PARADISE, Calif. -- Paradise High School's athletics program is still recovering months after the Camp Fire.
"The tennis courts, fencing around the area, there's a lot of heat damage on the track and on the scoreboard," said athletic director Anne Stearne. "There's heat damage on the visitor's side. Probably more things."
The Bobcats' seven-room athletics building was burned down. It had equipment, film, uniforms and more inside.
"It's safe to say it was about $500,000 worth of equipement, but that's just cloth and the bare essentials that we need," said Stearne. "I can't imagine what the damage our facilities would be. It would be upward in the millions of dollars."
Stearne says their softball diamond got hit the hardest. The field, fencing, lights, dugouts, backboards, and more are either damaged or gone.
"I'm concerned for the future of our softball program today," Stearne said.
Stearne says the repairs to the fields need to be started as soon as possible. If not, the Bobcats may not be able to play there this season.
"It wasn't a necessity. It wasn't a need in that moment," said Stearne. "When you're thinking about the athlete and thinking about what they need, it's the things that get them prepared for a game. Now, it's us looking at our home and looking at the facility and making sure we can start [a season here.]"
Paradise High School has created a PayPal account at ParadiseHS.sports.booster.club@gmail.com
