Everyone from Texans vice chairman Cal McNair to backup quarterback T.J. Yates and center Chris Myers said it: Matt Schaub didn’t have to be in Houston on Friday night.

But Schaub and his wife, Laurie, chose to be. And the duo continued to give back to the community via their GR8 Hope Foundation, holding a well-attended gala at a Galleria-area hotel in advance of Schaub’s annual charity golf tournament Monday.

The longtime Texans quarterback was traded to the Oakland Raiders on March 21. Some pro athletes would have canceled a fundraiser in their former team’s city after being dealt away. Schaub and Laurie never had the thought.

“It’s very important to Laurie and I to still host this event and still carry on our charity and do what we can for Texas Children’s Hospital,” said Schaub, who spent 2007-13 as the Texans’ starting QB. “What we’re doing here goes well beyond the football field. It’s about helping the kids that walk through those doors … and to just give them the resource and the opportunity to get the best care in a timely manner.”

Added McNair: “Matt’s a class act. He has been since the day we got him. … His holding this event (Friday) just reinforces it — his commitment to charities and to what he believes in and the kind of guy he is.”

Schaub bears no ill will toward the Texans or their fans. He and Laurie are still considering making Houston their long-term offseason home. And the best QB the franchise has ever had knows a team he spent seven seasons playing for will always be a part of his life.

“It was a great seven years. There’s no hard feelings involved whatsoever,” Schaub said. “We started our family here and we raised our family. … It’s just a great town and a great community with great families. We’re very appreciative of all the support that we’ve received.”

The Texans’ horrendous 2-14 campaign last season left Schaub with the understanding there would be “something happening” once it was over. While his former team has been relatively quiet during free agency, opting to focus on the upcoming draft, Schaub became a central figure in Oakland’s big-money revamp. He joined ex-Texan Antonio Smith with the Raiders, while former Jacksonville star running back Maurice-Jones Drew recently said his new QB has the ability to guide Oakland to the Super Bowl.

“As a quarterback, you want the team to believe in you and know that if they bust their tails for 55 minutes and get you to the end of the game with a chance to win it, that you’re going to get them that win as a quarterback,” Schaub said.

The Texans will face the Raiders in the Bay Area this season. Schaub joked he can’t circle the date on his calendar until the NFL releases its official schedule. But he acknowledged the opportunity to wear silver and black while facing the team that willingly traded him is a game he’s already waiting for.

“Anyone in this business that changes teams, whenever you face that former team, you get a little extra juice for it,” Schaub said.

Twitter: ChronBrianSmith