Retired Red Sox pitching ace Curt Schilling announced on Twitter today that he is collecting cash and other donations to bring to victims of the epic flooding in Texas, as well as first responders.
"I will be periscoping and live-streaming as I make this trip to allow you all to come along and see just what your goodwill is doing in other people's lives," Schilling told his followers, also noting he will be broadcasting his show on the right-wing Breitbart website from Texas next week.
Schilling, who pitched for the Houston Astros in 1991, has called his campaign Operation Bullpen and is putting out the call for help filling a trailer that he said will be parked in the parking lot of Shaw's Supermarket on Main Street in Medfield as of noon today. .
Celebrity car czar Ernie Boch Jr., who has pitched in $100,000 to the drive, told the Herald he wanted to be sure his money "gets directly to the people who need it without someone taking a piece of it."
He added: "That's why I went to Curt. I have the utmost faith in him."
Boch said he and Schilling "have a lot of mutual friends. He's a really cool guy. The guy's the salt of the earth. I mean, he's driving the van down there. It's incredible."
Schilling vowed "100 percent" of all cash contributions "will go directly into the hands of the victims."
"I am taking ALL cash directly to victims, personally HANDING it to them to guarantee they get it," Schilling tweeted.
Schilling, who said he has a two-person Crawdad fishing boat he will buy an engine for today, is collecting jackets, bathroom and household essentials, clothing for victims and socks for first responders, animal crates, and food for people and pets.
He is also looking for volunteers to help collect cash donations and load the trailer before it departs on Friday.
Schilling asks that any cash contributions be brought or Fed-Exed to him at 258A Main St., Route 109, Medfield, Mass., 02052, no later than noon Friday.