Oakland A's, Hayward Firefighters Help Little League Team Recover From Burglary
HAYWARD (CBS SF) -- Hayward firefighters and the Oakland A's have each donated $1,000 to help the Tennyson American Little League after a person stole the league's safe with about $7,000 inside.
The league was facing a $1,000 insurance deductible after the theft, but the $2,000 donation more than offsets that cost. The team is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person
or persons responsible for the theft.
"I saw what had happened on the news and I just felt awful for the kids," said Ryan Hamre, president of the Hayward firefighters union, in a statement. "I'm just really excited that we were able to do this together."
The theft happened at about 9:45 p.m. Sunday at Sorensdale Park behind Tennyson High School where the league's clubhouse is located, league president Jody Perry said.
Perry said it appears a person pried open a window to the clubhouse and stole the safe with money the league uses to pay for, among other things, rent to play at the park's baseball fields.
The safe contained money from a league annual fundraiser on Saturday. Insurance will reimburse the league for some of the stolen money.
Perry said someone who was aware of the fundraiser may have been involved in the theft because money from the fundraiser was due to be turned in to the league on Saturday.
Nearly 200 youth 4 to 18 years old play in the league of 18 teams, Perry said. The season ends in May.
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