so big for the benefit of others in such a unique way! Maybe everything really is bigger in Texas!
Thank you, Hartman Family, for motivating all of us to look closer at how we can use the gifts that God has given us to benefit others!
Photo courtesy of www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A Dreamer's Wife 
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