Collins Strong Foundation

☀️ Summer is a season for making memories, building friendships, and making a positive impact on those around us.

We believe even the smallest acts of kindness can create a ripple effect that reaches farther than we may ever know.

This summer, we invite you and your kids to look for opportunities to encourage others, lend a helping hand, and be a light in your community. 💙

Need a few ideas?

✨ Leave a cold bottle of water for a delivery driver
✨ Visit a neighbor who may be feeling lonely
✨ Write thank-you notes to teachers, first responders, or military members
✨ Donate toys, books, or clothes you no longer use
✨ Help an elderly neighbor with yard work or bringing in groceries
✨ Pay for someone’s drink or treat
✨ Pick up litter at a local park or playground
✨ Bake cookies and share them with someone who could use a smile
✨ Invite a new friend to play or join an activity

Every act of kindness, no matter how small, has the power to make a difference.

⚓ Anchored in Prayer 🙏

We truly believe there is power in prayer, and this week we ask our community to join us in praying for Annelise, a young girl who suffered a near-drowning incident and is currently fighting for her life.

We pray for healing, strength, courage, and peace for Annelise and her family during this incredibly difficult time. We also lift up the doctors, nurses, and medical teams caring for her, asking for wisdom, endurance, and guidance as they continue their work.

As we pray for Annelise, we also remember every child facing medical challenges and the families walking alongside them.

If you know a child facing a health concern, or if you have a prayer request of any kind, please feel free to share it below or send us a private message. We would be honored to pray with you.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 ❤️🙏

Thank you, HTX Media, for remembering and honoring Mark “Pop,” Waylon, Carson, Hudson, and Bryson. 💙

We are grateful for everyone who continues to keep their memory alive and their legacy moving forward.

💙 Collins Strong Foundation

🕊️ IN MEMORY OF THE COLLINS FAMILY 🕊️

Today, HTX Media pauses to remember a family whose story touched the hearts of Texans across our state.

On June 2, 2022, a tragic and senseless act of violence claimed the lives of five members of the Collins family at their ranch near Centerville, Texas. The victims were identified as Mark Collins, 66, along with his grandsons Waylon Collins, 18, Carson Collins, 16, Hudson Collins, 11, and their cousin Bryson Collins, 11.

What was supposed to be a peaceful family trip filled with fishing, hunting, and making memories became one of the most heartbreaking tragedies Texas has seen in recent years. The Collins family was known throughout the Tomball community for their faith, kindness, and involvement in youth sports. Friends described the boys as "bright, shining stars" whose lives left a lasting impact on everyone they met.

The suspect was Gonzalo Lopez, a convicted murderer serving multiple life sentences in the Texas prison system. Just three weeks before the murders, Lopez escaped from a prison transport bus near Centerville after freeing himself from restraints, breaching a secured cage area, attacking a corrections officer, and fleeing into the woods, triggering one of the largest manhunts in Texas history.

Four years later, their memory continues to live on through the countless lives they touched. While nothing can erase the pain felt by their loved ones, their legacy remains a reminder of the importance of family, faith, and cherishing every moment we have together.

Please join HTX Media in remembering:

🕊️ Mark Collins, 66
🕊️ Waylon Collins, 18
🕊️ Carson Collins, 16
🕊️ Hudson Collins, 11
🕊️ Bryson Collins, 11

Gone but never forgotten.

💙 Please keep the Collins family and all who loved them in your thoughts and prayers.

HTX Media Chief Reporter Steevo

🏆⚾️ What an incredible accomplishment!

Congratulations to the Tomball High School baseball team on bringing home the State Championship! We are so proud of these young men and the hard work, dedication, and heart they have shown all season.

We have no doubt that Mark “Pop,” Waylon, Carson, Hudson, and Bryson are smiling down and cheering you on from above. 💙❤️

Congratulations, Champions! ❤️💙⚾️

🏆⚾️ STATE CHAMPIONS!

Tomball High School defeats Spring Branch Memorial 9-1 to claim the 2026 UIL 6A Division II State Championship!

