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<script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.thespec.com/sports-story/7525026-two-houston-sports-stars-use-social-media-to-help-residents-affected-by-hurricane-harvey/"},"inLanguage":"en-CA","articleSection":"Sports,Sports|Football","headline":"Two Houston sports stars use social media to help residents affected by hurricane Harvey","url":"https://www.thespec.com/sports-story/7525026-two-houston-sports-stars-use-social-media-to-help-residents-affected-by-hurricane-harvey/","alternativeHeadline":"","description":"It started with a simple idea born of an even simpler urge: Do something, anything to help people as rising flood waters were overtaking Houston. 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Watt, the Houston Texans defensive end who happens to be one of the National Football League's most popular players, told \"CBS This Morning\" with his team stranded in Dallas after a Saturday night pre-season game.</p><p>Like Watt, who is from Wisconsin, the Houston Rockets' Clint Capela regards the city as his hometown and felt helpless. \"Since I got here,\" the Swiss native told the Houston Chronicle, \"I really feel like it's home for me. I feel the love from the people. I love this city. I still have my home, but I love the people here. I want to show them that I love them, also.\"</p><p>Watt converted his name recognition into an online fund drive Sunday evening with a pledge to match the first $100,000 in donations, and the website quickly crashed as the fund reached its first goal. When Capela, a Swiss native who was a first-round draft pick by the Rockets in the 2014 National Basketball Association draft, could not leave his home early Sunday evening, he promised his more than 27,000 Twitter followers that he would share their emergency situations and his Twitter feed became a snapshot of a catastrophe that could force 30,000 people from their homes and into shelters.</p><p>Watt used his star power Sunday afternoon to set up a fundraising account on YouCaring.com and shared the link in an impassioned video plea to his 2.7 million Instagram followers and 3.89 million followers on Twitter, saying, \"That's our city\" and promising to help people get back on their feet.</p><p>\"It's extremely difficult to have to watch the events of hurricane Harvey unfold on TV and not be able to get back to Houston to help with the recovery efforts,\" he wrote on Instagram. \"I've set up a fundraiser so that we can raise as much money as possible to help our communities and the families of our great city rebuild. Any donation that you can spare, no matter how large or small, no matter what city or state you live in, is greatly appreciated. We will come out of this stronger than ever. <a href=\"http://www.YouCaring.com/JJWatt\">www.YouCaring.com/JJWatt</a>  #TexasForever\"</p><p>The power of one of the most charismatic and fan-accessible players in the nation's most popular sport caused Watt's fund to reach its $100,000 goal, which Watt matched, in two hours — and SI.com's Peter King reports that by 7 p.m. the YouCaring's website had crashed. By 9:20, the site was up again after an SOS tweet from Watt. By early evening, he was Skype-ing interviews about the site with CNN, CNN International and \"CBS This Morning\" and pulling in other high-powered support as Chris Paul, the Rockets' newly acquired point guard, texted Watt to pledge $50,000.</p><p>Watt increased the goal to $500,000 and, by midmorning Monday, the total had reached nearly $344,000.</p><p>Philanthropic efforts weren't limited to individuals, either. The Dallas Cowboys announced plans for a telethon Tuesday on Dallas's CBS station to raise money for flood victims, and Texans owner Bob McNair and the team pledged $1 million to the United Way of Greater Houston Flood Relief Fund.</p><p>Capela's involvement was more organic as more 2,000 rescues were completed, according to police chief Art Acevedo, with 185 requests still pending Monday. It began with a tweet telling followers: \"Tweet me and I'll share as many emergency situations as I can. Stay safe Houston.\"</p><p>The responses quickly turned his Twitter feed into a heartbreaking message board Sunday evening and into Monday morning as people tweeted SOS messages from their rooftops, urgently asking for boat rescues and help for pets. Others simply wanted him to use his platform to get in touch with family members. \"Boat needed,\" one simply said, supplying an address.</p><p>\"It reminds me of Katrina,\" Capela told the Chronicle. \"I was not even in the States [when that hurricane struck New Orleans in 2005]. It's something that's really hard to see. It makes me feel bad to be here and see. I was thinking I cannot not try to do something, even on Twitter. 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        <h1 class="ar-title">Two Houston sports stars use social media to help residents affected by hurricane Harvey</h1>
    
    
    <section>        
                <category>Sports</category>
            <date>Aug 28, 2017</date>
        <author>
            <span>by </span>
                Cindy Boren
            
