When Andre Johnson left the Houston Texans for Indianapolis after being cut in 2015, it seemed as though the city would have to officially say goodbye to a local legend.
Despite his departure, Houston still has a place in Johnson’s heart, as evidenced by his annual Christmas shopping spree for underprivileged youth that he continues to run.
Andre Johnson does it again…$19,144.58 spent on toys for kids in Houston this morning. Love this. pic.twitter.com/U6qx9ibMZI
— Daniel Gotera (@DTGotera) December 7, 2016
The premise is that a group of Houston children, chosen by the Harris County Protective Services office, have 81 seconds (81 being Andre’s number) to grab as much stuff as they can off the shelves of a local Toys R Us to buy.
Oftentimes, the children will grab gifts not only for themselves but family members as well.
Each child is guaranteed a gaming system along with any items placed in the cart, and the tally for the shopping spree regularly runs Johnson $18-19,000.
Johnson is a local hero to many children in Houston, and his heart of gold continues to shine regardless of where he plays or lives.