Here's how you can call a Cowboys player and help with Hurricane Harvey relief
Cowboys players will actually be taking your phone call, and it's for a good cause
After the NFL made the decision to cancel the Cowboys' Thursday preseason game against the Texans, the Cowboys could have decided to take the day off. However, that's definitely not what they'll be doing.
Instead, the team will be holding a telethon on Thursday night in hopes of raising thousands of dollars for the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts in Houston. The Cowboys-Texans game was originally supposed to be played in Houston before the league decided to move it to Dallas following the arrival of Hurricane Harvey. Less than 24 hours after announcing the move, the NFL decided to just cancel the game altogether.
After the game with the Texans was officially canceled, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett decided he wanted his team to do something to help the hurricane relief efforts.
"We all looked at each other and said, 'Let's do something,'" Garrett said, via ESPN.com. "Guys have been doing stuff all week."
The Cowboys will be holding a practice on Thursday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET that will also double as the telethon. During the 90-minute session, Cowboys players will be manning the phones and taking pledges from anyone who calls in. If you're hoping to talk to Dak Prescott or any other Cowboys player, the number is 844-790-5687.
All money pledged during the 90-minute practice will go to the Salvation Army's relief effort, which has already received a sizable donation from players in the Cowboys organization. Not only did Ezekiel Elliott donate $21,000 to the cause earlier this week, but Dez Bryant also donated a giant chunk ($50,000) to help hurricane relief efforts.
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) August 30, 2017
The Cowboys are hoping to raise as much money as possible during their telethon. Not only will fans be able to call in to donate, but the team has also set up a separate website where fans can contribute.
Of course, if you're having a telethon, that means you're going to be on television, and that will definitely be the case with the Cowboys' practice on Thursday. The practice will air live on CBS 11 in Dallas, and will also be broadcast in 20 other markets throughout the Southwest, according to the team.
"Our guys are incredible," Garrett said. "They really are. I'm so inspired by our football players. The character they have and what they do for our football team, for their families and in the community. I'm not so sure people fully understand this, but pro football players get one day off a week all season long, and a number of guys on our team, and really on teams all through the league, go out to schools, get involved in different efforts week in and week out. It's just kind of what they do. It's what they're about."
The Cowboys have also donated $500,000 in clothing items to help with the relief effort.
The Cowboys are just one of several NFL teams that have donated some serious money to the Hurricane Harvey relief cause.
The Titans, Texans, Patriots, Jets and the NFL Foundation have all donated $1 million. Falcons owner Arthur Blank and Patriots owner Robert Kraft have also pledged to match any donations up to $1 million at their own websites.
Of course, all of that pales into comparison to how much J.J. Watt has raised. The Texans star defensive end started an online campaign this week that has now raised more than $10 million for Hurricane Harvey relief.
If you want to contribute to relief efforts yourself, click here to donate to the Houston Flood Relief Fund, and here to donate to the Red Cross.
















