New nonprofit will host fundraising golf tournament Saturday

When the Kleins tragically lost their son Jerrod under horrific circumstances, they were determined not to let their grief consume them. They came up with a way to give back to their community and try to bring aid to worthy concerns.

"After our son's murder, a year later, following the conclusion of the trial, my wife (Laura) and I had to decide what to do after that," Robb Klein said. "We decided that time and money could be harnessed to help with tragedy and neglect. In that vein, we created a 5013c organization, intended to help other groups as well as concerns of our own, to meet community needs."

They created Just Love and Kindness, whose letters are based on the name of their son, Jerrod Lee Klein. The philosophy undergirding the organization is from the New Testament, Ephesians 4:32, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you."

The organization operates in a lean capacity, where the staff is the Kleins and family and friends. There are no salaried positions.

"The organization is relatively new in establishment," he said. "We just finished the official paperwork as of October of last year. We've also done the other details, like setting up a website, justloveandkindness.org."

This coming Saturday, Just Love and Kindness will have its first big event and fundraiser. Taking place at the Texarkana Golf Ranch, the event will feature a golf tournament and silent auction. Also, there will be games for children, a wildlife rescue group with some of the animals they care for, and a Freightliner truck for the children to climb up into and explore.

There will be food and beverages on site for the public, and Roadhouse will feed the golfers and volunteers in the afternoon.

"This year's beneficiary of the fundraising will the the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department PRIDE Academy," Klein said. "The golf event will be an annual event for our organization."

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