J.J. Watt’s Hurricane Harvey fundraiser may be closing, but the relief work has just begun.
In the end, Watt has helped raise more than $34 million for the people in Houston and the city’s surrounding areas who were affected by the massive natural disaster in late August.
And, who knows. More donations could come flooding in before Friday at 5:00 p.m. CT, when the site officially stops taking contributions.
“There are not enough words to thank you all for your generosity. If there is one thing I have taken away from these last few weeks, it’s the reassurance of how much good is out there in our world,” Watt said in a statement released on Twitter. “When times are the toughest, humanity stands at its strongest and you all have helped to prove that emphatically.
“On Friday, Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. CT, we will complete the fundraising portion of our efforts to dedicate our time to ensuring every dollar is put to work for the people in the devastated areas in and around Houston. There are many places you could have donated your hard-earned money and I am honored you have chosen to join this effort to support the people who were affected most by Hurricane Harvey. Please keep this spirit of helping one another alive. The world is a better place when we all take care of each other.”
A Message From @JJWatt : pic.twitter.com/OuDHB36vNE
— JJ Watt Foundation (@JJWFoundation) September 13, 2017
Watt launched his fundraiser on Aug. 27 with a goal of $200,000. When that was surpassed within the first 12 hours, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year kept raising the goal.
People from all walks of life contributed to Watt’s fundraiser including late-night host Jimmy Fallon, rapper Drake and Houston Rockets’ point guard Chris Paul.
An effort is being made to get State Highway 99 (Watt’s jersey number) renamed The J.J. Watt Parkway as a thank you from some of the people he’s helped. The petition needs about 60,000 more signatures before it’s passed along to Houston mayor Sylvester Turner for approval.
But, first thing’s first. Watt and the team at his foundation must devise a plan for how to distribute the funds in order to be the most effective — Something Watt isn’t taking lightly.
“I take that responsibility [of handling donations] extremely seriously,” Watt said as funds accumulated. “And I’m gonna make sure … that what I do is do right by the people who donated, and by the people who need the help.”