Utah Tech University student-athletes travel to Beaver to aid flood relief efforts

BEAVER — In the midst of Beaver County officials on Tuesday declaring a state of emergency in response to wildfires and flooding, Utah Tech University's athletics department felt compelled to lend not just a hand, but the hands of around 40 student-athletes.

The plan began Monday evening when Rod Zundel, director of broadcasting and multimedia content for the school's athletics department, approached third-year head football coach Lance Anderson with the proposition to lend some "manpower and some muscle" to the Beaver community after it was hit with flooding Sunday.

"There was no hesitation," Zundel said. "He (Anderson) said, 'Oh, absolutely. We can get it done.'"

With the plan approved and in motion, over 40 student-athletes from the football and women's basketball teams were bussed from St. George to Beaver Tuesday, where they assumed "sandbag duty," filling sandbags to help stop breaching throughout Beaver.

For wide receiver Darnell O'Quinn, the matter of flooding hits close to home, having lived through Hurricane Ida in 2021.

"It was just very devastating. A lot of debris, a lot of things, bad things happening. Power went out ... for about a week. No good running water," O'Quinn said.

Like so many other players, his decision to help out was an easy one.

"I just wanted to give back. Being from New Orleans, dealing with weather like that — hurricane weather, floods — it's just an opportunity for me to give back, show love for the community."

Deacon Hill, a quarterback from Santa Barbara, California, has also dealt with a natural disaster after experiencing the Thomas Fire and ensuing mudslides in 2017.

"As a group, we try to get as many guys to come. Some have school and stuff like that, but I think we got like 20 to 30 guys to come out and help. So it's good for us as a team to get together and help with the community," Hill said.

The football team was joined by nearly the entire women's basketball team, with small forward Savannah Stoker saying the student-athletes were ready to do "anything that is needed to help this community."

"It's just very heartbreaking what happened to this town, and with the fire to the flood, we just want to do anything we can to help these families and get these families back to their homes and get their homes and properties all cleaned up," Stoker said.

Related topics