A pile of rubble was all that remained on Monday after a shed housing thousands of dollars in equipment for young athletes went up in flames.
The Northlake Pop Warner football and cheer program’s shed at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse in Hammond was destroyed in a fire early Sunday.
“It was really hard for me, I had a lot of memories,” Elliana Roberts, Northlake Pop Warner cheerleader.
The Pop Warner youth football and cheer program serves children from Hammond, East Chicago and Whiting.
Most of their equipment was in the garage.
“It had all of our tackling dummies, poms, cheer mats, helmets, shoulder pats, memories, trophies paperwork…” said Kaylee Tallo. “Everything in that garage costs a lot of money. We just brought brand new football helmets. Most kids have helmet and pad, but you need all the tools to be football or cheerleader, and all those tools are gone.”
Despite the total loss, the athletes coaches and parents hope to come back stronger than ever. Multiple fundraising events are planned, including a 5K on Sunday and a “foam bubble party.”
While funds are being raised through their Facebook page, fire officials are working to determine what happened. Meanwhile, minimal practice and drills are held on the adjacent field.