Kris Boyd was born 427 miles from Uvalde, but as a Texas native, the Vikings cornerback knew he had to do something to help after hearing of the elementary school shooting. A lone gunman killed 19 children and two teachers earlier this week at Robb Elementary School.
Boyd set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of raising $100,000 for the victim’s families.
“I just feel like it’s something I had to do, with me being from Texas and having such a huge platform and being a father, a brother, an older brother to my little sister and my little brother and being an older cousin,” Boyd told The Dallas Morning News on Friday. “Just thinking how could it happen? How it had been somewhere like that. It hit close to home. . . . It’s heartbreaking. It’s devastating. I feel like no one should have to really go through that.”
Boyd’s fundraiser has raised more than $18,000 so far, with NFL players Cameron Dantzler and Terry McLaurin among those who have contributed.
Boyd, a seventh-round choice of the Vikings in 2019 out of the University of Texas, plans to visit Uvalde next week with some teammates to show support for the community.
To donate to Boyd’s GoFundMe page, click here.