The Los Angeles Chargers welcomed an Anaheim, California, high school football team to the family on Sunday with a very bold gesture: donating $10,000 to replace equipment.
On July 17, Magnolia High School’s football team lost all of their equipment in a fire. With the start of the season only one month away, the team was in dire straits. Football equipment is expensive and very difficult to replace in a short time frame.
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Well, the Chargers heard about the situation and wanted to help out in any way possible. The team hosted Magnolia High Football at training camp and formally welcomed them to the Chargers family. To top off the event, controlling owner Dean Spanos presented the football team with a $10,000 check to help replace the lost equipment.
After a devastating storage fire, Magnolia HS was left without any equipment just one month before their season…
Not anymore 💙 pic.twitter.com/9DcWKCF6Ui
— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) August 6, 2019
“We had a regular practice on a Wednesday,” Magnolia head coach Desmond Hernandez said, “and two hours later, I got calls from football players, and our athletic equipment shed was on fire. Our equipment was gone, and we are a month away from starting the season.”
As it turns out, this gesture was made possible by Hank Bauer, who works as a color sports analyst. Bauer was known for his six seasons as a running back for the Chargers and the 17 rushing touchdowns that he scored, but he also has a deeper connection to this situation.
Bauer actually played high school football at Magnolia, giving him a vested interest in the team’s success. He was the one that brought this devastating fire to the attention of the team and helped make the donation possible. He actually reached out to Hernandez and told him that he would do whatever he could to help out.
“That’s my high school in Orange County,” Bauer said. “For the Chargers to reach out, [it was] really special. It was a high school in the area that needed help. Let’s help these kids. Let’s change a life. These kinds don’t have a whole lot and for the Spanos family and the Charger organization to do what they did for these kids today, it’s life-changing.”
