Community rallies to help Pittsburgh cheer gym vandalized
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Police are investigating several break-ins on Monday morning in the Brookline area.
Staff at Fire and Ice Allstars on Saw Mill Road Boulevard walked into a cheer gym that was vandalized. There were broken trophies, shattered mirrors, smashed toilets and a broken sink in the girl's bathroom. To top it off, the whole place was doused in chemicals from a fire extinguisher.
"My partner found this place completely trashed." Marc Bombich said. "Definitely not what you want to walk into on a Monday morning."
Immediately, he called out for help, and people answered.
"Everyone dropped what they were doing to be here," Bombich said.
The Fire and Ice Allstar family came together to clean up and salvage what was possible.
"There are countless memories from trophies that won't be replaced," Bombich said. "It sucks to see the tears in their eyes when they walked through the door and saw shattered trophies. Everyone wants to build back stronger and make new trophies."
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is investigating several break-ins in the area on Monday morning, including the one at Fire and Ice.
Bombich believes thousands of dollars in damage was done. The top layers of the mats need to be replaced and the bathroom needs to be remodeled.
Investigators are reviewing surveillance video to figure out who did this.
"I hope it was worth it because to me it wasn't," said Bombich.
Cheer camp will begin next week.