            
        </author>
        <name>Hamilton Spectator</name>
    </section>   
</div>
</div><div id="div3495" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-mediaplayer' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/3495/?mode=mobile&pskey=3057782380121090026283749&acid=A7525026" cid="79" pcid="3495_3104" primary="false"  lpos="asset-mediaplayer"></div><div id="div3511" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-body-part1' loaded="true"   lpos="asset-body-part1"><div article page text>    
        <p>It started with a simple idea born of an even simpler urge: Do something, anything to help people as rising flood waters were overtaking Houston. For two professional athletes in the city, the frustration led them to harness their social media power, with one raising nearly $350,000 online and another becoming a heartbreaking message board of pleas for help.</p>
        <p>"To see (Houston) going through such a disaster and not be there, not be able to help, it's very difficult to have to watch it from afar and see it on TV, and look at streets that you know and you can barely recognize them under all the water," J.J. Watt, the Houston Texans defensive end who happens to be one of the National Football League's most popular players, told "CBS This Morning" with his team stranded in Dallas after a Saturday night pre-season game.</p>
        <p>Like Watt, who is from Wisconsin, the Houston Rockets' Clint Capela regards the city as his hometown and felt helpless. "Since I got here," the Swiss native told the Houston Chronicle, "I really feel like it's home for me. I feel the love from the people. I love this city. I still have my home, but I love the people here. I want to show them that I love them, also."</p>
        <p>Watt converted his name recognition into an online fund drive Sunday evening with a pledge to match the first $100,000 in donations, and the website quickly crashed as the fund reached its first goal. When Capela, a Swiss native who was a first-round draft pick by the Rockets in the 2014 National Basketball Association draft, could not leave his home early Sunday evening, he promised his more than 27,000 Twitter followers that he would share their emergency situations and his Twitter feed became a snapshot of a catastrophe that could force 30,000 people from their homes and into shelters.</p>
    </div>

</div><div id="div3757" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='storycontinues1' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/3757/?mode=mobile&pskey=3057782380121090026283749&acid=A7525026" cid="110" pcid="3757_3262" primary="false"  lpos="storycontinues1"></div><div id="div3880" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='bigboxad1' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/3880/?mode=mobile&pskey=3057782380121090026283749" cid="144" pcid="3880_3391" primary="false"  lpos="bigboxad1"></div><div id="div3772" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-body-part2' loaded="true"   lpos="asset-body-part2"><div article page text>    
        <p>Watt used his star power Sunday afternoon to set up a fundraising account on YouCaring.com and shared the link in an impassioned video plea to his 2.7 million Instagram followers and 3.89 million followers on Twitter, saying, "That's our city" and promising to help people get back on their feet.</p>
        <p>"It's extremely difficult to have to watch the events of hurricane Harvey unfold on TV and not be able to get back to Houston to help with the recovery efforts," he wrote on Instagram. "I've set up a fundraiser so that we can raise as much money as possible to help our communities and the families of our great city rebuild. Any donation that you can spare, no matter how large or small, no matter what city or state you live in, is greatly appreciated. We will come out of this stronger than ever. <a href="http://www.YouCaring.com/JJWatt">www.YouCaring.com/JJWatt</a>  #TexasForever"</p>
        <p>The power of one of the most charismatic and fan-accessible players in the nation's most popular sport caused Watt's fund to reach its $100,000 goal, which Watt matched, in two hours — and SI.com's Peter King reports that by 7 p.m. the YouCaring's website had crashed. By 9:20, the site was up again after an SOS tweet from Watt. By early evening, he was Skype-ing interviews about the site with CNN, CNN International and "CBS This Morning" and pulling in other high-powered support as Chris Paul, the Rockets' newly acquired point guard, texted Watt to pledge $50,000.</p>
        <p>Watt increased the goal to $500,000 and, by midmorning Monday, the total had reached nearly $344,000.</p>
    </div>

