By Collin Bryant | Sports Writer
Baylor University is extending a helping hand to the devastated individuals of Hurricane Harvey.
Baylor President Linda Livingstone gave her sentiments to the families affected throughout Houston and other southeastern regions of Texas in an official press release on Sunday.
“Our hearts are heavy at the devastation along the Texas coast and in Houston and southeast Texas from Hurricane Harvey,” Livingstone said. “Our deepest prayers are with the families and communities who have experienced loss and we pray that the coming days they will be filled with hope, reassurance and restoration.”
In a press conference Tuesday morning, Baylor football head coach, Matt Rhule, described the efforts the Baylor football program is making to aid in the mental distress of the storm, including allowing families impacted by Hurricane Harvey to attend its Saturday game against Liberty for free.
“For our game on Saturday night, we’re going to offer complementary admission, parking, and a meal to any families affected by the storm. All the details on how to request will be on www.BaylorBears.com later today and on our social media,” Rhule said. “We know that a football game is not going to make what’s happened better, but if, for three or four hours, families that are influx and having to react to these events, they can have three or four hours of fun and take their minds off of what’s happening to their homes, that would be a great thing.”
Rhule also described the steps the athletic department have decided to take, striving to aide in the recovery of the displaced and effected coming north to try and evade the rest of the flood waters.
“Our campus community is going to collect hard goods for those in need and affected by the flooding at both the Traditions Rally on Friday night and at the game on Saturday,” Rhule said. “I think we’re going to try to get those to some of the shelters, even in this area, and in Dallas and Belton, as people leave Houston and come up.”
Not only will Baylor be allowing free admission on Saturday but it will also be doing the same on Friday when it is hosting the Sam Houston State Bearkats football team against the Richmond Spiders 6 p.m. Friday at McLane Stadium.
On Thursday, Baylor baseball contributed to the cause.
Following a Twitter request from Houston head baseball coach Todd Whitting where he asked for 20 program t-shirts and 10 pairs of shoes for those in need as a result of the flood, Baylor baseball head coach Steve Rodriguez did not hesitate to answer the call.
“We got stuff coming your way coach,”Rodriguez said on Twitter alongside a picture of shoe boxes and t-shirts.
As Houston begins to recover from the flood, Baylor’s athletic department will continue to offer support any way that it can.
