Houston Texans legend J.J. Watt is lending a helping hand once again. Amid the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts after devastating flash floods across Texas’s Hill Country, the former football player and his wife, Kealia, are donating $100,000 to relief efforts.
How is J.J. Watt helping recovery efforts?
Grape Juice Kerrville is providing meals to first responders and community members in need and is actively seeking donations to support their mission. Watt responded by posting the donation on the restaurant’s GoFundMe page.
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Over the July Fourth weekend, flash floods swept through and devastated communities as intense rain caused the Guadalupe River to rise 26 feet in 45 minutes. According to ABC News, the latest report from officials in Texas says at least 119 people are dead. Kerr County was hit the hardest, with at least 95 deaths, including 36 children.
Rescue efforts have continued around the clock since Friday. Officials say more than 850 people have been rescued so far.
When has Watt helped out in the past?
Watt has stepped up in the past to help victims of tragedy. After Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and the surrounding area in August 2017, he started the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund to raise money for the families of victims and those displaced by the storm. The foundation helped raise over $41 million and, at the time, was the largest crowdsourced fundraiser in history.
Less than a year later, a 17-year-old opened fire at Santa Fe High School in Houston, killing 10 people and injuring several others. Watt, who was still playing with the Texans, informed the school that he would personally cover the funeral expenses for the victims.
How is the community in Texas coming together?
President Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration for the area on Sunday. According to the agency’s daily operations briefing, FEMA has deployed search and rescue teams from five states to Kerr County, sent experts and supplies to bolster the state’s emergency headquarters in Austin and authorized activation of the Army Corps of Engineers.
Due in part to Watt’s donation, the Grape Juice Kerrville GoFundMe page, sponsored by owners Daric and Heidi Easton, is approaching a total of $150,000 in donations.
“If I keep making sandwiches, people can still be fed,” Easton told reporters. “If responders are fed, then they can save lives. And that’s really the mantra we’ve just been, just keep making sandwiches.”
On Sunday, July 6, the NFL announced that their two Texas-based teams, the Texans and Dallas Cowboys, along with the NFL Foundation, would combine to give $1.5 million to those affected by the flooding.
Watt played 10 years in Houston and two more for the Arizona Cardinals before retiring after the 2022 season. He ranks 34th on the league’s all-time list with 114.5 sacks. He joined CBS Sports as an NFL analyst after his retirement.