</div><div id="div3788" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='storycontinues2' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/3788/?mode=mobile&pskey=3057782380121090026283749&acid=A7525026" cid="110" pcid="3788_3299" primary="false"  lpos="storycontinues2"></div><div id="div3790" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-relatedcontent' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/3790/?mode=mobile&pskey=3057782380121090026283749" cid="63" pcid="3790_3301" primary="false"  lpos="asset-relatedcontent"></div><div id="div3792" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-body-part3' loaded="true"   lpos="asset-body-part3"><div article page text>    
        <p>Philanthropic efforts weren't limited to individuals, either. The Dallas Cowboys announced plans for a telethon Tuesday on Dallas's CBS station to raise money for flood victims, and Texans owner Bob McNair and the team pledged $1 million to the United Way of Greater Houston Flood Relief Fund.</p>
        <p>Capela's involvement was more organic as more 2,000 rescues were completed, according to police chief Art Acevedo, with 185 requests still pending Monday. It began with a tweet telling followers: "Tweet me and I'll share as many emergency situations as I can. Stay safe Houston."</p>
    </div>

</div><div id="div3793" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='storycontinues3' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/3793/?mode=mobile&pskey=3057782380121090026283749&acid=A7525026" cid="110" pcid="3793_3304" primary="false"  lpos="storycontinues3"></div><div id="div3881" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='bigboxad2' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/3881/?mode=mobile&pskey=3057782380121090026283749" cid="144" pcid="3881_3392" primary="false"  lpos="bigboxad2"></div><div id="div3795" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-body-part4' loaded="true"   lpos="asset-body-part4"><div article page text>    
        <p>The responses quickly turned his Twitter feed into a heartbreaking message board Sunday evening and into Monday morning as people tweeted SOS messages from their rooftops, urgently asking for boat rescues and help for pets. Others simply wanted him to use his platform to get in touch with family members. "Boat needed," one simply said, supplying an address.</p>
        <p>"It reminds me of Katrina," Capela told the Chronicle. "I was not even in the States [when that hurricane struck New Orleans in 2005]. It's something that's really hard to see. It makes me feel bad to be here and see. I was thinking I cannot not try to do something, even on Twitter. Anything that I could do that would be helpful, I should do it."</p>
        <p>The Washington Post</p>
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        <h1 class="ar-title">Two Houston sports stars use social media to help residents affected by hurricane Harvey</h1>
    
    
    <section>        
                <category>Sports</category>
            <date>Aug 28, 2017</date>
        <author>
            <span>by </span>
                Cindy Boren
            
            
        </author>
        <name>Hamilton Spectator</name>
    </section>   
</div>
</div><div id="div9528" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-sharebuttons-top' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/9528/?mode=tablet&pskey=3057782380121090026283749" cid="81" pcid="9528_8635" primary="false"  lpos="asset-sharebuttons-top"></div><div id="div4675" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-mediaplayer' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/4675/?mode=tablet&pskey=3057782380121090026283749&acid=A7525026" cid="79" pcid="4675_4239" primary="false"  lpos="asset-mediaplayer"></div><div id="div4680" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-body-part1' loaded="true"   lpos="asset-body-part1"><div article page text>    
        <p>It started with a simple idea born of an even simpler urge: Do something, anything to help people as rising flood waters were overtaking Houston. For two professional athletes in the city, the frustration led them to harness their social media power, with one raising nearly $350,000 online and another becoming a heartbreaking message board of pleas for help.</p>
        <p>"To see (Houston) going through such a disaster and not be there, not be able to help, it's very difficult to have to watch it from afar and see it on TV, and look at streets that you know and you can barely recognize them under all the water," J.J. Watt, the Houston Texans defensive end who happens to be one of the National Football League's most popular players, told "CBS This Morning" with his team stranded in Dallas after a Saturday night pre-season game.</p>
        <p>Like Watt, who is from Wisconsin, the Houston Rockets' Clint Capela regards the city as his hometown and felt helpless. "Since I got here," the Swiss native told the Houston Chronicle, "I really feel like it's home for me. I feel the love from the people. I love this city. I still have my home, but I love the people here. I want to show them that I love them, also."</p>
        <p>Watt converted his name recognition into an online fund drive Sunday evening with a pledge to match the first $100,000 in donations, and the website quickly crashed as the fund reached its first goal. When Capela, a Swiss native who was a first-round draft pick by the Rockets in the 2014 National Basketball Association draft, could not leave his home early Sunday evening, he promised his more than 27,000 Twitter followers that he would share their emergency situations and his Twitter feed became a snapshot of a catastrophe that could force 30,000 people from their homes and into shelters.</p>
        <p>Watt used his star power Sunday afternoon to set up a fundraising account on YouCaring.com and shared the link in an impassioned video plea to his 2.7 million Instagram followers and 3.89 million followers on Twitter, saying, "That's our city" and promising to help people get back on their feet.</p>
        <p>"It's extremely difficult to have to watch the events of hurricane Harvey unfold on TV and not be able to get back to Houston to help with the recovery efforts," he wrote on Instagram. "I've set up a fundraiser so that we can raise as much money as possible to help our communities and the families of our great city rebuild. Any donation that you can spare, no matter how large or small, no matter what city or state you live in, is greatly appreciated. We will come out of this stronger than ever. <a href="http://www.YouCaring.com/JJWatt">www.YouCaring.com/JJWatt</a>  #TexasForever"</p>
        <p>The power of one of the most charismatic and fan-accessible players in the nation's most popular sport caused Watt's fund to reach its $100,000 goal, which Watt matched, in two hours — and SI.com's Peter King reports that by 7 p.m. the YouCaring's website had crashed. By 9:20, the site was up again after an SOS tweet from Watt. By early evening, he was Skype-ing interviews about the site with CNN, CNN International and "CBS This Morning" and pulling in other high-powered support as Chris Paul, the Rockets' newly acquired point guard, texted Watt to pledge $50,000.</p>
        <p>Watt increased the goal to $500,000 and, by midmorning Monday, the total had reached nearly $344,000.</p>
        <p>Philanthropic efforts weren't limited to individuals, either. The Dallas Cowboys announced plans for a telethon Tuesday on Dallas's CBS station to raise money for flood victims, and Texans owner Bob McNair and the team pledged $1 million to the United Way of Greater Houston Flood Relief Fund.</p>
        <p>Capela's involvement was more organic as more 2,000 rescues were completed, according to police chief Art Acevedo, with 185 requests still pending Monday. It began with a tweet telling followers: "Tweet me and I'll share as many emergency situations as I can. Stay safe Houston."</p>
    </div>

