GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Martellus Bennett makes his offseason home in the Chicago area and has spent most of the last two months with the Green Bay Packers, yet Houston will always be on his mind.
And never moreso than the last three weeks since Hurricane Harvey hit his hometown in Texas.
In the midst of what was a difficult time last week for Bennett, after news of his brother’s incident with the Las Vegas police became public, the Packers tight end also took a step toward helping those in his native city.
He launched a donation program through Martellus’ DonorsChoose.org, which will benefit schools and children in the Alief and Ford Bend districts in Houston.
— Martellus Bennett (@MartysaurusRex) September 8, 2017
According to the program, donations to these projects are now being matched thanks to support from Bennett, whose mother is a middle school teacher in Houston.
“I’m working on some things right now to raise money to get kids school supplies and uniforms to go back to school -- art and school supplies in the area -- and we’re putting together a program right now,” Bennett said before he launched the donation program. “A lot of guys are making donations behind the scenes. I work on a lot of stuff behind the scenes because I don’t really do it for the cameras, I do it just to help people. So I’m excited about being able to give back to a community that helped get me to where I am today. I look forward to the things that we’re doing and the programs that we’re building down in Houston.”
Bennett, who has written children’s brooks, said he has more plans to help kids in the Houston area as well.
“I designed an adventure park earlier this year that we’re in talks with the city of Sugarland about building,” Bennett said. “So I think it would be a great time to build an adventure park down there. I don’t call them playgrounds, because playgrounds lack. Adventure parks are great.”
