Jaguars fans opened the season by matching their favorite team's winning effort on the field with a heartfelt, six-figure contribution to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.
On Sunday, September 11th, Jaguars family and friends partnered with the American Red Cross to conduct a Hurricane Katrina Relief collection before the Jaguars opened the 2005 season by hosting the Seattle Seahawks at Alltel Stadium. There could not have been a better day for this collection to take place than on the day of September 11th when the country was remembering and recognizing those who had lost their lives four years ago to the day.
But Monday, August 29th is another date that will be remembered, as the day thousands of people living on the northern coastline of the Gulf of Mexico shared one thing in common – they were suddenly homeless.
Hurricane Katrina was one of the most devastating natural disasters ever to strike the United States. So many people were affected at one time, their lives put on pause. Imagine losing everything you've saved and collected over the years – over a lifetime.
Many fans attending the Jaguars season-opener opened their hearts and wallets to help make a difference. The outpouring of the fans was overwhelming. More than $154,000 was raised and given to the American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.
Chris Davis, a wide receiver on the Jaguars practice squad, took part in the collection. He has a personal tie to New Orleans.
"I have aunts and uncles that are from New Orleans," said Davis. "My wife and I are always searching the Internet, checking the list of evacuees that have registered at shelters in the hopes of finding our family members.
"It's been good to do my part in helping those in need. Having a personal link to that region, I want to do all that I can," he added.
Rookie long snapper Andrew Economos said, "Anything we can do to help is a good thing.
"It's good that we can watch a football game today when there are families who don't have a place to live….it goes to show how fortunate we really are. I'm just glad to be in a position to help others."
