Drake Donates $200,000 to J.J. Watt’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund
Update: Drake announced he will donate $200,000 to Houston Texans player J.J. Watt’s Houston Flood Relief Fund fundraiser. Though the rapper is originally from Toronto, he hosts an annual Houston Appreciation Weekend – a celebration of the city that he believes started his music career.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey‘s destruction, Watt organized the fundraiser with a goal of $500,000 to rebuild the city and aid victims. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year matched the first $100,000 raised, according to Sports Illustrated. Watt increased the goal to $10 million, which he has already met. As the of this writing, Watt’s fund has raised $11,377,220 from over 100,000 donors.
“We must come together and collectively help rebuild the aspects of our community members lives that were damaged or lost,” Watt wrote on fundraising website YouCaring.com. “Any donation that you can spare, no matter how large or small, is greatly appreciated. We will come out of this stronger than ever. We are Texans.”
Recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey will be massive.
We must come together to help rebuild our communities.https://t.co/SR6DmnNbyM pic.twitter.com/iiMsG2i4dl— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) August 27, 2017
Hurricane Harvey is “probably the worst disaster the state’s seen,” according to Federal Emergency Management Agency. At least five people have reportedly died from the hurricane. Officials expect more than 30,000 people to be forced out of their homes. The destruction continues as the National Weather Service doesn’t expect flooding to peak until Wednesday at the earliest.
In addition to Watt, other athletes have tweeted in support of those impacted by Harvey. Houston Rockets guard James Harden asked for everyone’s love and prayers “to the people in Texas.” Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry shared a similar sentiment, saying “[I] don’t really know what to say in times like these but hope we can help somehow!” Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long sent his prayers to “all the people in Houston” and “the men and women risking their lives to save lives,” as did nine-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware and Houston Astros right-fielder Josh Reddick.
To help those affected by Hurricane Harvey, you can donate to Watt’s YouCaring page, Red Cross or any of these foundations.