(CBS Sports) Bo Jackson helped pay for the funerals of the 21 people killed in the Uvalde, Texas mass shooting in May, the former MLB and NFL star told the Associated Press. His donation was previously anonymous.
Shortly after the tragedy, Jackson flew into town with a close friend — who remains unnamed — to give Texas Gov. Greg Abbott a check for $170,000. The purpose of the donation, Jackson said, was to “put a little sunshine in someone’s cloud, a very dark cloud” by paying for the funeral expenses of the 19 children and two teachers who fell victim to one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
“I know every family there probably works their butts off just to do what they do,” Jackson told the AP. “The last thing they needed was to shell out thousands of dollars for something that never should have happened.”
When Jackson and his friend first made the donation, they did not want media attention or for anybody to know they were in town. The former Heisman Trophy winner said he doesn’t know anybody in Uvalde, and that his only connection was mostly driving through the town on his way to visit a friend’s ranch. However, he didn’t need to be personally affected by the tragedy to feel touched by the events and want to help the community.
America…let’s please stop all the nonsense. Please pray for all victims. If you hear something, say something. We aren’t supposed to bury our children. I’m praying for all of the families around the country who have lost loved ones to senseless shootings. This cannot continue.
— Bo Jackson (@BoJackson) May 25, 2022
