What started as a $200,000 goal has now reached $10 million to support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, thanks to J.J. Watt‘s fundraising endeavours.
The Houston Texans defensive end set up a YouCaring.com fundraising page on Sunday with a promise to ensure all funds go directly to those affected in Houston and the surrounding area, and the goal has continued to grow with the help of over 100,000 donors and counting.
The football superstar, easily one of the most recognized athletes in the NFL, is known for his charitable efforts and community involvement and has been posting video updates on Twitter throughout this week’s campaign in order to express his gratitude and communicate how, exactly, the money is being used.
“I’m going to leave the link open. We’re going to see how high we can get it,” Watt said in Thursday’s update. “Celebrities, musicians, athletes, kids with their lemonade stands and people hosting fundraisers, businesses donating, I cannot thank everybody enough.”
Over the past few days, Watt’s cause has garnered support from fellow athletes like Chris Paul, celebrities like talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, musicians Drake and Miley Cyrus, and several pro sports franchises.
www.youcaring.com/JJWatt @justinjames99
77.1k Likes, 1,572 Comments – @champagnepapi on Instagram: “www.youcaring.com/JJWatt @justinjames99 “
“My focus is very much on getting this money directly back to the people, as I’ve said the whole time,” Watt explained, adding that supplies are currently on their way to Houston.
“That’s going to be the first phase of our operation, to get as immediate of an impact as we can.” said Watt. “We have things like water, food, clothing, generators, baby supplies, cleaning supplies.
“But if there’s something I’m not thinking of, please leave it in the comments because we want to make sure that we get these people exactly what they need so we can help rebuild as quickly as we can.”
Many others in the sports world, including several athletes and a number of franchises, have also donated to Hurricane Harvey aid through a variety of organizations and efforts. Most recently, the Baltimore Ravens pledged $1 million to the Red Cross as donations continue to pour in from across the sporting community.
If you’d like to donate to Watt’s efforts, you can do so here. Or, find out other ways you can help here.
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