Winning teams in Fort Worth: The Henry House and TCU

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Courtesy of The Henry House

J.J. Henry and some of his young fans share a few laughs at a recent event for The Henry House Foundation.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- If you cut J.J. Henry, there's a better than average chance he'd bleed purple. You see, the 34-year-old PGA TOUR veteran is a Horned Frog through and through. And in these parts -- specifically Fort Worth, home of the TCU Horned Frogs -- purple is not only part of one's wardrobe, it's part of one's DNA.

J.J. Henry's foundation in Fort Worth, Texas, strives to make life better for children.

How much does Henry love the Frogs? Well, he follows the undefeated football team as if he would gladly strap on some pads and run down on kickoff coverage should head coach Gary Patterson request it. Of course, there aren't many blindside tackles on the golf course, so Henry will have to settle for the relative safety of his sideline vantage point as he watches his Frogs try to bust into the BCS party.

Passion for the Frogs notwithstanding, Henry follows another group of very special Frogs with an even keener eye and open heart.

The Henry House, J.J.'s foundation, recently gave a $25,000 grant for a program called KinderFrogs, a unique school based at TCU that works with children with Down Syndrome and other development delays.

Five minutes with this home team will change your life.

"It's amazing being around these kids," Henry said. "I can't tell you how rewarding it's been being just a small part of their lives."

Marilyn Tolbert, director of the school, says the $25,000 grant from The Henry House Foundation will fund new therapeutic equipment that helps develop motor skills, mobility and speech.

It's exactly this type of project and tangible outcome that is the reason J.J. and his wife Lee created The Henry House in the fall of 2006. Both in their adopted hometown of Fort Worth and in J.J.'s real hometown of Fairfield, Conn., The Henry House strives to make a difference in the health and well-being of children.

This being the close of his fifth season on the PGA TOUR, Henry knows that he's just now entering the prime years of his career. Although he didn't find the winner's circle this season, he produced one of his most consistent years to date, making more than $1.1 million.

The Henry House

To learn more about The Henry House, visit the official Web site. Click here • PGA TOUR charity blog

"It's been a B-plus type season because of how consistently I've played this year," Henry said. "Would I have liked to turn some of those 35th places into fifth places? Of course. But I played well this year and I'm proud of where I'm at. I know this is when most golfers really make a big push in their careers and I'm ready to put in the work to get me to that next level."

Despite the pressures of TOUR life and Henry's focus to start churning out top 10s each week, he remains firmly involved in every move The Henry House makes.

"It's important to me to truly take part in all that we do," he said. "But with that being said, I'm very fortunate to have some great people supporting the Foundation."

One of those people is Mike Flynn, J.J.'s manager. Flynn serves as the air traffic controller for Henry's hectic schedule and The Henry House Foundation.

"J.J. and Lee wanted to do something that made a difference in children's lives in a very tangible way. The Henry House has been amazing to be part of," Flynn said. "It's grown so quickly that the sky's truly the limit for its future."

The Henry House provided the funding for a Teen Room at Cook Children's Hospital, one of the finest children's hospitals in the country.

"It was a great opportunity to help teenagers who are having to deal with some pretty tough stuff to have a place to relax and have fun," said Laura Anderson, the foundation's marketing director.

Here's what the Ben Hogan Learning Center will look like once enough funds are raised to build it.

Since Colonial Country Club is a pitching wedge from TCU's campus, Henry is an obvious crowd favorite at that prestigious event each year. But there's little doubt that his biggest fans are the smallest folks in attendance. Right off the 10th fairway in what is one of the best views on the course, The Henry House sets up The Henry House Hideaway, a luxury suite for kids to enjoy the tournament in style.

"We've done it twice now and it's one of our favorite events," Henry said. "We wanted kids to not only come out to the tournament, but also to have an awesome place to enjoy the golf. We include interactive games, plenty of good food and drinks and the kids have a great time all week."

Recently, The Henry House joined forces with the Ben Hogan Foundation to raise funding for a Learning Center at Rockwood for The First Tee Fort Worth program. The two foundations also pulled together to co-host an annual gala called the White Hot Night. Held at Henry's home course at Mira Vista Golf Club, the evening affair raised more than $300,000.

"It's hard to believe that my name is associated in any way with Ben Hogan," Henry said. "This has been a real thrill to be sure. Ben Hogan was everything to golf and to Fort Worth and I'm very proud of the work both of the foundations have been doing. The Learning Center is going to be an amazing resource of children for years to come."

Rudy Klancnik, a freelancer writer for PGATOUR.COM, is based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. All photos courtesy of The Henry House Foundation. To learn more about The Henry House Foundation, please click here.