Former Kansas City Chiefs star Priest Holmes helps with Texas flood recovery
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- Priest Holmes aided flood relief in Kerr County, Texas with trucks of donated supplies.
- The Overland Park Rotary Club and Chiefs Ambassadors funded key aid shipments.
- Former NFL players joined Holmes to distribute resources and uplift the community.
Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes is among a group of people who have been bringing in crucial supplies after flooding devastated communities in central Texas last week.
Two semi trucks filled with cleaning supplies, food, clothing and other resources arrived over the weekend to a warehouse in Kerr County, where Holmes helped unload boxes and prepare items for delivery.
In the aftermath of the flood, Holmes said he’s spoken with families who have lost homes and loved ones. Even as the Hill Country region remains devastated, Holmes said, he’s been moved by the strength of people facing tremendous loss.
“We needed to show our support, stand in solidarity, and also show our sadness, but at the same time, help increase morale by getting involved,” Holmes said in a phone call with The Star.
“That’s what this multi city-wide effort has become.”
Holmes helps Texas
Floods ravaged the Hill Country region July 4 when the Guadalupe River rose more than 20 feet. Kerr County was hit particularly hard, where 106 people were killed.
At least 132 people were killed throughout the state and more than 160 people remain unaccounted for, according to Texas officials.
There has been an overwhelming response throughout the nation, but it has been difficult to get resources to certain areas because of the debris, Holmes said.
Holmes, who was born in Arkansas, grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and played college football for the Texas Longhorns. Holmes currently lives in the San Antonio area.
But this week, as he was stationed near Kerrville, Texas, preparing for two more trucks of supplies, Holmes spoke about how his foundation worked with a Kansas City area service organization to bring in supplies.
Holmes first got a call from a friend last week, who asked him how the Priest Holmes Foundation could help out with flood relief. At first, Holmes said he didn’t know where to start. Then, like God opening a door, he said, he got another call from his friend Mike Meyer.
Meyer, a member of the Overland Park Rotary Club and a longtime humanitarian, planned the logistics of sending truckloads of supplies and food to Texas. His established relationship with Feed the Children of Tennessee from previous relief efforts helped speed up the process.
“I’m really glad that the seed was planted…and then we just put the resources together and connected the dots,” Holmes said. “And here we are. We have another two trucks that are coming in this week as well with continued supplies.”
Those trucks will be filled with things like clean drinking water, snacks and clothing. They will also bring bleach and other cleaning supplies to help with cleanup.
Holmes’ foundation has pallets of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, slippers and robes—all essential products he says it can be easy to take for granted.
“Now that we’re going into a second week, I think the biggest impact is now getting to the residents and also finding out what specifically some of the family members are going to be needing,” Holmes said. “Not necessarily just as a whole, but what specifically will help these individuals?”
Chiefs Ambassadors donate
The first two trailers were paid for by the Overland Park Rotary Club, and future trailers are going to be funded through a surge of donations Holmes has received since beginning the effort.
Holmes also reached the Kansas City Chiefs Ambassadors, which provided monetary donations to fuel the effort.
When all is said and done, Meyer said he expects the Priest Holmes Foundation to receive more than a dozen trailers of supplies.
“(Holmes) is local down there, so he’s been the ideal partner to work with,” Meyer said. “We pretty much turn it over to him and let him direct the route to meet needs with the products we can supply.”
Kansas City Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt is part of a group that recently committed $500,000 to support relief and recovery in Texas.
In Kansas City, the Hunt family has been touched by the tragedy in a personal way.
Among the victims is 9-year-old Janie Hunt, who was the great-granddaughter of the late billionaire William Herbert Hunt. He was the brother of Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt, Clark’s father.
“Our family is devastated by the tragedy in Central Texas,” Clark Hunt said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to those grieving—in particular, to the parents who lost children, those who lost family members, and the far-too-many who have lost friends, neighbors, and loved ones.
Former NFL players join effort
Joining forces with Holmes in Kerr County, about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, were a handful of former NFL players.
Those who helped Holmes unload trucks Saturday included Dave Worsham of the New Orleans Saints, David Vela of the Oakland Raiders and Henry Ellard of the St. Louis Rams.
Several other players from the NFL Players Association, Former Players San Antonio/Austin Texas Chapter have reached out to see how they can help, Holmes said.
“One of the things that I mentioned to our former players is that we can also share and understand the sadness of all these recent events,” Holmes said. “But what really makes a difference is showing up… volunteering your time and increasing the morale of what this community is going through.”
“That’s been an encouragement,” Holmes said. “I’ve had dozens of former players that have come out of their way to be a resource.”
The Star’s Blair Kerkhoff contributed.
This story was originally published July 15, 2025 at 1:27 PM.
