Aaron Rodgers comes up big for his native region in California
According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Aaron Rodgers has made a generous donation to wildfire evacuees near his native home in Northern California. In conjunction with a civic organization in the area, Rodgers donated $100,000 to help those affected by the Thompson Fire, which began on Tuesday.
Aaron Rodgers, in conjunction with a civic organization near his native home in Northern California, donated $100,000 to help wildfire evacuees. The Thompson Fire, which started on Tuesday, has burned over 3,500 acres near Oroville and forced about 28,000 people to evacuate, per…
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) July 4, 2024
The fire is centered around the city of Oroville in Butte County. According to the Los Angeles Times, the fire tripled in size overnight from 1,000 acres to more than 3,500 acres by Wednesday afternoon. It had reached 7% containment by Wednesday evening, according to officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Citing local officials, the LA Times reported that about 12,000 homes, businesses, and other buildings were threatened, and 28,000 people were told to leave their homes. As of Wednesday night, the LA Times reported that at least four homes had been destroyed.
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the Thompson Fire, citing that it would threaten “structures, homes, critical infrastructure, and health and congregate care facilities.”
Rodgers grew up and attended high school in Chico, Calif., only a 23-mile drive northwest of Oroville. It’s a generous donation in a time of need from the Jets’ franchise quarterback.
Unfortunately, this deed won’t receive a fraction of the coverage as Rodgers’ absence from two summer practices, but Rodgers doesn’t seem to mind. Rodgers has not publicized his donation on any of his social media platforms. The act was made with pure intentions, not to quell media backlash.
Rodgers’ battle with the media is the least important part of this story. All that matters is he made the effort to lend a helping hand to those in need.