Those Who Make a Difference: Terry Hunt – Waco Tribune-Herald

Get local news delivered to your inbox!
This is a monthly feature on someone who makes a difference in other people’s lives. To submit someone for consideration, email [email protected].
Born in Fort Worth, Terry graduated from the University of North Texas (then known as North Texas State University) in 1981 with a degree in radio, television and film. He began his career in radio, first in Dallas while in college, then to markets in Austin (9 years), Temple-Killeen, Bryan-College Station, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (12 years) and then to Waco with Shooter FM. He left radio and joined the Community Cancer Association as director of development in February 2016, then assumed the role of executive director after the retirement of Bill Northcutt in 2019. Terry is the public address announcer for Baylor soccer, equestrian and baseball and does high school football playoff games. He has two daughters: Lauren Armstrong, who lives in Whitesboro with her husband, Josh; and Maggie Mills in Phoenix, who is engaged to Jorge Chavez. He enjoys golf and hiking, but considers himself mostly a homebody with his dog Archer, a Labrador/boxer mix.
As executive director of the often under-the-radar Community Cancer Association, Terry Hunt has experienced the famine. Now he’s tasting the feast.
After struggling during COVID-19 with fewer funds coming in to help the cancer patients it serves, and then dealing with a shrinking gas budget as fuel prices spiked, relief came from a multitude of sources.
The biggest came from this year’s Silo District Marathon in the form of a $50,000 check.
“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” Terry said.
A large Bowen Foundation grant came in. The Northwest Optimist Club announced that its golf tournament this year and for the future will raise money to go toward CCA’s gas budget. A United Way grant is benefiting the group’s medication/pharmacy program and supplies. H-E-B is providing gift cards to help patients afford nutritional supplements such as Ensure.
The Waco Foundation told Terry it was paying for the Resilia program, an online support for nonprofits that he said will be a huge help. The Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot this year is including CCA as a beneficiary.
“This year has been a blessing,” he said.
Community Cancer Association is one of the lesser-known nonprofits, but it has a big footprint in McLennan County. It is a local organization that has local donors and assists local cancer patients, from providing chemo care bags to helping pay for outpatient cancer drugs, prescription co-pays, medically necessary travel, wound care items (including ostomy and mastectomy supplies, prostheses, compression bandages and garments), wigs and nutritional supplements.
The American Cancer Society refers its patients to CCA for wigs.
“Everything we do is to help cancer patients,” he said. “All our vendors are local. Our pharmacies are local.”
“Being selected a Charity Champion has opened doors for us,” he said. “Awareness of us has grown,” and he hopes that will help spur growth in donations to help its patients.
CCA’s services will be needed even more, he said. The Texas Cancer Registry, which tracks diagnoses of cancer, usually sees about 1,170 new diagnoses in a given year for McLennan County, he said. Last year it was 1,240 new cases for the county and this year the registry is predicting 1,290 new cancer diagnoses.
Especially concerning is the rise in breast cancer, he said. Lung cancer is No. 1 in the county, with breast cancer right behind, he said. Usually breast cancer accounts for about a quarter of the patients CCA helps, he said, but currently new breast cancer diagnoses take up nearly half of the caseload, he said.
Terry has more than 40 years of experience in radio but switched to nonprofit work in 2016 with CCA. Being tapped to take over as Community Cancer Association’s executive director in 2019 came with a big learning curve. But he now feels like he’s hitting his stride.
“Our volunteer board is great,” he said. “It really is a team effort. We have all been touched by cancer. But I feel like we’re in the right place at the right time to receive these blessings.”
His radio mic might be put away, but his voice can still be heard over the public address system at Baylor soccer, equestrian and baseball events as well as high school football playoff games held at McLane Stadium.
“Radio was my career, but this is my calling,” Terry said of CCA. “I just didn’t know it until I got here.”
Waco Today highlights people whose good works may otherwise go relatively unnoticed. To submit someone for consideration, email [email protected].
Get local news delivered to your inbox!

NEW: Take a look inside “The Castle” in today’s new Waco Today issue — though we weren’t sure Magnolia would agree since the new show doesn’t debut until Oct. 14.
The blast of a train horn isn’t anyone’s favorite noise, but to patrons at Billy Bob’s Burgers Bar & Grill in Waco, it’s a sweet sound.

The Waco Today events calendar: See what’s coming up around the area in the coming month or so.

The 70th edition of the HOT Fair & Rodeo returns Oct. 6-16 with new animals, new shopping experiences, a new app and more.

The Central Texas Cattle Baron’s Ball fundraiser marks its 30th year at a new venue and in a new month, but its fight against cancer remains the same.

Central Texas Foodie: While fall baking is extra special, and I enjoy it, it can be time-consuming. Here is a bit of science to consider regarding yeast breads.

Around Town: The latest happenings around the area, expertly rounded up by Julie Campbell-Carlson.

Around Town: The latest happenings around the area, expertly rounded up by Julie Campbell-Carlson.

From Hispanic heroes to haunting riddles and horror movie science, you can find a great new book with these local recommendations from Waco libraries.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.

source