A teacher trying to sell sneakers and JJ Watt’s shirt to fund his grandfather’s funeral receives a touching donation from the NFL star to cover the costs.
Jennifer Simpson, 26, from Texas, shared excitement The 73-year-old said he and his family were trying to raise money following the death of his grandfather, Jerry Roderick Sr., on June 20.
Simpson, a Houston Texans fan, tried to sell some of Watt’s merchandise after arranging candy sales and other fundraising events.
I got a @JJWatt size 9 Reebok women’s shoe for $60. I wore them twice. Great shoes, I’m only selling because we are raising money for my grandfather’s funeral.” “I also have a $30 Watt XL Texas women’s sweater. Anyone interested?”
Jessica Simpson, 26, from Texas, received a touching donation from NFL star JJ Watt (pictured) after she tried to sell her property to fund her grandfather’s funeral.
Jerry Roderick Sr. (with daughter Tara Roderick) died of cardiac arrest on June 20 and her family is struggling to pay for her funeral.
The tweet garnered more than 300 responses, including a message from Watt, who played 10 seasons for the Texans before signing with the Arizona Cardinals.
‘Don’t sell shoes and sweaters, we’ll help you with the funeral. I’m sorry for your loss, ”the defense replied.
Simpson’s aunt Tara Roderick said… After seeing the tweet today, they weren’t expecting another fan to buy jerseys or sneakers.
He explained that he wasn’t very familiar with Twitter and wasn’t sure what he saw when his grandson texted him on Facebook to share the news.
“Jennifer showed me JJ’s retweet and I was like, ‘What is this?’ I didn’t know what he was showing me. He said: “JJ Watt said he would help pay for his grandfather’s funeral,” he recalls.
Simpson tried to sell Watt’s Reebok line of sneakers for $60 and his sweater for $30 on Twitter after arranging candy sales and other fundraisers.
Watt responded to Simpson’s tweet saying he would “help with the funeral”
“Then Jennifer sent me a screenshot of her sending money via PayPal. I almost died. She said she was sorry for our loss and made a donation.’
In another Houston Public Media interview, Roderick said that his father, Jerry, died of cardiac arrest last month.
He struggled with his health after a stroke in 2008 and resided in a health facility in Houston. He had seven children, 21 grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Jerry’s body was held at Brookside Funeral Home and Memorial Park, where the family’s initial balance was $16,000, according to the newspaper.
Simpson has been honest about financial difficulties following his grandfather’s death while trying to raise money for his funeral.
A fan of the Houston Texans and Astros, Simpson has been candid about his family’s financial troubles after his grandfather’s death.
According to Simpson’s aunt, Tara Roderick, the family had an initial balance of $16,000 at the Brookside Funeral Home and Memorial Park.
‘I don’t know what else to do. It’s been two weeks since my grandfather died and we couldn’t raise enough money for his funeral,” he tweeted on 6 July. “I’m back in high school and I’m going to have to cancel my next business trip – and that’s fine. I sell pastries and plates every day but we need more.
Roderick told Houston Public Media they could pay $4,000 from various donors, but still owe more than $7,000. said Watt’s donation was around $5,000, although he declined to share the exact amount.
Dignity Memorial, the company that operates the funeral home, confirmed to the outlet that the family must pay the remaining balance before services can be scheduled.
A GoFundMe with a goal of $10,000 was set up by Roderick to cover the remaining costs.
Simpson took to Twitter to thank Watt on Friday and shared a post about the backlash of his fundraising efforts after critics accused him of fraud for trying to sell the athlete’s jersey years ago.
Roderick said Watt’s donation was around $5,000, but declined to share the exact amount. A GoFundMe was set up to cover the remaining costs
Watt played for the Texans for 10 seasons before signing with the Arizona Cardinals.
“If you really knew what my family went through, maybe some of you would show more compassion,” he wrote. “Yes, we have business. Yes, we had a bakery sale, a sign sale, a garage sale. Yes, we had a GoFundMe promotion.
“With all this we managed to pay a little for the funeral. But at the rate we collected, it would probably take a few more months before we could get the full body. ”
Simpson confirmed that he had tried to sell the sweater and other personal items before because he did so when he was short of money.
“We don’t come from money. When things get tough, we need to figure out how to get along,” he explains. “I will come to the point of selling things that are valuable to me. That should tell you something about what I am ready to do for myself and my family as a person.
He insisted that he never thought he would respond to Watt’s message, let alone donate for the funeral expenses of Watt’s grandfather.
“This guy has so many followers, I didn’t expect him to see my tweet,” he said. The ‘@ was so others could find what I’m selling if they’re really interested.
Awaiting her first child with her football star spouse Kealia Ohai Watt (pictured), Watt is known for her donations throughout her NFL career.
Simpson took to Twitter on Friday to thank Watt and share a message about the backlash that followed the fundraising efforts.
Simpson revealed that he and his family are “not making any money” and will sell their personal items online to “make a living” if they are short of cash.
“JJ, I’m so grateful to you. You don’t even know. You’ve lifted a huge weight off my shoulders with your help,” he added. Just an act of kindness to your supporter.
At the end of the post, he noted that once the funeral expenses were paid in full, he would no longer accept donations and that they would make an appointment for his grandfather’s services.
Awaiting her first child with her football star husband, Kealia Ohai Watt, Watt is known for her donations to charities throughout her NFL career.
In November, Waukesha offered to pay the funeral costs of all victims of the Christmas parade tragedy. Six people were killed and 62 injured when an SUV drove through a parade in suburban Wisconsin.
The athlete and his wife donated $350,000 to the Houston Food Bank during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Watt was also named Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2017 after raising more than $40 for Hurricane Harvey relief.
Source: Daily Mail
