Los Angeles sports teams slammed for 'pathetic' donation to help victims of city's wildfires
The 12 Los Angeles professional sports teams have been criticized after donating a combined $8million to support victims of the city's wildfires and those fighting the blazes.
The NFL's Rams and Chargers, the NBA's Lakers and Clippers, MLB's Dodgers and Angels, MLS's Galaxy and LAFC, the NHL's Ducks and Kings, the WNBA's Sparks and the NWSL's Angel City FC said the funds would go to multiple organizations including the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, World Central Kitchen and various local animal rescue organizations.
The teams and Fanatics, the sports apparel and Fan Gear Store, will also distribute $3m worth of sports merchandise to Angelenos who have been evacuated from their homes and distribute personal hygiene kits, school supplies, sneakers and more at relief sites around the city.
But the financial amount the teams are donating has been criticized on social media, with some saying they should have contributed more.
One wrote: 'Are we supposed to be impressed at this "generosity"? That works out to around $667,000 per team (a rounding error for Shohei Ohtani or LeBron James).'
Another user commented: 'This is so pathetic, especially with @Dodgers who have deferred millions of $ to pay for players and they can't come up with more money, eat the rich'.
The 12 Los Angeles pro sports teams have been criticized after donating a combined $8million to support victims of the city's wildfires and those fighting the blaze
Wildfires across Los Angeles have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people
A third added: 'So, the teams don't care, clearly. Pathetic.'
A fourth posted: 'I feel like 8 million isn't a whole lot considering these teams are worth hundreds of millions or billions'.
'Pathetic... Lakers and Dodgers alone should have donated this', added another.
'Not even a million each', another commented alongside a laughing emoji.
The donation was also labelled 'stingy' and 'disrespectful' by other social media users.
According to Forbes' calculations earlier this month, the Rams were valued at $7.6billion, the Lakers were valued at $7.1bn and the Clippers and Dodgers were valued at around $5.5bn.
Beyonce announced on Sunday that her BeyGOOD Foundation would donate $2.5m to the LA Fire Relief Fund. Walmart pledge the same amount in cash, food, water and other essentials.
Disney has pledged $15m in aid for those affected, the NFL is donating $5m to efforts led by individual contributions from clubs and ownership groups from the Chargers, Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans and NFL Foundation.
It comes as a growing force of firefighters continued to battle massive infernos across the city on Monday.
But more powerful winds moved in and threatened recent progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.
Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-proof chemicals, crews prepared to pounce on hotspots across the region and dozens of water trucks rolled in to replenish supplies after hydrants ran dry last week.
In less than a week, four fires around America's second-biggest city have scorched more than 62 square miles, roughly three times the size of Manhattan.
The fires also forced the NFL's wildcard playoff game between the Rams and Vikings, which was played on Monday, to be moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood to Glendale, Arizona and postponed games for the Lakers and Clippers.
Both NBA teams were scheduled to host games in LA on Monday night, their first since the fires broke out last Tuesday.
The Lakers said in a statement that Monday's game would be 'dedicated to the Los Angeles community and Southern California's first responders'.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick, whose home in the Pacific Palisades was lost in the fire last week, said the franchise would do its part to help the city rebuild.
'We are committed as ever to Los Angeles,' Redick said.
'We recognize it's not just our community that has been impacted by this. We're committed to helping people as much as we can and we're going to do that.'
The National Weather Service warned of 'particularly dangerous' dry and blustery weather approaching - especially on Tuesday, when wind gusts could reach 65mph, experts say.
Four fires have consumed more than 62 square miles across the most affluent neighborhoods of LA, with A-list celebrity homes and restaurants among the 12,300 structures wiped out
A fire fighting helicopter drops water as the Palisades fire grows
A large part of Southern California around Los Angeles is under this extreme fire danger warning through Wednesday, including densely populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley.
Firefighters made progress over the weekend on the region's two biggest fires - the Eaton Fire, near Pasadena, and the Palisades Fire, in a wealthy enclave along the Pacific Coast.
The Eaton Fire is roughly one-third contained, while the Palisades Fire is far less contained.
The death toll is likely to rise, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Monday. At least two dozen were missing, he said.
