On Sunday evening as Hurricane Harvey's devastation became more visible, J.J. Watt, the star football player of the Houston Texans decided to act by going on social media and encouraging people to raise money to help. He started the effort by committing to contribute $100,000 personally and set a broader goal of raising $1 million.

In the spirit of recognizing that difficult times bring out the best in humanity, he asked others to join him. After increasing his personal contribution, other contributions started to come in and just four days since his first plea, more than 100,000 people have joined the effort. As of Thursday morning, the fund had reached $10 million and is expected to keep growing. Watt's action also  ignited the human spirit in other celebrities as they replicated his approach with their own fundraising efforts.

Equally impressive were the volunteers from Louisiana that formed the so called "Cajun Navy" and brought their bass boats, air boats, recreational boats and Cajun spirit to Houston to rescue people from their flooded streets and homes. Authorities and private citizens continued to go into harm's way to save residents. The stories of personal suffering and human fatalities are sad, tragic, and heartbreaking. And at the same time, some moments stand out as examples hope and inspiration that rise above the devastation of Harvey. Moments where hundreds and thousands of people take a collective stand to act and help people in trouble, often without regard for their own safety.