SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of the Incarnate Word's sports teams, along with the Southland Conference – home to numerous institutions directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey - are joining in the effort for recovery from the devastation in the gulf coast region.
 
The conference, housed in the Dallas outskirts of Frisco, Texas, announced a contribution of $1000,000 to the American Red Cross for storm relief efforts. "All of us in the Southland Conference are devastated by the unparalleled flooding and destruction, and the heartbreaking personal impacts the storm has had in our Gulf Coast communities," stated Southland Commissioner, Tom Burnett.
 
Closer to the Alamo City, many members of the Cardinal athletic community are assisting in the recovery efforts.
 
Fellow Southland member Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, a city that was hit first by category 4 Hurricane Harvey, will receive gear from UIW Women's Basketball. Stated head coach, Christy Smith, "Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by Hurricane Harvey. The destruction is just unimaginable."
 
UIW Baseball is sending shirts, sneakers, jerseys, and hats to Houston. The fourth-largest city in the United States is no stranger to UIW head coach Patrick Hallmark, who spent 11 years as an assistant coach at Rice and whose family still lives there.
 
"We are honored to assist the city of Houston," said UIW assistant coach Ryan Aguayo. "We are very fortunate. Every little bit helps. Our hearts and prayers go out to the city of Houston and surrounding areas."
 
UIW Cross Country donated sneakers and clothing to Houston. "The UIW Track and Field program has been touched by the devastating floods in Houston and the entire Gulf Coast area," said head coach Derek Riedel. "A good number of our athletes are from the Houston and Corpus Christi areas and have some recent alumni living in both Corpus and Rockport, so we have kept in close contact with them over the last week. It's going to be a long recovery process, so we are thankful to help in any way we can during this time of need. The state of Texas and our country have pulled together so well to help those most affected in this great state and we could not be prouder to see so many compassionate people do what they can to help."
 
Senior offensive lineman Devyn Jensen of the UIW football team is from Port Lavaca. His mom lives in Houston while his dad owns a business in Port Lavaca, the bullseye of Hurricane Harvey. Jensen spent this past week helping evacuate the business and boarding it up. He also helped load items to a trailer and drove it to Kingwood. After assisting his father, he spent the rest of the week helping local families who were near the San Jacinto River.
 
Harvey has adversely impacted 10 of the 13 Southland universities, and altered playing schedules for almost all of the league's fall sports teams. 
 
The Southland Conference and UIW invite other individuals and organizations to make needed donations as they are able to. Below is a sampling (but not an exhaustive list) of charitable organizations involved in Harvey relief and recovery.
 
Sampling of (and links to) Charitable Organizations in Affected Areas:
American Red Cross
The Salvation Army
Houston Food Bank
Houston SPCA
Food Bank of Corpus Christi
Samaritan's Purse
Americares
Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana
Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas
Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi
United Way of Greater Houston
United Way of Beaumont and North Jefferson County
United Way of Mid & South Jefferson County (Port Arthur)
United Way of Southwest Louisiana (Lake Charles)
United Way of the Coastal Bend (Corpus Christi)
Greater Houston Community Foundation
Texas Diaper Bank
Southeast Texas Food Bank
Goodwill Industries of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana
Goodwill Houston