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HS Volleyball Team Buys Uniforms For Opponents After Wildfires

The Paradise Adventist Academy faced a state semifinals match against Forest Lake Christian on Nov. 10, two days after wildfires broke out across the state. 

A high school volleyball team bought uniforms for their opponents after some of its team members lost everything in the California wildfires, reports CNN.

The Paradise Adventist Academy in Northern California faced a state semifinals match against Forest Lake Christian on Nov. 10, two days after wildfires broke out across the state. The Camp Fire destroyed much of the town of Paradise. The death toll has risen to at least 79 people, while nearly 700 remain missing.

But the players wanted to participate in the game, despite many not having jerseys and equipment. When they arrived to the game in Auburn, Calif., they found new Paradise jerseys and kneepads.

According to CNN, Forest Lake Christian Athletic Director LaRon Gordon set up a meeting with school administrators to see what they could do to help. Soon they were asking for donations. And Gordon called a friend who found a company that agreed to make jerseys overnight for the game the next day.

While Paradise lost the game, the jerseys weren't the end of the generosity.

"At the end of the match they handed every girl on the team an envelope of $300 worth of gift cards for places for them to buy clothes," Paradise volleyball coach Jason Eyer said, according to CNN. "And they presented me with a box of gift cards and cash with over $10,000 for the families at the school."

Gordon said he couldn't have predicted how quickly the Forest Lake community would have rallied around the team.

"One of the biggest things it taught me is that we're there for each other in times of need," he said. "It could have been me, it could have been our school. The community that came out gave me a sense of hope for humanity."