Dalhart meets Gene Rahll’s fundraising challenge
BY BILL KELLY
Dalhart Texan
Approximately a year ago, Gene Rahll made a special announcement at the 2025 Dalhart Area Chamber of Commerce Gala. He told everyone at the gala that he and his wife Louise would donate $10 million for a new nursing home, but only if the rest of the community could come up with $5 million by December 31 of that year. The deadline was eventually extended to March 31, and the goal has now been met, which means that the Rahlls will donate their $10 million to add to the slightly over $5 million already collected.
Kevin Caddell, who is currently vice president of the Dallam-Hartley Counties Hospital District Board of Directors and has been president in the past, made an announcement at the 2026 Chamber Gala that the goal had been met, that $5.1 million had been raised. Caddell said that after Gene Rahll, who passed away a couple of months ago, had made the original announcement, it took some time to get the fundraising effort underway, with the effort not really starting until October of 2025. Caddell asked Gene for an extension to March 31 of this year, and Gene agreed. Gene and Louise Rahll signed a document towards the end of the year that officially pledged that they would donate $10 million if $5 million could be raised locally. Mr. Rahll passed away shortly after that, but the pledge remained and with over $5 million having been raised, that $10 million will be donated to the effort to build a new nursing home.
Caddell also explained during his announcement that $15 million isn’t quite enough to build the nursing home that is needed, so the fundraising effort will continue. Another $2 million will be needed to build a new nursing home, so the hospital district is asking that anyone who has considered donating go ahead and do so.
Caddell also said that the hope is that ground will be broken on the new nursing home by the end of the summer. He ended by saying, “Louise, we indebted to you, and to Gene, and we thank you very much.”
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