The NFL playoffs won’t be in the Los Angeles area as planned because of the deadly wildfires that continued to burn in the region ahead of wild-card weekend. But the league is making efforts to ensure its presence is still felt as hundreds of thousands of people come to grips with the damage caused by what Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called a ‘historic firestorm.’
The NFL and four of its teams are donating $5 million to support the Los Angeles communities impacted by the ongoing devastation these flames are creating. The Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans, as well as the NFL Foundation, announced ahead of their NFL postseason games that they have each pledged $1 million to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, the American Red Cross and other organizations helping to combat the effects of this natural disaster.
“We are heartbroken over the devastating losses experienced by so many in the Los Angeles area and inspired by the heroism of first responders and residents who have supported their neighbors,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “The NFL family is committed to working with the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams to support their local communities in their time of need.”
The NFL was forced to move the Rams’ wild-card playoff game against the Vikings on Monday night from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona ‘in the interest of public safety.’ But the league and its teams will honor the victims and first responders affected by the fires throughout wild-card weekend, beginning with Saturday’s postseason opener featuring the Texans hosting the Chargers.
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Players, coaches and staff from the Chargers and Rams will wear custom LAFD hats and shirts with their team’s monogram to start the playoffs. Game-worn jerseys and select game-used footballs will be auctioned off by the NFL. All the proceeds raised from the sale of these products will go to the LAFD Foundation and American Red Cross.
The Rams also hold a 50/50 raffle for fans during every home game, and 50 percent of Monday’s jackpot, which would typically be donated to the Los Angeles Rams Foundation, will instead go to the LAFD Foundation and the American Red Cross. The Kroenke Family, which owns the Rams, targeted the team’s $1 million donation specifically for the LAFD Foundation. It provides Los Angeles County and City firefighters with funds to help pay for equipment, programs and other resources.
‘We are beyond grateful for the tireless efforts of our first responders who continue to protect our community as well as individuals who continue to help our neighbors in need,’ the Kroenke family said in a statement. ‘We know there are both immediate and long-term needs and our family and the Rams are committed to doing our part to support recovery efforts now and into the months and years ahead.’
The Chargers targeted their $1 million for American Red Cross relief efforts, the LAFD Foundation, Team Rubicon and several pet rescue organizations sheltering animals displaced by the wildfires. The Vikings and Texans each provided matching $1 million contributions for on-the-ground relief efforts and first responders in the Los Angeles area.