The Texans raised $34,400 for the Sandy Hook School Support Fund through their gameday auction in Week 16 at Reliant Stadium. They will donate a total of $70,000 to the fund as the Houston Texans Foundation matches the total raised by the auction.
The nation-wide Sandy Hook Fund was created by the United Way to help the families affected by the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Texans chairman and CEO Bob McNair and the Texans Foundation pledged before the game to match the gameday auction donations.
Among the items that were auctioned were an Andre Johnson autographed jersey, a replica helmet signed by star players, autographed framed photos and much more.
Texans players also paid tribute to the Newtown victims by wearing stickers with "S.H.E.S." on the back of their helmets during Sunday's game.
A committee of Newtown community leaders, including municipal, school district and faith-based groups, will meet to determine how the funds can best be used. Initial plans are for the money to go toward counseling and support groups for those affected, as well as looking at long-term needs of the community.
