MIDDLETOWN >> Tiburon business owner Torben Yjord-Jackson, Desolation Outdoors Paddle & Skate, along with Tiburon native, Marissa Miller (also of Desolation Outdoors Paddle & Skate), made the trip to Middletown on Wednesday to deliver a large collection of donated used and new sports equipment collected during a donation drive organized by the Steele family of Tiburon for the victims of the recent Valley Fire.
While learning of the news of the fire, Lauren and Sarah Steele (an 8th grader and a 6th grader, respectively) shared their sadness with their parents that the kids who lost their homes had also lost something very important — sports equipment that is not only expensive to acquire, but that provides a much-needed outlet for activity and distraction during this difficult time in their lives. They wanted to help.
When the Steele girls’ mother, Dana Steele, saw that Desolation Outdoors was collecting donations of food items and household necessities for the fire victims, she immediately reached out and offered to have her family organize a donation drive specifically for gently used and new sports equipment.
“My kids are both super sporty, and they were so sad to think about the day to day things that were lost by children — things like the ability to participate in their sport,” Steele commented. “Thinking that our community has so much and so many people lost everything — it takes years to rebuild, and many of these things are not first priorities, but may give them a moment of ‘normal’ feeling, especially for the kids.”
Middletown High School students took time out of class to help unload the trailer and sort through the large collection of donated sports equipment.
