Important News - Please Read

[Harry]

The entire Mean Green Football Team is saddened over the tragedy that is playing out in Louisiana and Mississippi in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They wanted to show their support and have come up with a way to do this and reach out to the fans.

This Saturday, the UNT Football Team will conduct a practice open to the public at Fouts Field from 8am-10am. From 10am-12pm the team will be available to meet with the fans and sign autographs. They are asking that the fans bring non-perishable items that will be donated to the Salvation Army Fund which will go directly to the refugees and victims of Hurricane Katrina. The most ideal item that you can donate is bottled water however they will also accept non perishable food, diapers, soup, toothpaste and other items that will help the victims get through this most difficult time.

While the Football team is directly involved with this event, the entire Athletic Department is sponsoring this as well and there will be players from other sports participating. This is a great chance for you to meet your Mean Green players and get that football you needed signed by Patrick and Jamario as well as helping a worthy cause.

If you have any questions please direct them to Director of Football Operations Mike Barela at 1-800-UNT-2366. GMG!

[untcampbell]

Harry,

Will they be able to take cash/check donations also?

[Harry]

Harry,

Will they be able to take cash/check donations also?

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Scotty I am sure they will.

[Harry]

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED RELEASE - NORTH TEXAS ATHLETES HELP IN HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORT

DENTON (8/31/05) - The University of North Texas athletic department has announced that it has begun the organization of a relief effort for the victims affected by Hurricane Katrina. Over 350 Mean Green student-athletes as well as coaches and administrators have begun a collection of funds, clothing and personal items that will be distributed to the victims and their families through a collaborative effort with the Salvation Army of Denton.

“This is an important cause that this department and our student-athletes feel very strongly about,” Athletic Director Rick Villarreal said. “We understand the magnitude of this tragedy and we have families within our staff and among our young people that have been directly affected by this horrendous event. We are just trying to do our part to help.”

Donations will be accepted for the next three days beginning Thursday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on the concourse inside gate 4 on the west side of Fouts Field. Mean Green student-athletes and athletic department personnel will staff the donation center. Student-athletes will also be collecting items across campus.

In addition to the donation center, the North Texas football team will sponsor a special event following its practice at Fouts Field on Saturday morning to aid in the collection effort. The team will hold an open practice for the public and have players available following practice to sign autographs and mingle with fans. The team asks that anyone attending the event please bring a donation item that will be added to the collection.

“Since we were originally scheduled to be playing at LSU Saturday, we thought it would be appropriate to assist with the disaster relief effort by holding an open practice where our fans could come and help,” head football coach Darrell Dickey said.

The North Texas athletic department has a close association with several people affected by this event. Fellow Sun Belt Conference school’s New Orleans and South Alabama have both suffered extensive losses and are continuing to evaluate the extent of the damage. The Mean Green football team was scheduled to open the 2005 season at LSU, but was forced to postpone the game when the scope of the tragedy became apparent. A portion of the donations will also be given to help Tulane University student-athletes who have been displaced by the storm and have currently taken shelter in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

For more information on this project please call the North Texas Athletic office at 940-565-2789.

[PlummMeanGreen]

I was at the scrimmage sitting with Gray Eagle and Buff64 last Saturday AM at Fouts, but I may have to be at the office this Saturday. If not--see yall all there at Fouts.

Harry, do you (or any of you reading this) have any idea what non-perishables the Red Cross and such organizations are requesting that are on the top of their priority list for the refugees?

[Harry]

I was at the scrimmage sitting with Gray Eagle and Buff64 last Saturday AM at Fouts, but I may have to be at the office this Saturday.  If not--see yall all there at Fouts. 

Harry, do you (or any of you reading this) have any idea what non-perishables the Red Cross and such organizations are requesting that are on the top of their priority list for the refugees?

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They are asking that the fans bring non-perishable items that will be donated to the Salvation Army Fund which will go directly to the refugees and victims of Hurricane Katrina. The most ideal item that you can donate is bottled water however they will also accept non perishable food, diapers, soup, toothpaste and other items that will help the victims get through this most difficult time.

