Men’s basketball head coach Kelvin Sampson took to social media Monday with a spur-of-the-moment initiative to collect clothing for the thousands of misplaced citizens of the greater-Houston area.
Sampson posted a tweet asking coaches from every level of basketball to mail him 20 team shirts and 10 pairs of shoes to be collected and given to those in need. The tweet, posted at 4:10 p.m., quickly gained popularity with coaches from programs big and small pledging to send the items.
“I have had so many of my friends in the coaching profession text and call, offering prayers and thoughts for Houston. They all ask ‘what can we do to help?’,” Sampson said in a news release. “I know that this is something that coaches at all levels can do.”
Schools from Hampton University in Virginia to University of Nebraska-Lincoln tweeted that they shipped shirts, shoes and other gear to Sampson.
We got a big shipment of gear heading your way, @CoachSampsonUH!
Sending our thoughts and prayers.#HoustonStrong pic.twitter.com/R44FEMSOGK
— Nebraska Basketball (@HuskerHoops) August 29, 2017
Hey, @CoachSampsonUH! Please be on the lookout as packages are on the way to you! #HoustonStrong #HailState pic.twitter.com/RZeNYE0WRA
— MSU Men’s Basketball (@HailStateMBK) August 29, 2017
After seeing the success of Sampson’s generous effort, fellow UH coaches such as baseball’s Todd Whitting and soccer’s Diego Bocanegra followed suit by calling on their coaching counterparts to do the same.
The tweets collectively received hundreds, possibly thousands, of commitments from programs around the nation. Sampson and his staff can expect thousands of shirts and pairs of shoes to arrive in coming days.
Staff members will collect the items and work with officials from the Red Cross, Star of Hope and the Greater Houston Community Fund/Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund for distribution, according to the UH Athletics website.
“All of our hearts go out to those in need during these devastating times,” Sampson said in the news release. “Please continue to keep Houston and the state of Texas in your prayers.”
Coaches interested in donating are asked to send their donations to:
Coach Kelvin Sampson
University of Houston Men’s Basketball
Guy V. Lewis Development Facility
3480 Cullen Blvd.
Houston, TX 77204