SAN ANTONIO -- In a concession stand you want to be selling hot dogs and burgers, not dealing with side items like insulation.
“Got the call this morning that we had some damage up here. As you can see, it’s pretty intense,” said Gary Garibaldi, the Athletic Director for the NE Vikings, a Pop Warner team.
Intense because last night’s only customer, Hermine, peeled back the roof of Capitol Park’s concession stand.
Garibaldi added, “There’s water all over the floor, the roof had come down. We really had a big mess in there.”
Capitol Park is home to Pop Warner’s Northeast Vikings, preparing for a fall football season. And the team says the destruction couldn’t come at a worse time.
Team mom Melinda Wickley said, “Our first game in Saturday, and we’re just trying to get everybody out here to help us rebuild so we can have our first game.”
The calls are going out to get parents—anyone—to help rebuild bleachers that were blown over, or the roof of the dugout that was blown off. And the play-by-play is down for the count: The announcer’s booth toppled like so many toothpicks.
For a 30-year old non-profit, the repairs will be costly, especially when the chief money-raiser, where sodas, chips, and chili pies are prepped… is out of commission.
Wickley said, “And to have the concession stand gone, is a pretty big tragedy for us.”
Broadway Bank is handling donations for the team's ballpark: Northeast Vikings Pop Warner/P.O. Box 17001/San Antonio, TX/78217.
