Best Days, Islander Roots: A Promise Formed in Family Hardship Inspires an Islander Impact
Matt Worthington ’21 didn’t set out to build a nonprofit. He started with a promise.
Years earlier, as his father Jeff’s health declined, Worthington watched neighbors, friends, and community carry his family through their struggles. They dropped off meals, offered rides, sent flowers, and showed up in ways both quiet and unforgettable. Their kindness stayed with him.
“I saw the power of people and the power of community from an early age,” Worthington said. “I always promised myself, when I got a little bit older and had a little bit more time and resources, I was going to figure out a way to give back.”
That promise became the Best Day Ever Foundation, a nonprofit which creates tailored experiences for people and families walking through difficult circumstances. Sometimes that means a simple gathering with loved ones. Sometimes it means an unforgettable adventure. Every time, it means meeting people where they are and reminding them that joy still exists.
Worthington completed his undergraduate degree at Texas State University before looking for a graduate program which would let him stay close to home. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi stood out. A friend had spoken highly of their Islander experience, and Worthington already felt a connection to the Coastal Bend through game fishing experiences in Corpus Christi as a child.
“Texas is home,” Worthington said. “I love the state, and I love being by the ocean.”
The flexibility of the Island university’s online MBA proved essential.
At the time, his father was terminally ill, and the program allowed Worthington to stay at home in Austin during one of the most important periods of his life.
“We spent a lot of those days together in between classes and homework,” Worthington said. “It was just me and my dad.”
Conversations during this period became sacred. They also shaped the life Worthington wanted to build after his father’s death.
“When he passed, I felt lost,” Worthington said. “I asked myself what I wanted my life to look like. And if I could paint a dream day, what would that dream day be? And it was this.”
Before the foundation officially launched, Worthington spent a year doing one kind thing every week and sharing the acts online. This included cleaning his roommate’s room, mowing a neighbor’s yard, anything to make people’s days lighter. Some videos spread on social media, confirming what he had begun to suspect.
“Kindness cuts through the noise,” Worthington said.
The foundation received its 501(c) (3) status in January 2025. Since then, it has granted more than 200 “Best Days,” mostly in Texas, while expanding to other states as submissions continue to pour in. No two experiences look alike. The team usually focuses on people facing time-sensitive hardships — serious or terminal illnesses, traumatic accidents, lost homes, or life-altering setbacks. They listen first, then build a day around what matters most.
One recent Best Day began with a nomination from Jennifer Storm ’00, CEO of the Buda Economic Development Corporation and a fellow TAMU-CC alumna. At the time, neither she nor Worthington knew they shared a school connection.
Storm submitted the nomination after her son Barret suffered an accident in summer 2025 which left him without sight in one eye. Emergency treatment and follow-up surgery could not restore his vision. As Barret prepared to start junior high wearing an eye patch, Storm searched for something which might lift his spirits.
“You’re trying to figure out how to help your child through something like that,” Storm said. “He needed something positive.”
Worthington asked what Barret loved. The answers were delightfully specific — fast cars, barbecue, and Johnny Cash.
What followed felt almost too perfectly stitched together to be planned. Barret and two friends climbed into a Tesla Cybertruck. A Johnny Cash tribute band happened to be in Austin, so the foundation arranged a private performance where Barret sang with the musicians. Then came Lamborghinis and barbecue to finish the day.
Storm said the experience changed more than Barret’s mood — it changed the story he was telling himself.
“It made him believe that good things could happen to him again,” Storm said.
Later, the two discovered their shared Islander connection, making an already meaningful story feel even more personal.
“I was so impressed with what he is doing for the world,” Storm said. “People need to know what Matt’s doing, because it’s so simple, but it can actually change the world if people just say yes.”
Many Best Days come together because businesses, performers, and volunteers donate time, access, or experiences. For Worthington, the generosity mirrors the support his own family once received. For the foreseeable future, he has pledged not to take a salary from individual donations, instead supporting himself through his full-time sales job and partnerships tied to content and storytelling. It’s not the easiest path, but one he considers essential.
“A promise is a promise,” Worthington said.
For now, he balances foundation work with his day job, pushing toward a future where Best Day Ever can grow even further. The stories keep coming. The need keeps growing. So does the evidence that kindness, when organized with care and conviction, can travel farther than people expect.
For Worthington, the mission remains straightforward.
“Just be kind,” Worthington said. “We need more kindness.”
This is archived content and was published before April 26, 2027. While we are committed to making our digital spaces accessible to everyone, some parts of this archived content may not fully comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.
If you require a specific news article in an accessible format, please contact us at webhelp@tamucc.edu. We will work to provide the content to you in an accessible format within five working days.
