Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and the team's organisation donated a total of $1m to the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District in the wake of a mass shooting at one of the city's elementary schools that left 19 students and two faculty members dead, according to the Uvalde Leader-News.
"We are proud to be part of something to make the children in these schools safer," Mr Davis told the Uvalde Leader-News.
Mr Davis added that former Raiders player Vann McElroy grew up in Uvalde and was part of the talks that led to the donation.
"Two weeks ago, I had a conversation with Vann. He told me about the hurt his hometown was going through,” he told the publication. “Vann told me that he had a grandson attending public school. He said his family thought about having him go to a private school next year, but he wanted him to attend public school as Vann and his son had done growing up in Uvalde. He said that Uvalde was in pain and needed help. I asked him what we would do to help ease that pain."
Mr McElroy also shared a statement with the publication and said: "In all the years that I played for the Raiders, this organization took care of me and my family, and has looked out for the players and all members of the Raiders family. This all began with Mark's dad, Al Davis, who was a leader and an innovator in the National Football League. The Raiders organization has a proud tradition of doing for other people in need. I know that Al would be proud of this contribution made by Mark and the organization today."
The money is reportedly meant to help the district improve its security, including impenetrable doors and an unscalable fence. The funds will also be used to install security cameras inside and outside the school.
In another statement, Uvalde school district superintendent Hal Harrell thanked Mr Davis and the organisation for their “generous” donation.
"We thank Mr. Davis and the Raiders organization for this very generous gift. Vann is a life-long friend and a huge part of Uvalde," he said. "We will put this money to good use. This contribution should go a long way in making our schools safer."
The Raiders aren't the only NFL team to donate to the school district in the wake of the recent tragedy. The Houston Texans also raised $200,000 for the Robb School Memorial Fund. The team's owner, Cal McNair, matched the donations, bringing the total up to $400,000.
The Dallas Cowboys also made their own $400,000 donation in support of the Uvalde community, giving $200,000 to the Robb School Memorial Fund and $200,000 to the Uvalde Strong Fund.
