HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 09: J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans warms up before playing against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at NRG Stadium on January 9, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo: Getty)
J.J. Watt has managed to rally scores of people behind him to assist the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston.
The Texans defensive end began an online fundraiser for the disaster victims on Sunday, and started with a modest goal of $200,000.
By Friday morning, total donations had surpassed $14 million, according to a tweet from 28-year-old Watt, a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Harvey has led over 30,000 people to seek emergency shelter and left dozens dead or injured.
“I’m not going to be perfect at this, I can promise you, because it’s happening on the fly and I’ve never done anything like this,” Watt said Wednesday. “But I’m doing everything I can, and we’re going to make it as good as we possibly can.”
Watt is one of several celebrities to have donated to a relief fund for those affected by the hurricane.
Canadian rapper and music producer Drake was among the latest to donate to the YouCaring campaign, a crowdfunding charity site that Watt chose to amass the donations. Drake committed $200,000 to the cause.
According to YouCaring.com, more than 139,000 donors have pledged funds.
The owners of the Texans and Baltimore Ravens each pledged $1 million to the United Way of Greater Houston’s flood relief fund; the NFL Foundation matched the Texans’ offer. The owners of the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and New York Jets each announced $1 million donations to the American Red Cross.
The Texans’ preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at NRG Stadium on Thursday was cancelled in order to allow players to be with their families.
HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 09: J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans warms up before playing against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at NRG Stadium on January 9, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
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