Reason to smile

The Berry kids return to Houston & school: Remarkable steps for car crashorphans (with new photos)

Willa, Peter and Aaron Berry
Photo via Joshua and Robin Berry Children’s Trust/Facebook
Peter, looking amazing!
Photo via Joshua and Robin Berry Children’s Trust/Facebook
Willa makes a heart for her brothers.
Photo via Joshua and Robin Berry Children’s Trust/Facebook
Aaron working hard at therapy.
bin Berry ChildrePhoto by Joshua and Ron’s Trust/Facebook

Ten weeks after the devastating car accident that killed their parents, the Berry kids are all back in Houston and getting back to as normal a life as they can.

Returning from a family vacation over the Fourth of July weekend, the entire Berry family was in a serious car accident in West Texas when an oncoming driver veered into their lane. Parents Josh and Robin were killed and 9-year-old Peter and 8-year-old Aaron suffered serious spinal injuries and are paralyzed from the waist down. Six-year-old Willa Berry suffered broken bones.

The tragic situation led Houstonians and international celebrities like Taylor Swift, Justin Beiber and Lady Gaga to rally to help the Berry children and their family with the costs of their medical care and future expenses. Now the family reports that after a summer of intense rehabilitation in Chicago's Shriners Hospital, the two Berry boys have returned to the Houston home of their aunt and uncle.

Lisa Shapiro Strauss writes on the Joshua and Robin Berry Children’s Trust Facebook page,

The boys are home and they are doing amazing! They are getting settled in at Aunt Simone & Uncle Matt's house, learning how to get around, playing with their cousins and some friends. They will hopefully be back in school by the end of the week. Everyone at [their school, Beth Yeshurun,] can't wait to see them! They are 100% different than how they were 10 weeks ago. They are thriving and we are all so proud!

According to KHOU, the boys planned to return to Beth Yeshurun on Friday, where Willa has been attending first grade since last month.

There are several charitable events scheduled for Houstonians to continue their support of the Berry family. There's a Team Berry participating in the 2012 Houston Marathon, in the marathon, half-marathon and 5K distances, a Bounce for the Berrys booth at Cy Woods High School's Wildcat Carnival on Friday, a "Birdies for Berrys" golf tournament in February, a Berry Family Run scheduled for March in Plano, a Berry Family Rummage Sale on Nov. 20, and more.

Berry 'Show Your Hearts' bracelets are for sale this weekend at various locations, and Show Your Hearts clothing can also be purchased from the Berry Trust Café Press store.

unspecified

that's baller

Houston hypes FIFA World Cup with new Guinness World Record

World Cup Guinness World Records soccer balls

Courtesy of Airbnb

DaMarcus Beasley, Bun B, and the Guinness World Records adjudicator.

Houstonians continue to show enthusiasm for the arrival of the FIFA World Cup this summer. On Saturday, April 11, local politicians, celebrities, and youth soccer players contributed to setting a new official Guinness World Record for the longest continuous line of soccer balls.

Held at Hermann Park, the effort lined up more than 1,000 soccer balls to set the new record. DaMarcus Beasley, the only American to play in four World Cups, and Houston hip-hop legend Bun B participated in the event. An official Guinness World Records judge was on hand to confirm the feat.

All of the more than 1,000 soccer balls used in the record-breaking event were donated to Grow the Game, a collaboration between the FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston Host Committee and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority Foundation. The program aims to expand access to soccer for underserved youth across Houston through free and low-cost programming, including clinics, tournaments, and more.

“Today’s event is about more than breaking a world record, it’s about celebrating Houston and investing in its future,” Airbnb executive Laura Spanjian said in a statement. “As the world prepares to come to Houston for the FIFA World Cup 2026, we’re proud to support programs that ensure local communities, especially young people, can be part of that moment in a meaningful and lasting way.”

As Spanjian notes, Airbnb has committed more than $1 million to helping Houston get ready for the FIFA World Cup, which will feature seven matches between June 14 and July 4. These efforts include money for improvements along the Green Corridor, a 14-mile long path connecting multiple major landmarks in Houston through safe, walkable paths that include shade trees and other improvements.

Airbnb expects that Houston will welcome more than 31,000 visitors during the World Cup, generating an estimated $372 million economic impact, according to Deloitte.

Courtesy of Airbnb

DaMarcus Beasley, Bun B, and the Guinness World Records adjudicator.

world cup celebrities