Thanks to record-breaking donations at the 2026 Texas Medical Association Foundation (TMAF) Gala, more than half of the cost of next year’s Hard Hats for Little Heads outreach program is now covered.
Hard Hats for Little Heads began in 1994 after pain specialist Larry Driver, MD, witnessed an avoidable head injury in his then-hometown of San Angelo and recommended the program to the TMA House of Delegates. Since its inception, Hard Hats has provided nearly 430,000 free helmets to Texas children to help reduce head injuries from wheeled sports, including bicycling, scooter riding, and inline skating.
At the 33rd annual gala April 17, the Make-a-Difference (MAD) Drive, the largest funding source for Hard Hats, received record-breaking donations from guests amounting to $56,781 to provide helmets in 2027.
The MAD Drive is a live auction unique to Hard Hats. Participants donate at gift levels ranging from $25 to $7,000, with the goal of raising at least $10,500, a threshold that unlocks a $10,500 challenge gift offered by an anonymous TMA and TMA Alliance donor couple. All proceeds go toward the Hard Hats outreach program.
For 13 years, donations made during the TMAF Gala have successfully matched that amount – with proceeds increasing each year because of attendees’ ongoing generosity. This year, that triumph includes a $7,000 donation from Dallas pediatric cardiologist Lee Ann Pearse, MD, who called her gift “a good investment in little Texans.”
The gift broke records as the largest single donation made during a MAD Drive. Dr. Pearse, a past TMA Foundation board member, has supported Hard Hats since 2011.
“I have a philosophy, ‘to those who much is given much is expected,’” she said. “I’ve been blessed my whole life … this is my way of giving back and showing that I believe in the program,” Dr. Pearse told Texas Medicine Today.
Dr. Pearse says she hopes the large donation will inspire future attendees to meet and exceed her contribution.
Learn how to host a helmet giveaway on the Hard Hats webpage.
Alisa Pierce
Reporter, Division of Communications and Marketing
(512) 370-1469