Right on cue

Fort Worth Billiards gives back through its inaugural Mosconi Team USA event

Fort Worth Billiards is more than an exceptional specialty retailer; the store is a haven for members of the local billiards community. When Albert Trujillo, president of Fort Worth Billiards, was presented with an opportunity for the store to give back to the larger Fort Worth community, he knew exactly which organization he wanted to support.

The Mosconi Cup is an annual billiards tournament between teams from the United States and the United Kingdom. Jeremy Jones, captain of Team USA, and Christian Ng, a local ambassador of the billiards industry, approached Albert with an idea to host a charity event involving members of Team USA.

“They asked me what charity I thought would be the best fit for this,” Albert said. “I thought, ‘I had a cousin who was 5 years old, around 20 years ago, who passed away with a tumor in his brain.’ We also have a good friend who raises money through Dreaming a Cure, and I know what his daughter went through. For that reason, I brought up Cook Children’s.”

Albert and his team quickly got to work organizing and promoting the Mosconi Team USA event. Guests enjoyed dinner, drinks and a meet-and-greet with members of the team. Albert and his team also invited local junior players to attend and engage in some friendly competition with the professional players.

“We had five juniors from around the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and they had a great time,” Albert said. “The professionals are their idols, and usually they just see them on TV. When they walked in the door and saw them in person, they were in heaven. It was huge for them.”

Tickets to this one-of-a-kind, exclusive event were advertised for $250, and all proceeds benefited Cook Children’s. The Fort Worth Billiards team also raised funds through door prizes and raffles, sponsorships and individual donations from the players. At the end of the night, Albert and his team presented a $25,000 check to Cook Children’s.

“When we tallied up the money to present the check, tears came to my eyes when they told me that number,” Albert said. “Everyone was so kind and thoughtful, and there wasn’t a second thought about making a donation. We had plenty of sponsors to help us achieve our total. It wasn’t just Fort Worth Billiards; it was all the other guys who gave their time and sponsored us.”

After the incredible success of their inaugural event, Albert said that he hopes to host additional events to benefit Cook Children’s in the future.

“So many of us are blessed that our children are healthy, but we sometimes take that for granted,” Albert said. “We don’t know what other families are going through. They can’t be forgotten, because that makes a huge impact on the family.”

Become a Corporate Partner

Corporate giving is an essential part of helping Cook Children's. There are several ways your company can partner with us and help improve the health of every child in our care and our communities. Email Meredyth Haller, our Corporate Associate Gift Officer to learn how your company can make a difference!

Email Meredyth