Portland Trail Blazers Travis Outlaw and Theo Ratliff are continuing to provide personal assistance in support of the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Outlaw, a Mississippi native, has pledged $15,000 to efforts being led in his home state. Ratliff, raised in Demopolis, Alabama, has donated twelve thousand bottles of his ready-to-drink signature sports drink, Rebound fx Tropical Tirade to the disaster relief efforts (click to read full Ratliff story). In addition, both athletes will participate in a relief project partnering the National Basketball Players Association and Women's National Basketball Players Association in "Operation Rebound," a relief effort to provide food and assistance to the victims of hurricane Katrina.

"My family and I want to do what we can to help the people of my home state that have been forced out of their homes," said Outlaw. "This is all really overwhelming and whatever small part I can play to take their minds off their troubles I'm happy to do."

"Operation Rebound" will take place on Thursday, September 15, where more than a dozen NBA and WNBA players will take part in a caravan with twenty tractor-trailers full of supplies that will depart Jackson, Mississippi and make deliveries to Hattiesburg, Biloxi and Gulfport. Press conferences with players and local officials will be held in Jackson, Gulfport and Biloxi.