Post by khalilsackdaddy on Dec 13, 2018 6:43:56 GMT -6
What started as a simple message turned into $41.6 million.
"I'm sitting here watching the news and checking the Internet and seeing everything that's going on with Hurricane Harvey and the damage it's causing back home," Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt said in a video he posted to Instagram on Aug. 27, 2017, from his hotel room in Dallas. "It's very difficult.
"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. Not be there to help with the recovery. Not be there to help with the process. It's very tough."
So he made a request.
"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. I know that there's going to be a whole bunch of people that we need to help get back on their feet.
"Whatever you can donate, please donate to help these people out."
Watt set up a page on YouCaring.com, donating $100,000 of his own money and setting the goal at $200,000. He raised that in two hours.
For the next three weeks, the online fundraiser continued to grow. Even after the original $37 million was raised, donations came in after the deadline to make a total of $41.6 million, making it the largest crowd-sourced fundraiser in history. A year later, the money distributed by Watt to help the relief efforts has made a huge impact on the lives of those who received help.
"I'm sitting here watching the news and checking the Internet and seeing everything that's going on with Hurricane Harvey and the damage it's causing back home," Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt said in a video he posted to Instagram on Aug. 27, 2017, from his hotel room in Dallas. "It's very difficult.
"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. Not be there to help with the recovery. Not be there to help with the process. It's very tough."
So he made a request.
"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. I know that there's going to be a whole bunch of people that we need to help get back on their feet.
"Whatever you can donate, please donate to help these people out."
Watt set up a page on YouCaring.com, donating $100,000 of his own money and setting the goal at $200,000. He raised that in two hours.
For the next three weeks, the online fundraiser continued to grow. Even after the original $37 million was raised, donations came in after the deadline to make a total of $41.6 million, making it the largest crowd-sourced fundraiser in history. A year later, the money distributed by Watt to help the relief efforts has made a huge impact on the lives of those who received help.
When I think of Socially Conscience athletes. This is what I believe can happen. A player of JJ Watts status has a the money and the platform/voice to make a huge difference in anything he believes in, if/when they actually acton it.
Nothing wrong w/doing the little things either, but be vocal, and back it up w/an action that will evoke change and fans/people will follow.
btw, it's not NFL/sports related but Kid Rock did something similar to what Geno did. He walked into a wallmart and paid off 80k worth of lay a way items for families for christmas. It's what I expect from the famous/wealthiest in our nation, not b/c they have to do it, or it's required, but b/c they want to b/c they can; and make it public so that others in w/the ability see that it can and is being done.
... and neither is this Chris guy.