He’s known as “Mattress Mack,” a local Houston-area superstar who owns the Gallery Furniture chain.
Now, an amazing act of kindness has the store owner trending nationwide.
According to KPRC, Mattress Mack — real name Jim McIngvale — took 100 veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder to Game 1 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals.
McIngvale has been a major Astros booster this year.
You broke my car window, you stole my backpack, but you didn't get my @Astros tickets!! Haha #TakeItBack
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In addition to offering customers money back on mattresses if Houston’s baseball team wins the series (with a few catches), he’s also bet at least $8.25 million legally on his hometown team in the fall classic. (In fact, the bet is how McIngvale plans to cover the expenses for the mattress deal.)
This is the second time in three years that the Astros have appeared in the World Series. They won it all back in 2017 — an occasion which forced Mattress Mack to shell out around $13 million to customers who had purchased mattresses when he offered a similar deal.
While this all adds up to some great publicity for Gallery Furniture, it’s what McIngvale is doing for veterans in the Houston area that’s really making news, and for all the right reasons.
McIngvale took the 100 vets from Camp Hope to see Astros starter Gerrit Cole and Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer battle it out at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Tuesday.
Camp Hope is a temporary residence for vets who are suffering from combat-related PTSD and their families.
“The facility opened in 2012 and is located in a quiet and safe setting in Houston, Texas whereby veterans and their immediate family members can find healing, help and hope while benefiting from an intensive peer support and mentoring program for Post Traumatic Stress,” the facility’s website reads.
“In addition to temporary housing, Camp Hope offers a 90+ day PTSD recovery program in which residents: attend group lessons and support sessions with other combat veterans; conduct individual mentoring sessions with certified combat trauma mentors; participate in off-site small group interaction activities (fishing, hiking, local activities and events); and get involved with local churches, businesses and volunteer organizations to assist in their personal healing and educating the community on the invisible wounds of war.”
“These are great veterans who have given their all for us. I went out the other day to give a speech there and was totally inspired,” McIngvale told KPRC.
So, he gave them the tickets.
“I never served but I’ve seen the trauma that these guys have been through,” McIngvale said. “Camp Hope is one of many places in Houston that takes care of our veterans with PTSD and it just gives all of us at Gallery Furniture great joy to help these veterans who have done so much while I did so little.”
Spotted outside Minute Maid Park: @MattressMack. He's hosting dozens of veterans at tonight's game, and picked the #Astros to win in 6. I asked him what he thinks of all the attention— he said: "these are my people." #WorldSeries #MattressMack #HoustonStrong
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Twitter users seemed to agree that the tickets were put to good use:
Not only is Jim McIngvale the best businessman I have ever known, he is also the most living, generous and community supportive man you'll ever meet. And for him, it's never empty words, it's hard reality and commitment. khou.com/mobile/article…
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Well, perhaps not for president. We already have enough candidates in the Democratic field.
Sadly, the veterans weren’t able to witness an Astros win. The Astros lost to the Nationals in Game 1 by a final score of 5-4.
While Nationals starter Scherzer didn’t go deep into the game — he threw 112 pitches in just five innings before being pulled — the Nats still managed to grind out a win in their first World Series game in franchise history.
However, the vets seemed to appreciate it. In an interview during dinner at Pappas BBQ — another treat from McIngvale — Camp Hope resident Zack Alexander expressed unbelief he’d be going to an Astros World Series game.
“This is absolutely unbelievable,” Alexander told KPRC.
“I’ve been an Astros fan since I was a little kid. My dad took me to Astros games when we sucked and they were cheap tickets. And now I’m even taking my son to his first Astros game.”
In the World Series, no less. Our hats are off to you, Mattress Mack.
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