The New Orleans Saints and the National Football League (NFL) Foundation announced they would donate a combined $1 million to support relief efforts for victims of the Bourbon Street truck attack on New Year’s Day.
Saints owner Gayle Benson and her team announced they would donate $500,000, and the NFL Foundation said it would match that amount, bringing the total relief contribution to $1 million.
“Our community has experienced an unimaginable tragedy and our collective hearts are broken as we mourn for the victims and survivors of the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans,” Benson said in a statement.
“As a league, our cities and teams compete at the highest levels of competition and share spirited rivalries. Our staffs and players work tirelessly towards achieving our goals and we share in victories and defeats. However, through football we are also united and we stand arm-in-arm against all forms of hatred. We will vanquish terror and fear with an unwavering resolve and purpose rooted in love, compassion and kindness,” Benson continued.
Benson noted that the team and the NFL are working with the Greater New Orleans Foundation and United Way to deliver the funds to victims most effectively.
“Our hearts go out to all those affected by the tragic events in New Orleans,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “The NFL is committed to standing with the resilient community of New Orleans during this difficult time.”
The relief contributions come after Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a rented truck into a crowd on New Year’s Day on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring 35, according to police.