[GreenTiger_OriginalAcct]

Through some work my church is doing with the Salavation Army and the American Red Cross, I know that there are at least 25 families (not persons, entire families) that have been relocated to the Denton and Lewisville area. I am sure there are more, that is just the number that we are currently working with. Most of them brought only a 3 or 4 day supply of clothes and everything else was left behind and presumed to be lost. Most of the families are enrolling their children in local schools due to fact that it will months before they get to go home, if there is anything to go back to.

A portion of the donations will likely go to help people that have been relocated to right here in our community!!! It's hard to believe but that is what is happening.

[Huff]

I heard a report from a Red Cross representative on TV that said the thing they need most is CASH. The items like bottled water, etc are great but good old USA currency is what they need the most.

[3XNTGRAD]

I heard a report from a Red Cross representative on TV that said the thing they need most is CASH.  The items like bottled water, etc are great but good old USA currency is what they need the most.

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More "bang for the buck" so to speak -- since they can buy more supplies closer to the disaster site, rather than having to spend money shipping supplies long distances.

[Guest JohnDenver]

Everyone...

Here is the deal.

I work for Cisco Systems. They MATCH all donations up to $10,000 per employee. I sent out an email to my friends and said if they plan to donate, to let me know so I can do it for them to double their buck.

I just made this donation today:

Thank you for your donation. Your credit card will be charged within 48 hours.

Charity Name: American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund Pledge ID: 649288

Campaign Name: American Red Cross U.S. Disaster Relief Fund Campaign

Program/Relief Effort Designation: New Orleans

Special Recognition: In honor of Andrew Smith

***********, Bay City, TX 77414

Payment Method: Credit Card Pledge Amount: US$ 200.00

Estimated Match Amount: US$ 200.00

Donor Information: ANONYMOUS

PM or email me if you want to do this too ...

[untgirl04]

Since NT is donating to the Salvation Army and the Tulane athletes, non-perishables and clothing are great donations. If you plan to donate to the Red Cross, just send money.

FYI, Costco in Lewisville is selling cases of bottled water (35 per case) for about $5. Since they really need water, that's a great donation for not a whole lot of money.

Also, heard a suggested donation idea on the radio this morning: go to a hotel (just about all of them have refugees) and pay a few nights' rent for a displaced family. Even if it's just one night, that's $60-$100 more the family gets to use to put their lives back together.

There have also been some reports of hotels raising their rates to capitalize on the profits. If you hear of any hotel or gas station gouging prices, please contact the Attorney General at 1-800-337-3928.

Edited September 1, 2005 by untgirl04

[MootPoint]

There have also been some reports of hotels raising their rates to capitalize on the profits. If you hear of any hotel or gas station gouging prices, please contact the Attorney General at 1-800-337-3928.

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You go girl!

[untgirl04]

You go girl!

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Seriously, there was a woman who called in to KSCS this morning who was speaking to a couple from Mississippi at a gas station this morning. She asked the couple if they were just making to the area, and they said, "No, we've been here for a few days, but we had to leave our motel." Upon further inquiry, the woman discovered that the couple had to leave their hotel because the hotel raised the nightly rate on them.

In addition, there are reports that gas is $5 per gallon in some places in Georgia. While we're focusing on the relief efforts in New Orleans, Mississippi, and Alabama, we should not forget to help those who made it out, but are faced with homelessness for the next few months, at least. Personally, if I hear of any businesses gouging prices on those refugees, I will boycott them for the rest of my life (or at least until all their management changes).

[untangel4]

I work at SuperTarget in Lewisville and would like to recognize the Best Buy that's near us... They came into my store today trying to spend $20,000 of items to send east... We were boxing and stacking many pallets full of food, clothing, diapers, sleeping bags, and first aid items right onto their Best Buy truck. It's nice to know that they're being that proactive on even a store level. Let's just hope that even more people/companies can do the same.