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Houston Texans Legend Makes Heartwarming Gesture Amid Texas Flood
Oct 1, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Former Houston Texans JJ Watt speaks to the fans during his Ring Of Honor Ceremony at halftime during the game between the Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Over the weekend, parts of Texas were hit with what has now been deemed America's deadliest rain-driven flash flood since 1976. The storms have brought a lot of dismay while uprooting hundreds of families as well as the community as a whole. Throughout the peril, there has also been an amazing turnout of volunteers and first responders who have dropped everything to aid those in need.

Specifically, a restaurant in Kerrville, Texas, Grape Juice, has been a major provider for those looking to help. They have been making as many meals as possible to help those who are helping others, and have gone as far as creating a GoFundMe to request help from the public. The GoFundMe message is plain and simple: "We are preparing and delivering as many meals as we can to those affected by the flood."

That is where former Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt enters the story. Watt and his wife, Kealia Ohai-Watt, caught wind of the fundraiser and knew they had to get involved.

“Our employee just said, ‘There’s a man named J.J. Watt on the phone and he wants to make a donation,’” Grape Juice owner Daric Easton told KPRC 2 in a telephone interview. “I was on a supply run when he called. My wife sent me a screenshot. I get his number and I send him the GoFundMe page.

“My wife was like, ‘Yo, it’s J.J.’ I sent him a text and it happened fast. That’s that boy, bro. the hometown hero. He’s out here, bro. That was wild, man... That was so kind of him and true to form with how J.J. is,” Easton said. “It’s hard to process that I now have J.J. Watt’s number. I’ll probably delete it. It’s too tempting to call him. In all seriousness, we are so appreciative. I had an employee who lost everything."

As far as where the money Watt dontated will go, Easton said, "It will go toward paying the staff, to purchasing groceries. It will be put to such good use. It was mind-blowingly considerate and compassionate for him and his wife to do that."

Watt has been known to give back charitablly since he retired from the NFL, most notably starting the GoFundMe campaign in response to Hurricane Harvey that went viral and raised over $41.6 million for the largest crowdsourced fundraiser in history.


This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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