(SportsRadio 610) - Texans linebacker Christian Kirksey is the father of two small children, a 2-year-old daughter and a 4-month-old son.
In the midst of preparing for his ninth NFL season and his second with Houston, another tragedy caught the nation's attention when 19 elementary school students and two teachers were gunned down at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, west of San Antonio.
When Kirksey heard the news last week, all he could think about is the pain and suffering those families must be experiencing.
"When I first heard the news, I was devastated by hearing that it's children," Kirksey said Wednesday. "I'm a parent, myself. And I can't imagine taking my child to school, where they're supposed to be safe, the safest place they can be, and you get a phone call from the principal or a police officer saying there was a shooting at the school. My heart just goes out to those families, to those parents.
It was this sense of loss that motivated the Texans to collectively donate $400,000 to the Robb School Memorial Fund, which the team announced Wednesday at organized team activities.
It was this sense of loss that motivated the Texans to collectively donate $400,000 to the Robb School Memorial Fund, which the team announced Wednesday at organized team activities.
One of the Texans' trainers, Roland Ramirez, is from Uvalde and attended Robb Elementary. So he knows people directly impacted by the senseless shooting.
Texans players like Kirksey led the donation effort, coming together to give $200,000 for monetary aid and wellness support through the local fund. In support of the players’ and football operations staff’s generosity, the organization is matching their gift.
"We just want to make sure the world knows, and especially our fellow Texans, that we're all in and we're able to help," Kirksey said. "We're not just football players. We're role models and we take our responsibility to make sure we extend our helping hand. It's something that we want to make sure everybody knows is important to us."
"It definitely home to us, too, when one of our staff's family has to go through such a tragedy. It's unbelievable to know that stuff like this is still happening in 2022. So we just want to do our part to be leaders in this community."
In support of the Uvalde community and to take part in the 8th National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Texans players and staff will wear orange on Friday, June 3. Wear Orange originated on June 2, 2015, on what would have been Hadiya Pendleton’s 18th birthday. Pendleton was a high school student from Chicago who was shot and killed on a local playground. Her friends commemorated her life by wearing orange, the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others.
"A bunch of guys had been talking in the locker room and just wanted to reach out," veteran running back Rex Burkhead said after Wednesday's practice. "That's what's great about this organization. There's so many caring people, wanting to do good and what's best for this world."
"No words can help the parents," Kirksey added. "I know we're giving money, giving things and our support. But at the end of the day, they're still hurting. It's going to take a while for them to get back to their regular life routines because their lives have changed forever because they don't have their children anymore. I couldn't imagine going through that and having to live with that for the rest of my life."
The Texans are encouraging Houstonians to join them in wearing orange on Friday. Fans interested in contributing to the Robb School Memorial Fund can donate directly with First State Bank of Uvalde by check through the mail (payable to the "Robb School Memorial Fund") or through Zelle to robbschoolmemorialfund@gmail.com.
To learn more about Wear Orange, visit wearorange.org.
“Texans care about Texans, especially in times of triumph and tragedy,” Houston Texans Chair and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement. “I’m so proud of our players for championing this effort and was inspired to support our neighbors in Uvalde alongside them. I also know we have a great responsibility to lend our voices to important and meaningful conversations that bring awareness to senseless gun violence."
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