Bass Pro Shops Katy announces that a date has been set for the donation of one of our “Hurricane Harvey” boats to the JOHNNY NELSON HERITAGE MUSEUM in Katy, TX. The donation will take place on 11/15/2018 at 10:30 AM. The presentation will be at 10:30 AM, at the JOHNNY NELSON HERITAGE MUSEUM in Katy, TX, located at 6002 George Bush Dr, Katy, TX 77493
When Hurricane Harvey devastated our area, Texas Governor Abbott reached out to our owner Johnny Morris for assistance with shallow draft boats. Johnny’s response was, “Whatever you need, whatever it takes” which then set in motion the transfer of boats from the production facility in Missouri, in under 24 hours. Added to the boats already in our inventory, over 100 of these small craft (most with outboard motors) were made available to the Texas Guard, Texas Parks & Wildlife, and other first responders. During the immediate aftermath of the flood, Bass Pro Shops Katy was used as a staging area for these groups as they loaded up these boats, and went out to accomplish thousands and thousands of rescues over the next few days and weeks. In addition, the store made available in excess of $125,000 in beef jerky, other non-perishable snacks, soft drinks, bottled water, dry socks, gloves, batteries, paddles, tarps, etc..
After the boats began to filter back in, we looked at the scratches and dents on them. It occurred to us that each scratch and dent was a story. Our thought was to choose a boat, get the community to sign it, and donate it to the Katy Heritage Museum. To this end, we contacted the Mayor and received his hearty approval. We then took the boat to the 2017 Katy Rice Harvest Festival, as well as displayed it in our lobby for a few weeks, giving the community an opportunity to sign it. The signatures were then sealed with a clear coat, and the boat has been awaiting a date to be placed in the museum.