Olympians make surprise visit to California schools hit by wildfire

Record ID: 1368915

  • Title: Olympians make surprise visit to California schools hit by wildfire
  • Date: 19th December 2018
  • Summary: MALIBU, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 9, 2018) (REUTERS) HELICOPTERS FLYING OVER BURNING HOMES IN THICK SMOKE WOMAN ON FENCE WITH BURNING PALM TREE NEXT TO HER, WAVING VARIOUS OF HOMES BURNING VARIOUS OF HILLSIDE ENGULFED IN FLAMES
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2019 01:20
  • Keywords: Olympics wildfires California USA
  • Location: AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Fires
  • Reuters ID: LVA0029BH4O5J
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Students at two schools in Agoura Hills, California, that narrowly avoided being destroyed by a fierce wildfire received surprise visits this week from Olympic athletes who brought new sports equipment and delivered much needed cheer.
    At the Yerba Buena Elementary School, which is surrounded by hillsides blackened by the Woolsey Fire, softball player Hannah August donned new catcher's gear and shared a laugh with members of the U.S. National Softball team.
    "The girls and the people we look up to supporting us and surprising us to help us get through this tough time and building from here is a great, great experience," she said.
    The sports equipment shed at her school, Agoura High, was destroyed in the fire.
    The Woolsey Fire ignited on Nov. 8 in the mountains above Malibu and torched some 96,949 acres across Los Angeles and Ventura counties before it was contained, destroying 1,643 structures and killing three.
    The conflagration erupted one day after a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran opened fire at a bar and dance hall in nearby Thousand Oaks, killing 12 people before taking his own life.
    Students said it has been surreal to drive past burned-out houses and empty hillsides on their way to school every day.
    Softball outfielder Janie Reed, an Orange County native and member of the U.S. National Team that has qualified to compete in Tokyo in 2020, said she leapt at the opportunity to join the group of eight past and future Olympians on Monday's visit.
    "Living in Southern California and kind of being familiar with all of the heartache that's happened in Thousand Oaks lately, it's just an awesome opportunity to uplift the kids here especially during Christmas and the holiday season so, yes, I had a lot of fun," said Reed.
    Freestyle skier David Wise told the students to take life lessons from the tragedy.
    "I want you guys to know that this could be you some day. Whatever it is, whatever your gold medal is that you want to achieve in life you can do it. Just don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do. Go out there and find your dream and chase it," the two-time Olympic gold medalist said at an assembly.
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