Blakely McCrory Hope Fund Established at Moody Gardens to Honor Chairman’s Granddaughter After Tragic Hill Country Flooding

Funeral Held Today, Family Requesting Privacy This Week

Galveston, Texas, July 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Galveston, TX – Moody Gardens has announced the creation of the Blakely McCrory Hope Fund, established in memory of 8-year-old Blakely McCrory, who died in the devastating July 4 floods in the Texas Hill Country.

Blakely was attending Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, a beloved tradition of her family for generations along the Guadalupe River. This was her first summer at Camp Mystic that she was thrilled to attend after three joyful years of going to the Pyramid Kids Camps at Moody Gardens.

Blakely was the granddaughter of Doug McLeod, who has served as chairman of the board at Moody Gardens for the past 42 years. McLeod is a native and respected member of the Galveston community and has played an instrumental role in the creation, growth and vision of Moody Gardens, a nonprofit recreational and educational destination that inspires visitors from across Texas and beyond.

Blakely thoroughly enjoyed visits to Moody Gardens and cherished her time at its camps. In her honor and through the wishes of her family, the Blakely McCrory Hope Fund will sponsor other children to experience, as well as the operation of the Pyramid Kids Camps—allowing her legacy of joy, curiosity, and kindness to live on through the laughter and learning of future campers.

“We hope this fund will be a beacon of hope, helping to carry Blakely’s light forward,” said Blakely's Grandfather and Moody Gardens Chairman of the Board Doug McLeod, who added that camp was a special place for her to learn and make friends. “Her memory will live on through the children who get to experience the camps she loved so much.”

How to Give:

• Online: Visit www.moodygardens.com/blakelymccroryfund
• By Mail:
  Make checks payable to: Moody Gardens, Inc.
  Memo line: Blakely McCrory Hope Fund
  Mail to:
  Moody Gardens
  One Hope Blvd.
  Galveston, TX 77554

The Blakely McCrory Hope Fund honors a child who brought light and love to all who knew her. Through this fund, her spirit will continue to inspire and uplift, offering other children the opportunity to grow, learn and create memories that last a lifetime.

Attachments

• Blakely McCrory HOPE FUND
• Blakely McCrory HOPE FUND Press Release

Jerri Hamachek
Moody Gardens, Inc. 
409-789-2607
jhamachek@moodygardens.org

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