KAPA‘A — A fundraising effort is underway to replace the youth football equipment lost in a fire on Wednesday at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex.
The early morning fire, which destroyed a storage shed that contained athletic equipment belonging to the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League, caused an estimated $200,000 in damage.
Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League President Teddy Arroyo said he was gutted to learn of the fire.
“It’s kind of heartbreaking, right now, to see something like this happen,” said Arroyo on Wednesday afternoon. “For these young men and young ladies, right now, we are figuring out ways to replace the equipment that was lost. … It was also the cheer equipment.”
He said it was going to be a challenge to raise the money, but was confident the goal to replace the equipment would be met before the youth football season starts in August.
“We all know Kaua‘i is resilient and will come together,” said Arroyo, who also serves as regional director of the Pop Warner Wescon Region.
He said a GoFundMe account was being set up, with details to emerge this week. He has also received support from the community, including Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami and Kaua‘i County Council Chair Mel Rapozo.
“It’s just frustrating when you hear stories like that, the jerks that have no respect for anything. … I just think it’s ridiculous. … I’m sure you’ll be seeing and hearing about it and GoFundMe will be starting if you could please help out, as the season starts on Aug. 1,” said Rapozo in remarks made at the Kaua‘i County Council meeting on Wednesday.
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com. Reporter Jackson Healy contributed to this report.
