The Houston Dynamo host their in-state arch rivals FC Dallas on Thursday night at BBVA Compass Stadium at 8 p.m. CDT in the second leg of the 2018 Texas Derby. With the match taking place on the eve of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, the Dynamo will host it as HOUSTON STRONG Night, presented by 76®.
The organization plans to commemorate the occasion by honoring the second responders who helped the Houston community get through the storm. The Dynamo will honor many of the organizations and individuals who stepped to the forefront in the aftermath of the storm to help their neighbors recover.
Prior to kickoff, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, who played a vital role in the response and recovery effort during the storm, will fire ‘El Capitan,’ the Texas Revolutionary War-era cannon that belongs to the winner of the annual Houston-Dallas series.
At halftime, the club will honor several organizations that coordinated second responders, including the United Way, the Red Cross, Baker Ripley, Houston Habitat for Humanity, Attack Poverty and Jewish Family Services. Each of those groups organized and coordinated a massive volunteer effort to assist people throughout the region whose homes were flooded or who were affected by the storm, including rescues, cleanup, food and clothing donations and many other aspects of the recovery effort.
Also among those being honored Thursday night will be the Emergency Managers from several of the counties affected by Harvey, including Harris County, Fort Bend County, Waller County and Montgomery Country.
Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on August 25, 2017. The storm was the wettest in American history, dropping 50 inches or more of rainfall on many areas of the Greater Houston area. The damage produced by the storm throughout Southeast Texas made it the costliest storm in United States history, totaling more than $125 billion.
Second responders are involved in preparing, managing, returning services, and cleaning up sites during and after disasters or other major events. Many estimates believe that for every first responder (police, fire, EMS) involved in a disaster event, there may be as many as three to 10 second responders involved. These often unsung heroes were, in many cases, the vital pieces that helped the entire Houston community get through the storm and begin the recovery effort.
Tickets for Thursday’s match are available starting at $24, and may be purchased online at HoustonDynamo.com, by phone at 713-276-GOAL and at the BBVA Compass Stadium box office.
