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49ers to host high school team devastated by wildfires

Jay Busbee
· Senior writer
Levi’s Stadium, seen here in a file photo, will host players whose homes were affected by the California wildfires. (AP)
Levi’s Stadium, seen here in a file photo, will host players whose homes were affected by the California wildfires. (AP)

At Monday night’s game, the San Francisco 49ers will host a high school team from one of the California towns that has been devastated by wildfires.

The town of Paradise was almost completely destroyed by the ongoing Camp Fire in northern California, and the 49ers will host the Paradise High School football team for the Monday game against the New York Giants. Many players on the team lost homes, and the team had to forfeit its playoff game.

49ers will provide tickets, transportation

The 49ers will send buses to Paradise to pick up the players and their families, and will provide tickets for the team. Paradise is about 200 miles from Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers’ strength and conditioning coach, Shane Wallen, grew up in Paradise, and he’s begun a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the town.

“So many of our kids are struggling with life to begin with, they’re teenagers trying to find their way,” Paradise principal Loren Lighthall said, per KRCR-TV. “I wish more people could go [to the game], I wish we could send the whole town. It’s had a great effect on these kids and me, just to be able to bring them together. It’s a great thing the 49ers are doing.”

While Paradise High School survived the fire, Lighthall offered some sobering perspective on what the town faces. “I don’t think we’ll get into Paradise for probably at least a month,” he said. “It’s a war zone. There’s just no services, it’s not safe. No one will be able to live in Paradise, there’s no homes, no hotels, there’s no temporary housing or anything for people to live. We’ll just have to assess. It’s going to take some time.”

Aaron Rodgers’ thoughts on the wildfires

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers grew up near the epicenter of the fires, and spoke Sunday about the area and his recollections. “Obviously my heart goes out to the great people of Paradise, California,” he said. “Growing up in Chico and spending a great deal of time up there, I played a lot of football and basketball and sports up in Paradise. Basically lived in Magalia at one point, which is kind of an even tinier town off of Paradise and the devastation there is tough. Hearing the stories of people running down the highways to avoid the fire. Knowing that people burned alive in their cars, it’s heartbreaking for sure.”


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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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