Published
5 years agoon
By
Myles BarkerStudents at Fresno’s Tehipite Middle School have a special reason to cheer Houston Texans’ star defensive end J.J. Watt this coming football season.
The J.J. Watt Foundation donated nearly $20,000 to the school in southeast Fresno for new uniforms, protective gear and other essential equipment for six of its sports teams.
Watt, a three-time NFL defensive player of the year, is perhaps best known for his efforts in helping to raise over $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. In 2017, Sports Illustrated named Watt its Sportsperson of the Year. He also received the NFL’s 2017 Walter Payton Man Of The Year Award.
Amy Idsvoog, the communications analyst for FUSD, said the school’s athletic department applied for grant funding in October 2017. She said the department received the first layer of funding in January of this year, and the rest in late spring. The grant totaled $19,891.85.
“The new gear sparked a number of social media posts in January,” Idsvoog said. “There’s been athletic events where some people have even tagged the J.J. Watt Foundation on Facebook and Twitter because of the new uniforms.”
We love making a positive difference! Thank you to Tehipite Middle School in CA for sending us this thoughtful thank-you letter! pic.twitter.com/vMvO9gfb7K
— JJ Watt Foundation (@JJWFoundation) February 6, 2018
Although Watt is originally from Wisconsin, it is not unusual for his foundation, a 501c(3), to help out communities around the country.
The main mission of the J.J. Watt Foundation is to help schools that have insufficient funding for after-school athletic programs or have no after-school athletics whatsoever.
California Lawmakers OK Potential Fines for High Gas Prices
Who Buys Electric Cars in California—and Who Doesn’t?
Much of Drought-Plagued West Coast Faces Salmon Fishing Ban
A Boom for Concealed Carry Classes, but Long Waits for Permits
It’s Raining Now, but How Can California Boost Its Water Supply Later?
With California Oil Production at Risk, Referendum Gives Voters a Say