Indians, outfielder Jay Bruce team up to aid Harvey victims

CLEVELAND (AP) - Cleveland Indians outfielder and Texas native Jay Bruce has pledged to donate up to $100,000 to help victims of Hurricane Harvey.

The team is accepting donations through Cleveland Indians Charities until Sept. 10 with all the money going to nonprofit organizations in Southeast Texas, which has been devastated by the storm and flooding. Bruce and his wife, Hannah, intend to match the donations up to $100,000.

Bruce, who recently joined the Indians after being acquired in a trade from the New York Mets, is from Beaumont, Texas.

"Every donation will make a difference, big or small!!" Bruce wrote on his Twitter page. "We look forward to making our community whole again, and with the help of some many great people behind us, it will be that much easier."

Fans can donate at Indians.com/Bruce .

The massive storm, which initially made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, has dumped more than 50 inches of rain in some areas around Houston, paralyzing the nation's fourth-largest city. The storm is moving slowly to the northeast and is now pelting Louisiana with heavy rain.

More than 17,000 people have sought refuge in Texas shelters, the American Red Cross said.