ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Frank Boggus named Border Texan of the Year

McALLEN – Frank Boggus has never liked the spotlight.

So when he heard that he was to be named the 2010 Border Texan of the Year, it was only after he heard that the proceeds of the March 4 ceremony in his honor would go to charities of his choosing that he relented and accepted the award.

“He hates it. He’d do anything not to have another award,” said Frank’s son, Bob, who has since taken the helm of the family business, Boggus Ford, which Frank’s father started in 1933. “But he knows this thing could raise money for some needy organizations.”

The BorderFest Association announced Monday that Frank Boggus, 81, a Harlingen native, was this year’s recipient of the award. The dinner and reception for Boggus during the annual BorderFest celebration will be held March 4 in Hidalgo.

The annual event has raised more than $600,000 for local non-profits and charities since 1989, Hidalgo City Manager Joe Vera said.

“My family seems delighted about it,” Frank Boggus said. “I don’t think I deserve it, but they asked me to do it. When I realized how much good it does for others, I agreed.”

Boggus, the long-time president of Boggus Ford who remains CEO and chairman, has held many titles in the auto industry, including director of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association and president of the Harlingen/San Benito New Car Dealers Association.

He’s also been active in local politics, having served on the Harlingen School Board and the Rio Grande Valley Chamber of Commerce.

But members of the BorderFest committee pointed to his many charitable works in the Valley over the years as the reason behind him receiving the award.

Boggus has been active with the Boys Scouts of America, the Harlingen United Fund and remains a board member of the local Salvation Army and the Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, among a litany of other organizations.

He’s also been instrumental in launching the Boggus Education Pavilion at Valley Baptist Medical Center and the Ronald McDonald House in Harlingen.

“The award was really started to honor people that are kind of in the background that always work and serve the community and never really receive any recognition,” said Vera, a member of the selection committee. “So when you look at Boggus, he’s really the perfect candidate.”