Austin FC, FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo FC players have launched relief funds to benefit Texans as a winter storm continues to leave residents without power, heat, food and shelter.
Players from the 2021 expansion team set up a GoFundMe, with proceeds going to the club's 4ATX Foundation's support of the Austin Area Urban League, which assists African Americans and underserved Austin-area residents. The players have set a goal of $15,000 for the fundraiser, and have already reached over $12,500 as of Thursday morning.
"We simply felt like this is the right thing to do," the players said, via a message relayed by the club on Twitter. "Many people in the city don't have electricity, gas, water, or food right now. And they need help. Go Fund Me was the best and quickest way for us to help. We're coming from all over the world and we've just met each other. Despite this, we all had the same feeling and urge to help. Even though our group is new to Austin, we have been embraced by the community since our arrival.
"Experiencing this winter storm and seeing the amount of people that needed aid, we wanted to find a way to best help. Community is a core value to our group and we strive to help those that have welcomed us to our new home."
Houston's fundraiser was launched in coordination with the NWSL's Houston Dash. All donations will be split among Mutual Aid Houston, Kids Meals Houston and The Houston Food Bank.
The FC Dallas fundraiser was started by Tanner Tessmann in partnership with the FC Dallas Foundation. Their GoFundMe has a $10,000 goal.
"My FC Dallas teammates and I recognize how much everyone in Texas has been affected by the winter storms over the past few days," Tessman said. "We want to do our part and support our community to help people in need get through these hard times. Please consider donating if you can, any amount will help."
Millions of Texas residents have been without power and heat since the beginning of the week, when severe winter weather sent the state's power grid into gridlock. An estimated three million homes and businesses are impacted, and 31 people have died in incidents connected to the storm.
You can donate to Austin's relief fund here, while Houston's can be found here. The FC Dallas details can be found here.
