Shane Buechele, Sam Ehlinger raising funds for COVID-19 relief

By Steve Lansdale

AUSTIN and DALLAS, Texas — College athletes are visible figures within their communities, and two of the most popular Texas Longhorns in recent years are using their platforms to help raise funds for COVID-19 relief.

Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger and former UT quarterback Shane Buechele have started GoFundMe pages. Funds raised through Ehlinger’s page will assist a number of organizations.

“I am dedicated to helping families who have been impacted by the current global crisis, and have created a GoFundMe to raise money to assist organizations that are doing incredible work in my community and nationally including the Boys & Girls Club of America, the Central Texas Food Bank, Austin Pets Alive and more,” Ehlinger wrote.

The page started by Buechele and his girlfriend, Paige Vasquez, raises funds for Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s Disaster Relief Fund.

Accprding to Buechele and Vasquez’s page, “Dallas is home and we want to give back to the city that has given so much to us. Our hope is that we can show the City of Dallas that we are listening, we care and we are here. Your contributions will help us make that statement. This donation is coming from ALL OF US.

“The City of Dallas Emergency Assistance Fund helps local organizations respond to broad-based community emergencies that severely affect Dallas. As the City of Dallas battles COVID-19, donations to the fund will allow the City to provide monetary assistance to organizations on the front-lines of the pandemic that are working to help residents and businesses make it through this difficult time.”

The two have raised more than $157,000 … so far.

Donations can be made through Ehlinger’s page or Buechele’s page at the links above.