At the Alveus Sanctuary, a small nonprofit dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating animals, a devastating flood once washed out the only road connecting its caretakers to the creatures they serve. This fall, that same road became the path to a new beginning — thanks to the helping hands of Lowe’s Red Vest associates and the world’s largest content creator, MrBeast.
As part of the partnership with the creator and philanthropist, Lowe’s associates joined the YouTube star to rebuild and reimagine parts of the sanctuary, including a new enclosure for “Stompy” the emu and his new emu companion.
The project also marked the start of something even bigger: breaking ground on Alveus’s new wolf rehabilitation center, which will provide a safe place for injured and orphaned Mexican gray wolves to heal before returning to the wild.
For the Red Vest team on site, the work wasn’t just about construction. It was about compassion, connection and living out Lowe’s purpose — helping people (and in this case, animals) love where they live.
“The land was filled with quarry-like limestone and rock sediment, large tree roots and uneven drops in terrain,” said Ross Hubbard, Operations Assistant Store Manager at Lowe’s in Leander, Texas, who led the volunteer crew. “Our team cleared and leveled more than 25,000 square feet of space — moving 18 truckloads of boulders and rock to make it safe for the emu and other animals. We took a barren landscape and turned it into a safe, beautiful home.”
More than 20 associates from four area stores rolled up their sleeves for the effort, contributing materials, plants, fencing and tools to complete the build.
Helping enliven the landscape to provide natural habitats while beautifying an amazing part of our Texas community was truly gratifying,” Hubbard said. “It helped all of us see that the products we sell every day are more than just items on a shelf — they’re the tools that help solve real problems for real people and, in this case, protect endangered animals.”
The collaboration with MrBeast is part of Lowe’s ongoing commitment to deliver 10 million square feet of community impact this year — creating and restoring spaces that help people, neighborhoods and the natural world thrive.
For Hubbard, the most memorable part of the day was seeing the passion of the Alveus team and witnessing the animals thrive in their new space.
Seeing the habitats up close and the sanctuary’s dedication to protecting animals across Texas was inspiring,” he said. MrBeast was a great host, and his commitment to giving back aligns perfectly with what we believe at Lowe’s — that together, we can move mountains.”
