J.J. Watt isn’t physically in Houston right now, but his heart is. He’s raising money to help the region recover from the devastation Hurricane Harvey has caused.
J.J. Watt raising money for Hurricane Harvey recovery
The Houston area has been devastated by flooding, and the Texans defensive end wants to help.
Jeanna Kelley has been covering the Falcons for The Falcoholic since 2011 and the NFL for SB Nation since 2015.
Watt tweeted a video in which he talked about the storm and the horrific flooding and damage in Houston:
“It’s very difficult, not only because we have family and friends back there,” Watt said. “Some guys have young kids. Some guys have wives and families. But that’s our city. It’s very tough to watch your city get hit by such a bad storm and not be there to help.”
So Watt decided he would help as much as he can.
“So what I do want to do is, I want to start a fundraiser, because I know that these recovery efforts are going to be massive,” Watt said. “I know that there are going to be a whole bunch of people we need to help get back on their feet. I know there’s going to be a lot we need to do to help rebuild.”
Watt set up a fundraiser through YouCaring and set a goal of $200,000. Within two hours, that goal had been met, so Watt raised it to $500,000. The response was overwhelming:
Other members of the Texans organization are getting involved. Owner Bob McNair has pledged $1 million to the United Way of Greater Houston Flood Relief Fund on behalf of the team. The NFL Foundation will match the $1 million donation, as will the Patriots.
Head coach Bill O’Brien said via the team’s Twitter account that he hopes others are spurred to action by the example the Texans are setting. And that’s not all.
The flooding in Houston is widespread and destructive, and it’s not over. Some areas could get over 50 inches of rain from this storm when it’s all said and done. At least five people have been confirmed dead, and many are still trapped by the high water. The damage is catastrophic.
As of this morning, over $300,000 has been raised through Watt’s efforts, and that number continues to grow. If you want to contribute, you can do so through Watt’s YouCaring campaign, and here are some other ways you can help.
Watt posted an update in the afternoon, with the donations having reached over $500,000.
Watt raised the goal to $1 million, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that it was met quickly. Since then, Watt has raised the goal half a million dollars each time the goal has been met. By the time it reached $3.25 million, he raised the stakes to $4 million, and then $5 million.
You could say it was going well.
Watt’s efforts have been great in helping the city of Houston, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop anytime soon.
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