Watt's foundation distributed more than 26 million meals to people affected by Hurricane HarveyGETTY IMAGES
Texans DE J.J. WATT's eponymous foundation has "released the progress of the contributions made to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund" that was started a year ago, and with $41.6M raised, it is the "largest crowdsourced fundraiser in history." All of the funds have been "distributed to eight nonprofits." The money raised has "cleaned up, repaired and rebuilt more than 600 homes" and has "helped recover and rebuild more than 420 childcare centers and after-school programs, serving more than 16,000 children." The foundation also "distributed more than 26 million meals to people affected by the storm" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 8/28).
FRESH CUT: Barbers have "become staples in professional baseball’s culture." They are "pseudo-therapists" and can "become confidants." If nothing else, they "provide a service some players rely on before they perform in front of thousands every day." In the past, players "squeezed barbershop visits into busy days, often entrusting unfamiliar barbers on the road, if they had time at all." Today, in "response to players' increased demand for clean and trendy looks, most organizations have barbers on hand for players' convenience -- if guys aren’t already arranging travel plans for their trusted barbers to meet them." Barber HUGO TANDRON, known as JUICE, has a shop inside Marlins Park, and he "estimated he gave about 50 haircuts" between Marlins and Nationals players over a four-game set in Miami last month (WASHINGTON POST, 8/28).
NAMES: Cubs investor ANDREW BERLIN, a Syracuse alum, donated $1M to the school's Falk College -- which launched a new degree in sports analytics in '16 -- that will provide scholarship and financial assistance to select undergraduate sport analytics students, as well as support for faculty research, participation in academic symposiums and student-focused sports analytical competitions (Syracuse)....NFL Panthers Owner DAVID TEPPER's charitable foundation provided over 12,000 backpacks with school supplies to resource-challenged students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (Panthers)....Late Raiders Owner AL DAVIS' name was "bestowed on a small stretch of road" in Las Vegas surrounding the team's new stadium (LASVEGASSUN.com, 8/28).
