Texas Sports Teams, Leagues Donate Over $5M to Flood Relief

The sports world has been a key rallying point in the recovery from last weekend’s devastating central Texas floods, which have claimed more than 100 lives, with dozens more missing. 

A search-and-recovery effort extended into a fifth day Tuesday following the initial flooding in the early hours of July 4 in the Texas Hill Country. Many of the state’s pro sports teams have made donations. Among the publicly announced donations from teams and leagues:

• A collective $1.5 million donation from the NFL’s Cowboys, Texans, and NFL Foundation
• A collective donation of “more than $2 million” from the NBA’s Mavericks, Rockets, Spurs, the NBA Foundation, and the National Basketball Players Association
• A $1 million donation from MLB’s Astros. The club is buttressing that with “a fan-based initiative to mobilize our passionate fan base” and provide additional support
• A $1 million donation from MLB’s Rangers
• University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning, one of the highest-paid athletes in college sports, said Tuesday he was donating to relief organizations addressing the flood damage and pushed for others to do the same
• A collective $500,000 donation from Major League Soccer, FC Dallas, Austin FC, and the Houston Dynamo FC

Among the hardest-hit areas in the floods was Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, a Christian summer camp for girls that had been in existence since 1926. Among the Camp Mystic attendees lost in the flood was Janie Hunt, a 9-year-old who the wife of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt referred to as a “precious Hunt cousin.” Six other cousins of Janie Hunt also attended the camp but have survived. 

“Our hearts are heavy as we witness the devastation and loss of life caused by the floods in Kerr County and Texas Hill Country, especially for the young girls and their families, as well as all of those lost and their loved ones,” the Cowboys said in a statement. “This has been devastating to see and we hold everyone impacted in our thoughts and prayers.”