</div><div id='div4701' class='inline' containergroup='true' cid='1' pcid=4701_4241 style='width:100%;float: left;' loaded='true' ><div id="div4683" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='youmightbeinterested-matrix1' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/4683/?mode=tablet&pskey=3057782380121090026283749" cid="80" pcid="4683_4243" primary="false"  lpos="youmightbeinterested-matrix1"></div></div><div id="div4681" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-body-part2' loaded="true"   lpos="asset-body-part2"><div article page text>    
        <p>The responses quickly turned his Twitter feed into a heartbreaking message board Sunday evening and into Monday morning as people tweeted SOS messages from their rooftops, urgently asking for boat rescues and help for pets. Others simply wanted him to use his platform to get in touch with family members. "Boat needed," one simply said, supplying an address.</p>
        <p>"It reminds me of Katrina," Capela told the Chronicle. "I was not even in the States [when that hurricane struck New Orleans in 2005]. It's something that's really hard to see. It makes me feel bad to be here and see. I was thinking I cannot not try to do something, even on Twitter. Anything that I could do that would be helpful, I should do it."</p>
        <p>The Washington Post</p>
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        <h1 class="ar-title">Two Houston sports stars use social media to help residents affected by hurricane Harvey</h1>
    
    
    <section>        
                <category>Sports</category>
            <date>Aug 28, 2017</date>
        <author>
            <span>by </span>
                Cindy Boren
            
