The CEO of Buc-ee’s, Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, just broke a national television record.
In a Thursday update to social media, the “TODAY” show posted a clip of its “Lend a Hand” segment. Launched in 2002, the series is intended to “help folks when they’re down and in need of a hand to lift them up.”
That’s exactly what Aplin did when he presented a $1 million check dedicated toward supporting flood relief in the Texas Hill Country. According to longtime “TODAY” show host Al Roker, Aplin’s donation is the largest sum of money ever presented in the segment’s history.
Aplin and Roker presented the check to Austin Dickson, the CEO of Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country — a nonprofit dedicated toward rebuilding impacted communities after devastating flash floods ripped through the Texas Hill Country over July 4 weekend.
“We want to help you out, but also our friends at Buc-ee’s want to help you out,” Roker said to Dickson as he ushered Aplin out. “So come on down. What’s your name, sir?”
“That looks like a lot of zeros … It’s a million dollars. A million dollars, Austin,” Roker said. “That’s unbelievable, and I’m going to tell you, Beaver, this is the biggest single donation in the 23 years we’ve ever, ever done ‘Lend a Hand.'”
“We’ll be able to put people back in their homes,” Dickson said. “We’ll be able to help our first responders and help bring our community back.”
The donation caught the attention of some big names, such as Texas-born country musician Robert Earl Keen. The singer-songwriter updated his social media account Thursday to praise Aplin for his generosity.
“Earlier this morning, our friends at @bucees stepped up in a big way, presenting a $1 million donation on the @todayshow to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country to help those affected by flooding,” Keene wrote.
“This kind of generosity reminds us what community looks like — neighbors helping neighbors when it matters most.”
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