Athletes, fans donate to Katrina relief effort

Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong will donate $500,000 to help cancer patients displaced by Hurricane Katrina get treatment.

Armstrong said Saturday he expects the money will be used to help transport cancer patients to hospitals and cancer centers for treatment. He said more money from his namesake cancer survivorship foundation could be donated in the future.

"If you've started treatment and you miss a week or two weeks, it's potentially fatal," Armstrong said. "For me and the foundation, we just looked at that and asked not just what can we do, but how does it fit into our mission?"

Armstrong survived a bout with testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain before he won the first of his record seven straight Tours titles. He retired from competitive racing in July after his final Tour victory.

At college football games across the country Saturday, fans contributed money to help victims of the hurricane.

Fans at Wisconsin's 56-42 season-opening win against Bowling Green filled American Red Cross collection canisters, and there was a moment of silence before the Michigan-Northern Illinois game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle encouraged Badgers fans to be generous in their support.

"If the 80,000 fans who attend Saturday's game all give just one dollar, we will raise $80,000 from Wisconsin to help them recover from this tragedy," Doyle said.

The Milwaukee Brewers planned a similar fund-raiser during their game against San Diego on Saturday night, just as they will for every remaining game at Miller Park this season.

In other Katrina developments:

— Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and his brother Eli, of the New York Giants, who grew up in New Orleans, arrived in Baton Rouge, La., to help distribute 31,000 pounds of nonperishable items, including baby formula, diapers and water.

— Oakland Raiders quarterback Kerry Collins will make a $1,000 donation to the American Red Cross for every touchdown pass he throws and every game the Raiders win this season.

— The Green Bay Packers scheduled an autograph session and blood drive at a shopping mall for Sunday, and the Milwaukee Mile race track in West Allis, Wis., established a relief drive to gather food, diapers, water and toiletries.