Sporting world smacks home run
Steve McNair hoped to fill six tractor-trailers with supplies for victims of Hurricane Katrina in his home state of Mississippi, as well as Louisiana and Alabama.
Turns out, this time the Tennessee quarterback’s aim was a little short.
From beat-up pickup trucks to luxury cars, residents filed through a parking lot at the Titans’ stadium Tuesday and filled the six tractor-trailers midway through the 12-hour drive, forcing organizers to call in more trucks.
By the end of the collection at 7 p.m., 20 trailers had been filled, and it was possible that 25 would be filled when they were done packing, said Mike Mu, executive director of the Air Steve McNair Foundation. A minimum of $80,000 in monetary donations was collected, including $50,000 from an anonymous person.
“I’m amazed,” McNair said as he looked around the lot at clothing, shoes, bottled water, diapers and other supplies waiting to be loaded into empty trucks.
“You have to be amazed because in a short period of time to put something like this together. My hat goes off to the people who came here who went through their closets and supplies and donated some things to send to people who don’t have anything.”
McNair spent the weekend in Mississippi surveying the damage and flew back to Nashville on Tuesday to help with the relief drive.
“I talked to some people, and they feel really strong about it, about the positives,” McNair said. “It’s all about rebuilding and starting fresh. That’s the positive thing being taken out of it.”
Mu said $30,000 came in Friday and Saturday alone and they devised the relief drive as a way to immediately come up with much-needed supplies like bottled water and food.
The foundation teamed with Ozburn Hessey Logistics, which provided the tractor-trailers. A local church provided some of the 100 volunteers, while other companies pitched in food and other supplies to help sort and load the donations.
In other Katrina developments:
•The NBA players’ association has pledged to spend at least $2.5 million on relief efforts, matching the contributions it made to victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The union is choosing to administer the program itself.
Approximately 90 tractor-trailers with food supplies have been delivered through Feed the Children, players’ association executive director Billy Hunter said. About 30 more trucks, accompanied by some players, will leave Jackson, Miss., next week and ride into some outer areas.
“We realize some places are impenetrable by land vehicles,” Hunter said. “We may have to rent a couple of helicopters to fly relief in there.”
Caravans also will go to Houston with food and other forms of aid.
•Tulane athletic teams will be based this fall at five universities in Texas and Louisiana. The teams will stay together and play under the Tulane banner. Tulane’s football team, which has been working out at SMU in Dallas, is moving later this week to Louisiana Tech in Ruston, about 230 miles north of New Orleans. The players will enroll in classes there that begin next week.
The men’s basketball team, along with the volleyball, swimming and diving and women’s soccer teams, will be at Texas A&M. The women’s basketball team and the baseball team will go to Texas Tech. Rice will host the tennis teams, and SMU will be the temporary home for the golf teams.
•Miami Heat star Shaquille O’Neal and wife Shaunie said they have collection boxes set up at eight El Dorado furniture stores in South Florida, and are asking the public to donate toiletries and other personal health items that will be transported to Baton Rouge, La. O’Neal played at LSU in Baton Rouge.
“The O’Neal family joins the rest of the nation in their concern and support for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and prays that everyone will do their part to help relieve the burden of these victims,” the couple said.
•The NCAA urged schools to donate money generated from Midnight Madness and exhibition games to relief efforts.
“Traditionally, Midnight Madness has been used by schools as a source of funds for charitable purposes. We also ask that schools consider asking for voluntary contributions at the two exhibition basketball games and exhibition games in other sports during the fall,” the NCAA said.
•Darlington Raceway will hold a “Laps for Relief” fund-raiser on Sept. 17. Those donating will be allowed to drive five paced laps at the track in their personal vehicles or motorcycles. All money raised will be given to the American Red Cross.
“We have many requests year-round for permission to drive on the track,” Darlington president Chris Browning said. “For this worthy cause, we feel it’s finally time to say, ‘Yes.’ “
•New Jersey Nets guard Stephon Marbury pledged to donate $500,000 to $1 million to charities this season.
•Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder pledged $500,000 in support, kicking off a donation drive that will include collection points for fan contributions at each FedEx Field entrance for all of the this seasons home games.
•The New England Patriots set up a relief fund to accept donations on the team’s Web site. Anyone giving at least $1,000 will receive a lower seating bowl ticket to the Patriots’ season opener against Oakland on Thursday night.
•The Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars contributed $25,000 to the Dallas Independent School District to fund uniforms for children displaced to the area.
•The University of Florida is helping Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel rebuild his New Orleans-based ministry, pledging $50,000 in proceeds from its pay-per-view football telecast against Louisiana Tech on Saturday to Desire Street Ministries.
•The University of Oklahoma collected $140,000 for the Red Cross on Saturday at its football game against TCU. “To my knowledge this is the largest single amount which has ever been raised through passing the hat at an OU football game,” school president David L. Boren said.
•Every Seattle Mariners player will donate $1,000 to World Vision for Hurricane Katrina relief. Pitcher Jeff Nelson, who has family members affected by the natural disaster, organized the effort. “We needed to do this as a team,” Nelson said.