Success Stories
Safety and Success
Luke's Story
Boys Town cares for abused, abandoned, and troubled children placed in its care by providing Family-Teachers who love and support them, educational opportunities to give them a future, and the structure so many of them desperately need in their lives.
Children like Luke Hawx, whose early childhood was tumultuous, found the guidance they needed at Boys Town. Raised without structure or discipline, Luke discovered that Boys Town was exactly what he needed to turn his life around. Now an actor, stuntman, and wrestler, Luke Hawx uses his fame to support the institution he loves.
In Luke’s words: “Boys Town is a savior, a safe haven, a place where children who have no chance actually have a chance. And if you ever need living proof of that, look up Luke Hawx, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
Watch Luke's Story
Announcer: Luke Hawx
Luke: What I do with WildKat Sports WildKat Wrestling is I take...it's a community building project, but it's entertainment. So, every program that I came from had funding in some way, shape, or form to give to Boys Town or give to kids like me who came from the streets.
Being a part of these programs set me up for success in my later end of life. So, now it's my job to give back.
Luke: So, I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana at Charity Hospital in 1981. Grew up with a really, really difficult drug-addicted family that was very dysfunctional. On the streets, homeless most of my life as a child throughout the 8, 9, 10, 11 range. I missed two years of school and the court stepped in.
There was a lady named Donna Ortman from Boys Town at that time who happened to be in the courtroom. She heard my story. She thought I would be a good fit. And she asked me if I would like to come check out the program Boys Town had.
And, man, it was night and day.
When you grow up in that environment, you always have to have that chip on your shoulder. That was the difference with Boys Town, was it was safe. When you come to Boys Town, you're safe, and it provides you with meals, clothing, love, support, education, all these things that I couldn't get on my own.
I'm very thankful for Boys Town. Because without Boys Town, my life wouldn't be changed, and that's a fact.
Luke: These were my two rooms here. I had to clean both of them. I had to clean the bathroom, I had to do all the chores that come along with being at Boys Town, and learned all the nice responsibilities that needed to be instilled in young men like myself so I can be successful. Thanks, Herman, for making me clean this bathroom.
Herman: You're welcome. You're welcome. And we have many more, so.
Luke: Yeah, many more. And it somebody else's job to clean it now.
Luke: It gave me the opportunity to better my life. Now, it took a lot of work to get there, and I had to be willing to open up to those changes, but the programs that Boys Town offered made me who I am today.
They taught me how to speak properly to someone. They taught me how to shake someone's hand properly. They taught me how to address my insecurities and my own issues and problems that I have to deal with in life, that I may have to deal with in the real world on a job, on a job site, in a meeting.
I graduated high school. I moved across country. I chased pro wrestling. I built a dream career for myself in pro wrestling, having television shows on multiple networks. I broke off into film as a stunt man, which eventually led to my acting career.
Films I was in, like "Logan" and "Fast and Furious." I had an opportunity to be in all these major productions and have prestigious parts. I've worked with everybody. Hugh Jackman, Jamie Foxx, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham. Every major name in film, I've worked with them.
Luke: I love to come back to these homes and tell these children how I can relate to them because of what I've done when I came through here and where I've gone from succeeding in the program here and where they can go from succeeding in the program.
Luke: Boys Town is a savior, a safe haven, a place where children that have no chance actually have a chance.
I wouldn't have a life. I wouldn't have children. I wouldn't have a wife. I wouldn't have a family. I wouldn't have anything I have today. So I'm very grateful for Boys Town. And I'm very grateful for everyone who supports Boys Town. Thank you.