Today marks four years since we lost Mark “Pop” Collins, Waylon, Carson, Hudson, and Bryson.

Four years later, their absence is still felt. There are moments when the grief feels fresh, memories that bring both smiles and tears, and reminders that love does not end when someone is gone.

The hurt is still there, because the love is still there.

Over the past four years, we have watched their legacy live on through acts of kindness, service, scholarships, friendships, and a community that continues to remember. While we would trade every accomplishment, every scholarship, and every tribute for one more day with them, we are grateful that their lives continue to inspire others to love deeply, serve generously, and cherish the people around them.

Today, we remember five lives that left an imprint on countless hearts. We remember their laughter, their unique personalities, the joy they brought to those around them, and the love they shared so freely. Their stories did not end on June 2, 2022. They continue to live on in the people they touched and the lives that continue to be changed in their honor.

As we reflect on this day, we pray for peace that only Heaven knows, for comfort for those who miss them most, and for the strength to continue carrying their legacy forward.

Forever loved.
Forever missed.
Forever remembered.
Forever Collins Strong.
❤️💙❤️💙❤️

Yesterday would have been our parents’, Mark and Lisa Collins’, 51st wedding anniversary.

As their children, we have been blessed by the example they set through their love, faith, commitment, and service to others. Our dad, Mark, left a tremendous impact on our lives and on so many people in our community. His heart for serving others and helping those in need continues to inspire us every day.

Much of what we do through Collins Strong Foundation is rooted in the values our parents instilled in us: to love others well, to serve with compassion, and to make a difference wherever we can.

Today, we remember our dad, celebrate our mom, and honor the beautiful legacy they built together.

❤️ Happy 51st Anniversary, Mom and Dad.

- Christopher, Dustin Matthew Collins

💙 Did You Know?

Scholarships do more than help pay for school.

They help reduce student debt, ease financial burdens, and give students the opportunity to focus on their education and future goals.

At Collins Strong Foundation, we believe every student deserves the chance to pursue their dreams, regardless of the obstacles they may face.

By investing in students today, we are helping create opportunities, strengthen our communities, and continue a legacy of hope, resilience, and impact.

One opportunity can change a life. 💙

Anchored in Prayer Wednesday ⚓️

As the school year comes to an end, life gets loud.
Awards ceremonies. Last minute projects. Field days. Summer plans. Busy schedules.

And somewhere in the middle of all the rushing, God gently reminds us:

Slow down.
These moments matter.

I sometimes reflect on the incredible things that came from COVID. Even though it was such a strange and difficult season, in many ways it became a blessing in disguise for our family. It taught me so much about slowing down, being present, and truly valuing time together.

Summer can give us that same opportunity again.

A chance to reconnect.
To laugh more.
To sit a little longer at the dinner table.
To hear the stories from the backseat.
To enjoy slow mornings, movie nights, pool days, and the ordinary moments that someday won’t feel ordinary at all.

And while not every family gets endless summer days because of work, responsibilities, or busy schedules, presence is not measured by quantity alone. Sometimes the most meaningful memories are made in the little moments:
a quick ice cream run, bedtime conversations, evening walks, movie nights on the couch, or simply putting the phones away and being fully present for an hour.

One day, these little moments will be the memories we miss the most.

💙 Our Prayer ❤️

This summer, may we be anchored not in busyness, but in presence.
May we pause long enough to truly see our children, hear their hearts, and enjoy the season we are in.

Lord, help us trade pressure for peace and schedules for connection. Remind us that some of life’s holiest moments happen in the simplest places.

As another school year comes to a close, we also lift up our kiddos in prayer. We pray for protection over them this summer, for growing hearts and minds, for confidence, kindness, joy, and rest. May they always know how deeply loved they are by both their families and by You. 💙

🙏🙏🙏

If you have any prayer requests for your family, children, or loved ones, please feel free to share them in the comments or message us privately. We would be honored to pray with you. ⚓️

At Collins Strong Foundation, we remember the brave men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom. Holding their families close in our hearts today and always. ❤️🤍💙