In an effort to aid recovery from the Southland’s devastating wildfires, the Los Angeles sports community has united in an “L.A. Strong” merchandise collection.
The “L.A. Strong” logo adorns 15 T-shirts, each with the logo of a local sports organization behind it. The Lakers’ shirt, for instance, features “L.A. Strong” in gold letters, atop a Lakers logo.
The participants: the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, Angels, Rams, Chargers, Kings, Ducks, Galaxy, LAFC, Angel City FC, Sparks, USC, LA28 and the Los Angeles Golf Club of the fledgling TGL golf league. The merchandise is produced by Fanatics, which said 100% of profits would be donated to the American Red Cross and the Los Angeles Fire Dept. foundation. Products beyond T-shirts will be added to the collection, Fanatics said.
“My heart breaks as we all watch the horror continue to unfold across Los Angeles and completely upend so many lives,” Fanatics chief executive Michael Rubin said in a statement Friday. “The devastation that these fires have caused is unthinkable. Many people I consider family, including our employees based there, have been directly affected and our organization is rallying together to try and make a real impact as fast as possible.”
Separately, in Boston, the city’s seven professional sports teams — including the Celtics, the Lakers’ nemesis — posted on social media “LOVE L.A.,” with L.A. represented by the Dodgers’ logo, and provided a link for donations to Red Cross wildfire recovery funds.
The four-day firestorm has resulted in 10 deaths so far, with more than 9,000 structures damaged or destroyed and more than 150,000 people still under mandatory evacuation orders, as of Friday afternoon.
Lakers coach JJ Redick lost his Pacific Palisades home in the 20,000-acre Palisades fire, the largest of several major fires. Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played at Palisades High, lost his childhood home.
The Kings’ home game Wednesday and the Lakers home’ game Thursday were postponed, and the NFL moved the Rams’ playoff game Monday from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
The PGA has not yet decided whether to play the Genesis Open, scheduled next month at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades.
