Los Angeles sports teams slammed for ‘pathetic’ donation to help victims of city’s wildfires

Los Angeles’ 12 professional sports teams have been criticized after donating a combined $8 million to support the city’s wildfire victims and those fighting the blazes.

The Rams and Chargers of the NFL, the Lakers and Clippers of the NBA, the Dodgers and Angels of the MLB, Galaxy and LAFC of the MLS, the Ducks and Kings of the NHL, the Sparks of the WNBA and Angel City FC of the NWSL said the money would go to multiple organizations, including the American Red Cross. , the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, World Central Kitchen and several local animal rescue organizations.

The teams and Fanatics, the sportswear and Fan Gear Store, will also distribute $3 million worth of sporting goods to Angelenos evacuated from their homes and hand out personal hygiene kits, school supplies, sneakers and more at relief locations around the city.

But the financial amount the teams donate has been criticized on social media, with some saying they should have contributed more.

One wrote: ‘Should we be impressed by this ‘generosity’? That works out to about $667,000 per team (a rounding error for Shohei Ohtani or LeBron James).”

Another user commented: ‘This is so sad especially with @Dodgers who have postponed millions of $ to pay for players and they can’t come up with more money, eat the rich.’

A third added: “So clearly the teams don’t care. Miserable.’

A fourth posted: ‘I feel like 8 million isn’t much considering these teams are worth hundreds of millions or billions.’

“Pathetic…only Lakers and Dodgers should have donated this,” another added.

“Not even a million each,” another responded alongside a laughing emoji.

Other social media users also labeled the donation as ‘stingy’ and ‘disrespectful’.

According to Forbes calculations earlier this month the Rams were valued at $7.6 billion, the Lakers at $7.1 billion and the Clippers and Dodgers at about $5.5 billion.

Beyoncé announced on Sunday that her BeyGOOD Foundation would donate $2.5 million to the LA Fire Relief Fund. Walmart is promising the same amount in cash, food, water and other essentials.

Disney has pledged $15 million in relief for those affected, the NFL is donating $5 million to efforts led by individual contributions from clubs and ownership groups of the Chargers, Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans and NFL Foundation.

It comes as a growing group of firefighters continued to battle massive infernos in the city on Monday.

But stronger winds moved in, threatening recent progress on the wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people.

Planes showered homes and hillsides with bright pink fire-resistant chemicals, crews prepared to attack hotspots across the region and dozens of water trucks flew in to replenish supplies after hydrants dried up last week.

In less than a week, four fires around America’s second-largest city have destroyed more than 60 square miles, about three times the size of Manhattan.

The fires also caused the NFL’s wild-card playoff game between the Rams and Vikings, played Monday, to be moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood to Glendale, Arizona, and games for the Lakers and Clippers to be postponed .

Both NBA teams were scheduled to host games in LA on Monday night, the 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 last week’s fire, said the franchise would do its part to rebuild the city.

“We are committed to Los Angeles as always,” Redick said.

“We recognize that it is not just our community that has been affected. We want to help people as best as possible and that is what we are going to do.’

The National Weather Service warned of “particularly dangerous” dry and stormy weather ahead, especially on Tuesday, when winds could gust up to 65 mph, experts said.

Much of Southern California around Los Angeles is under this extreme fire danger warning through Wednesday, including heavily populated Thousand Oaks, Northridge and Simi Valley.

Firefighters made progress this weekend on the region’s two largest fires: the Eaton Fire, near Pasadena, and the Palisades Fire, in a wealthy enclave along the Pacific coast.

The Eaton fire is about one-third contained, while the Palisades fire is much 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.