J.J. Watt is not only our favorite defensive end for the Houston Texans, but now we can add hometown hero to his impressive lineup. Giving back to his community has always been at the top of the list as seen through his J.J. Watt Foundation. What Watt has managed to raise in the last week for the victims of Hurricane Harvey is a remarkable feat to be highlighted.
What began as an online fundraiser through YouCaring.com/JJWatt with a goal of $200,000 has turned into a total of $18.5 million and still growing as of today, September 4, 2017. Watt has far surpassed his goal of raising funds to assist the thousands upon thousands of folks affected by the treacherous downpours of Harvey.
Unable to physically be in town after the storm hit due to the team gearing up for upcoming games, Watt had to take action and couldn’t just sit back and see his hometown go through such suffering.
On his Twitter feed, Watt shared that “the compassion & generosity of people in times of need is truly remarkable. We must keep going!” He further stated in an article by espn.com, “I’m not just here for the initial fundraiser, I’m here to make sure that we take care of you down the road.”
Watt has further gone on to share that he has been consulting with others on how to best distribute the funds, and taking a chapter out of Hurricane Katrina on what to do and not to do, according to espn.com. His plans are to make sure he does things right in the distribution of the money.
On Sunday, September 3, 2017, Watt and his teammates unloaded 10 semi trucks filled with donated supplies to those in need throughout the city. Watt’s generosity and daily updates have been a refreshing welcome to the devasting effects Hurricane Harvey left behind. One thing is certain, the people of Houston and beyond affected by this catastrophic storm will never forget the efforts of this hometown hero as he boldly stood up and swatted away the uncertainty and replaced it with hope for many waiting for the support and assistance so desperately needed in their hour of sorrow.
