Rockets owner Leslie Alexander pledges $10 million to Hurricane Harvey relief
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner established the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund in response to inquiries from those hoping to aid victims of the floods that continue to ravage the nation’s fourth-largest city, and Rockets owner Leslie Alexander responded with a $10 million contribution to the charity effort.
Rockets owner Leslie Alexander has told @SylvesterTurner he will up his donation from the $4 million he announced to $10 million.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) August 29, 2017
Alexander originally donated $4 million to the relief fund on Monday afternoon, but more than doubled that amount on Tuesday, as rainfall exceeded 40 inches and continued to ravage the city.
Leslie Alexander & the #Rockets are contributing $4 million dollars to Mayor @SylvesterTurner's Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. #HoustonStrong pic.twitter.com/3OOLm4CntD
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) August 28, 2017
The billionaire owns a house in Houston and recently pledged another $4 million to local charities. Alexander recently put the Rockets up for sale and is expected to fetch as much as $2 billion in return.
“Our hearts are heavy seeing the devastation that so many of our friends, family and neighbors are experiencing,” the Rockets said in a statement on Monday. “Leslie Alexander has contributed $4 million to Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund in an effort to help Clutch City come back stronger than ever. Please stay safe, Houston.”
Rockets point guard Chris Paul joined Alexander, donating $50,000 to the Houston Flood Relief Fund organized by Texans defensive end J.J. Watt that has raised more than $650,000 in less than 24 hours:
The generosity of @CP3's $50k donation is actually what put us over the $500k mark. Phenomenal stuff from donations both large and small.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) August 28, 2017
Rockets teammate Clint Capela has spent the day sharing locations of people in need of help, alerting first responders and volunteers looking to find fellow citizens trapped by the overwhelming rainfall:
Tweet me and I'll share as many emergency situations as I can. Stay safe Houston.
— Clint Capela (@CapelaClint) August 27, 2017
Meanwhile, Houston native Gerald Green shared a heartfelt (and expletive-filled) Instagram video he took while driving his truck around the city and looking for a boat to assist those stuck in their homes:
A post shared by Gerald Green (@g.green14) on Aug 28, 2017 at 9:42am PDT
NBA fans at home can contribute by donating to the American Red Cross:
Help those affected by #HurricaneHarvey. Visit https://t.co/IwTsENcx2z, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation. pic.twitter.com/r4qSn8byXj
— American Red Cross (@RedCross) August 26, 2017
All Rockets players and personnel are safe from the storm, a spokesperson told the Houston Chronicle. Likewise, the Toyota Center reportedly has not been damaged by the flooding.