            
        </author>
        <name>Hamilton Spectator</name>
    </section>   
</div>
</div><div id="div1702" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-sharebuttons-top' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/1702/?mode=desktop&pskey=3057782380121090026283749" cid="81" pcid="1702_1462" primary="false"  lpos="asset-sharebuttons-top"></div><div id="div1703" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-mediaplayer' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/1703/?mode=desktop&pskey=3057782380121090026283749&acid=A7525026" cid="79" pcid="1703_1463" primary="false"  lpos="asset-mediaplayer"></div><div id="div1785" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-body-part1' loaded="true"  ><div article page text>    
        <p>It started with a simple idea born of an even simpler urge: Do something, anything to help people as rising flood waters were overtaking Houston. For two professional athletes in the city, the frustration led them to harness their social media power, with one raising nearly $350,000 online and another becoming a heartbreaking message board of pleas for help.</p>
        <p>"To see (Houston) going through such a disaster and not be there, not be able to help, it's very difficult to have to watch it from afar and see it on TV, and look at streets that you know and you can barely recognize them under all the water," J.J. Watt, the Houston Texans defensive end who happens to be one of the National Football League's most popular players, told "CBS This Morning" with his team stranded in Dallas after a Saturday night pre-season game.</p>
        <p>Like Watt, who is from Wisconsin, the Houston Rockets' Clint Capela regards the city as his hometown and felt helpless. "Since I got here," the Swiss native told the Houston Chronicle, "I really feel like it's home for me. I feel the love from the people. I love this city. I still have my home, but I love the people here. I want to show them that I love them, also."</p>
        <p>Watt converted his name recognition into an online fund drive Sunday evening with a pledge to match the first $100,000 in donations, and the website quickly crashed as the fund reached its first goal. When Capela, a Swiss native who was a first-round draft pick by the Rockets in the 2014 National Basketball Association draft, could not leave his home early Sunday evening, he promised his more than 27,000 Twitter followers that he would share their emergency situations and his Twitter feed became a snapshot of a catastrophe that could force 30,000 people from their homes and into shelters.</p>
        <p>Watt used his star power Sunday afternoon to set up a fundraising account on YouCaring.com and shared the link in an impassioned video plea to his 2.7 million Instagram followers and 3.89 million followers on Twitter, saying, "That's our city" and promising to help people get back on their feet.</p>
        <p>"It's extremely difficult to have to watch the events of hurricane Harvey unfold on TV and not be able to get back to Houston to help with the recovery efforts," he wrote on Instagram. "I've set up a fundraiser so that we can raise as much money as possible to help our communities and the families of our great city rebuild. Any donation that you can spare, no matter how large or small, no matter what city or state you live in, is greatly appreciated. We will come out of this stronger than ever. <a href="http://www.YouCaring.com/JJWatt">www.YouCaring.com/JJWatt</a>  #TexasForever"</p>
        <p>The power of one of the most charismatic and fan-accessible players in the nation's most popular sport caused Watt's fund to reach its $100,000 goal, which Watt matched, in two hours — and SI.com's Peter King reports that by 7 p.m. the YouCaring's website had crashed. By 9:20, the site was up again after an SOS tweet from Watt. By early evening, he was Skype-ing interviews about the site with CNN, CNN International and "CBS This Morning" and pulling in other high-powered support as Chris Paul, the Rockets' newly acquired point guard, texted Watt to pledge $50,000.</p>
        <p>Watt increased the goal to $500,000 and, by midmorning Monday, the total had reached nearly $344,000.</p>
        <p>Philanthropic efforts weren't limited to individuals, either. The Dallas Cowboys announced plans for a telethon Tuesday on Dallas's CBS station to raise money for flood victims, and Texans owner Bob McNair and the team pledged $1 million to the United Way of Greater Houston Flood Relief Fund.</p>
        <p>Capela's involvement was more organic as more 2,000 rescues were completed, according to police chief Art Acevedo, with 185 requests still pending Monday. It began with a tweet telling followers: "Tweet me and I'll share as many emergency situations as I can. Stay safe Houston."</p>
    </div>

</div><div id='div2831'  containergroup='true' cid='1' pcid=2831_2434 style='width:100%;float: left;' loaded='true' ><div id="div1788" style='width:40%;float: left;' class='bigboxad2' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/1788/?mode=desktop&pskey=3057782380121090026283749" cid="144" pcid="1788_1549" primary="false"  lpos="bigboxad2"></div><div id="div1789" style='width:60%;float: left;' class='youmightbeinterested-matrix1' contentUrl="/pagecontainer/1789/?mode=desktop&pskey=3057782380121090026283749" cid="80" pcid="1789_1550" primary="false"  lpos="youmightbeinterested-matrix1"></div></div><div id="div1786" style='width:100%;float: left;' class='asset-body-part2' loaded="true"   lpos="asset-body-part2"><div article page text>    
        <p>The responses quickly turned his Twitter feed into a heartbreaking message board Sunday evening and into Monday morning as people tweeted SOS messages from their rooftops, urgently asking for boat rescues and help for pets. Others simply wanted him to use his platform to get in touch with family members. "Boat needed," one simply said, supplying an address.</p>
        <p>"It reminds me of Katrina," Capela told the Chronicle. "I was not even in the States [when that hurricane struck New Orleans in 2005]. It's something that's really hard to see. It makes me feel bad to be here and see. I was thinking I cannot not try to do something, even on Twitter. Anything that I could do that would be helpful, I should do it."</p>
        <p>The Washington Post</p>
    </div>

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