NFL, union contributing $50,000 to victims of September tsunami

NEW YORK -- The NFL and the NFL Players Association are contributing $50,000 to help victims of the tsunami that struck American Samoa in September.

The league said Monday that two former players of Samoan descent, Eagles running back Reno Mahe and Bears tight end Gabe Reid, will visit the region in the next few weeks.

Many players with Samoan backgrounds are also raising funds on their own to help victims. The Sept. 29 tsunami spawned by a magnitude-8.3 earthquake killed 34 people in American Samoa, 183 in Samoa and nine in Tonga.

The league and the union will contribute the money to the American Red Cross through their Disaster Relief Fund.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press