Scared Monkeys Attends TES Fund Raiser. Get a first hand Account of the Event

Last week Texas Equusearch had a fund raiser and gathering at a local spot in Houston, TX attended by Beth Twitty and many other missing persons families. The following is a person account of one of our very own that attended the function. Get a first hand take on not only the event, but their impressions of Beth Twitty, Tim Miller and the rest. Special thanks to our Texas correspondent Monkey, Beachwego, for the following.

This past Friday I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Beth Holloway and Tim Miller of Texas Equusearch in Houston, Texas. Texas Equusearch (TES) is a dedicated all volunteer search and recovery organization that was founded by Tim Miller and is based in Houston. Each year the Houston Corporate Paralegal Association chooses a non-profit organization for recognition of their contributions to the local community and sponsors them to help off-set expenses by holding fund-raising benefits. This year Texas Equusearch was chosen for their relentless efforts involved in search and recovery efforts locally, nationally and abroad. The Paralegal Association decided to hold an impromptu gathering once they learned that Beth Holloway Twitty was arriving in Houston for a presentation with the children that attend the school of Teketria Buggs, the little girl that TES recovered the body of in a recent search.

The benefit all came together very nicely, though very hurriedly,as Tim Miller pointed out. The M Club is a very up-scale club in a newly renovated section of downtown Houston. There was a good crowd, it was mostly a professional, business-attired crowd of around a hundred or so. It was cash bar and at $17.50 for two cokes for my hubby and myself, believe me, I did not see very much free-flowing liquor. Despite delicious food and drink, it was apparent the focus was on honoring TES and the importance of their work. There was lots of mingling, quiet talking and many were observing the flat screened LCD’s that lined the walls of the M Club. I noted neither drunks nor mechanical bulls!

The presentation started with several families sharing their stories of their family members missing or deceased that TES had searched for. Many spoke of how they felt helpless and hopeless until they made that first phone call to Texas Equusearch. It seems as if TES does more than just organize searches, they take the families under their wings and offer heartfelt sympathy, lots of hugs and much guidance. Also in attendance and giving a brief presentation was Houston Crime Stoppers who told of their close association with TES. Also the lead detective in the investigation for (Teketria Buggs) the little girl found dead spoke of the commitment and heartfelt efforts put forth by Tim Miller and his group of volunteers.

Beth was the guest speaker and she spoke of the new safety program she has implemented with the National Sheriffs Association to carry the message of her daughter’s disappearance to high schools throughout the nation. Beth is such a beautiful person, much more so than the television sets show, and has a very comfortable, warm way of speaking. Beth briefly touched on Natalee’s disappearance and the tremendous efforts Tim Miller has made searching in Aruba to find Natalee. He has, once again, shown great compassion to Natalee’s family and continues to strive to find ways to bring closure for Beth and all of her family. A video clip of Natalee was shown during Beth’s presentation; one that brought tears to many eyes and brought the reality of Beth’s words home.

Another reason that Beth came to Houston was to meet with Tim in order to work out the details of the upcoming deep-water search in Aruba and to acquire the ground-penetrating radar for the Aruban officials to use in the search of the sand dunes in the lighthouse area. The benefit held that night was also to raise money for the upcoming searches, the equipment needed, and expenses of the volunteer search party. Tim Miller spoke briefly touching on these concerns and his gratitude of everyone coming out to the benefit. Jim Huston also spoke and touched on the helpful, friendly attitudes of the Aruban people but did say he wished the government officials had been as forthcoming. During their speech, a clip was shown of Tim Miller’s daughter, Laura, who was abducted and murdered, in Galveston County in 1984, and other searches of missing persons that TES has conducted. The final touch of the evening was an auction with starting bids for various items, such as special TES shirts, posters, and Natalee bracelets.

It was a very nice, enjoyable evening with kind-hearted people in a nice establishment in lovely surroundings with a common purpose. I did get the opportunity to speak with Tim for a bit. He is such a kind person with a big, big, Texas size heart. I am a new volunteer with Texas Equusearch with only one search under my belt but I do know that I am a better person for having had that opportunity and for knowing these people. Beth is a lovely person and I will always be proud that I had the opportunity to meet and speak with her. She is warm and compassionate and very easy to talk with. Beth asked me to pass on to everyone her gratitude. She said our dedication here at Scared Monkeys is unfathomable and has helped them in many instances. I told her how much she is in our hearts and prayers and that we would stand by her to the end. To me, Beth is a shining example of how a woman should handle herself in the face of extreme adversity. Adversity that she has had to face on a day to day basis for the sake of seeking justice for her lovely daughter and returning her to her homeland is unfathomable to me. My son is a Marine and there is an unspoken pledge made in every battle, no man left behind. How can she then leave Natalee in Aruba? As a mother I can well understand her quest.