Nothing can cure the devastating loss and tragedy caused by the Camp Fire in Northern California, but some residents from Paradise, Calif., were treated at least to a temporary distraction by being welcomed guests on Warriors Ground on Wednesday night.
The Warriors hosted the Paradise High School varsity boys and girls basketball teams, their coaches, families, school principal Loren Lighthall, along with an additional 35 evacuees from the Paradise community, which has been hit hard by the fire.
“I’m glad we can at least entertain some people who have gone through a really, really rough and tragic time,” Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said before the game. “We are doing what we can. Obviously those people up there need much more then to be able to come to a basketball game. I would urge everybody out there to chip-in and help anyway they can.”
Dub Nation gave a welcoming applause to the Paradise basketball teams upon their on-court introduction at halftime, and again when the group of evacuees was shown on the video board sitting in the Oracle Zone, which followed the playing of some recorded messages from players:</
Hosting the Paradise teams and members of the community were the latest efforts of the Warriors lending a helping hand to their Northern California neighbors. The team is auctioning off several signed jerseys, hosting a donation site in which they are matching $25,000 worth of fan donations and proceeds from the Warriors Community Foundation’s in-game 50/50 raffle on both Wednesday and the Dubs' previous home game on Nov. 13 are all supporting fire relief efforts via the North Valley Community Foundation.
Fans wishing to join the Warriors' fire relief efforts can do so at the following links: