Peterson donating $100,000 to aid flooding victims in Texas hometown
Running back Adrian Peterson is donating $100,000 to aid those affected by the deadly floods in his hometown of Palestine, Texas over the weekend. And he pledges to match any donations made to the Salvation Army.
“Seeing the devastation and the disaster there, and more importantly six lives were claimed due to the storm, I feel obligated being in my position to use my resources to be able to help my community come back from this,” he said this afternoon. “It’s something that has never happened before. Palestine is not known for flooding. So it really caught people by surprise.”
The flooding started Friday night when severe thunderstorms rolled through the area. More than seven inches of rainfall was recorded in a single hour.
“It was raining hard, but you’re just expecting hard rain,” said Peterson, who is presently in the Houston area. “You’re not expecting flooding.”
The fast-rising water forced some Palestine residents to seek shelter on the roofs of their homes. Four children and two adults died in the flooding, including a high-school classmate and football teammate of Peterson.
Peterson said his immediate family is OK and was not really affected by the flooding. But “we have a lot of friends that are struggling right now.” He added that some low-income families and local businesses were hit hard.
Peterson said those interested in donating to the Salvation Army can text the message “AP28” to 51555 and they will receive a link with instructions on how to donate. Or they can visit give.salvationarmyusa.org/joinap.
“Whatever is donated, I’m matching it,” Peterson reiterated.