Ahead of their sold-out Gruene Hall performance Thursday, Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters took the stage for an intimate panel discussion moderated by Ray Wylie Hubbard and KNBT/KGNB Radio’s Mattson Rainer.

Attendees learned more about the band’s musical influences, personal and professional relationships with other iconic musicians and the connection between music and film.

The event, which was one of the United Way of Comal County’s 2025 Speaker Series, was more than just a good time. Through sponsorships, donors and ticket sales, $10,000 was donated by the United Way to the Ingram Volunteer Fire Department, which suffered insurmountable losses during the catastrophic July flooding in Kerr County. The department lost vehicles, equipment and one of their own – Captain Antonio Fernandez.

“We’re very, very thankful that we were considered [for the donation],” Ingram VFD Chief Diana Baccus said. “We feel very blessed, especially because it’s coming from an outside source outside of our county, that people outside of our community and within our state and within our country realize the devastation and the tragedy that we’ve experienced in our community.”

Following the United Way’s donation amount announcement, Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union matched the $10,000 donation and Thornton decided to personally donate $10,000 to Ingram VFD as well.

While the United Way typically raises money to support nonprofit organizations within Comal County, Thornton and the Boxmasters donated their time to appear at the event with the request that some of the money raised be donated to Hill Country flood relief efforts, according to Kathleen Krueger, United Way of Comal County director of public relations.

“To have a film and television actor like Billy Bob Thornton and his band, the Boxmasters, to have one of the interviewers be Ray Wylie Hubbard, along with our own Mattson Rainer from KNBT Radio, and to fill this historic hall with people who are stepping up to give to our local charities and even to the Ingram Volunteer Fire Department, who lost not only buildings and equipment, but one of their own firefighters in the flood, makes this is a very special day, bordering on sacred,” Krueger said.

After an hour of music-filled discussion, Thornton opened up about his own experience with grief. Thornton lost his brother, Jimmy Don Thornton, unexpectedly at 30 years old, and said his life has never been the same.

“It makes it easier for you to live your life if you accept the fact that you’ll never get over it, because if you spend your life trying to get over it, it’s only going to cause more pain,” Thornton said.

“I honor my brother by grieving his death every day. Maybe not everybody will take that kind of advice, but it’s made life livable for me to keep him in my life and my thoughts as opposed to trying to get rid of his memories so I can live better.”

One more event in the United Way’s speaker series is planned for this year. On Tuesday, Nov. 18, Texas A&M University System’s Chancellor John Sharp will appear at the McKenna Center. Sponsorships and individual tickets are still available for November’s event, with more details available online at uwcgtx.org/speaker-series.