HOUSTON — As Harvey continues to cause catastrophic flooding in Texas, Kelvin Sampson is calling for coaches around the country to help those affected by the storm.
A 61-year-old Robeson County native and alumnus of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Sampson is currently the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Houston, located in the nation’s fourth-largest city.
He issued a request Monday via Twitter asking for the help of “coaches at all levels.”
“I have so many of my friends in the coaching profession text and call offering prayers and thoughts for All Houstonians,” Sampson wrote. “They all ask what we can do to help.
“Both men’s and women’s (high school), (junior college), every level of college D1, D2, D3 and NAIA. … if you can please send 20 of your schools t-shirts and 10 pairs of shoes.”
About 8,000 people were estimated to be in Houston shelters Monday night, according to Mayor Sylvester Turner. Roughly 5,000 were expected to be in the Houston Convention Center, he said.
The average annual rainfall in Houston is 50 inches. The city has seen 25 inches of rain in two days and another 25 could fall by Saturday.
There is no indication the water will stop rising anytime soon. Swollen rivers in east Texas aren’t expected to crest until later this week, and federal officials are predicting the deadly storm will drive 30,000 people into shelters and spur 450,000 victims to seek some sort of disaster assistance.
“For those that can’t send this request (of t-shirts and shoes), please send whatever you can,” Sampson wrote. “All of our hearts go out to those in need during these devastating times. We will get everything to the right agencies to be distributed.”
For information on how to help, visit http://www.uhcougars.com/genrel/082817aaa.html.
