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Sports figures come together to help Houston in wake of Hurricane Harvey

With the despair in Houston evidently clear, sports figures are putting their best foot forward to help those directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

Fans hold up signs as a show of support for the city of Houston during the sixth inning of a baseba...

Fans hold up signs as a show of support for the city of Houston during the sixth inning of a baseball game between the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Astros moved their three-game home series against the Rangers to St. Petersburg after being displaced by Hurricane Harvey. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

(AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Sports figures around the U.S. are putting their best foot forward to help those directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

Last Sunday, Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt announced his foundation was originally trying to reach a goal of $200,000. Since then, he has raised more than $10 million for the people of Houston.

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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant also got involved, making a $50,000 donation on Tuesday.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matt Carpenter went a different route, donating $10,000 for every home run he hits until the end of the season.

Teams have also joined in.

The Arizona Diamondbacks broke a 50/50 raffle record Wednesday after announcing the team would match the total dollar amount in an effort to aide the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

The Sacramento Kings asked members of their community to donate and within a day they racked up $25,000. The team’s foundation not only matched the contribution, but the owners of the team added an additional $50,000.

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And although it’s not a competition, no team comes close to what the Houston Rockets and owner Leslie Alexander have done so far.

Since announcing that that the team would donate $4 million, Alexander has upped his donation to $10 million.

Instead of asking for money, University of Houston basketball coach Kelvin Sampson offered up another idea. He is asking coaches from both collegiate and high school institutions to send over clothing and shoes to help the people of Houston.

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Teams were quick to act.

KTAR News 92.3 FM and 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station announced Tuesday they too will host a fundraiser.

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Click here to make a donation to the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. Your money will go to helping FEMA-related agencies, including the Red Cross.

You can also text the word HOPE to either 411-923 or 620-620. We’ll respond with a link to the donation page so you can make a difference.

Tyler Drake Cardinals reporter and ArizonaSports.com editor

Born and raised in Kelseyville, California, I spent most of my summers growing up in Arizona. There were a lot of trips to Globe and the East Valley. Once out of high school, I attended the University of Arizona with a major in natural resources… Read more

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