Orem football team earns praise for hurricane preparation help in Hawaii

OREM — Members of the Orem High School football team traveled to Hawaii expecting a business trip focused on football, with a beach clean-up event planned afterward. But, they found themselves helping residents prepare for Hurricane Lala as it approached the islands over the weekend.

The Tigers were on Oahu for a season-opening game against Kamehameha High School.

"Hawaii called us and asked us to be a part of a tournament, so to speak, a bunch of teams went over from the mainland and played a bunch of the Hawaii teams," Orem head coach Andy Stokes said. "It was convenient because we do have a lot of kids on this team that are directly connected to the island."

While they were there, the storm threatened parts of Hawaii with heavy rain and strong winds.

Although the most significant damage was reported on the Big Island, communities on Oahu were also making preparations for heavy rains and winds to hit.

"You plan a trip to Hawaii, you know, paradise, and you're in the middle of a hurricane instead," Stokes said.

The Tigers defeated Kamehameha during their stay, but players said football was only part of the experience.

"We know coming in that it's a business trip," player Beckham Curtis said.

As part of the trip, the team had already planned a service project to restore a sign and clean up at Hukilau Beach on Oahu's North Shore. Stokes explained some of the players have connections to the area.

The team regularly participates in service projects and raised money for the restoration effort before traveling to Hawaii.

"We believe that football gives us an opportunity to have a spotlight that we can direct in different places," Stokes said. "They do a service project every month. Because we were going to Hawaii, we chose to do this month's in Hawaii."

While cleaning the beach, players encountered volunteers with a nonprofit called the Lahui Foundation who were filling sandbags to help residents protect their homes and property ahead of the storm.

"When we were there, we saw them packing up sandbags, and I just think we took advantage of the opportunity," player Will Rasmussen said. "The hardest part with it, they said, was just getting prepared, getting all the community ready for the storm. Because when the storm comes and if you're prepared for it, it won't be that bad. But a lot of the time, most people don't have the opportunity or resources to help out with the storm, like the sandbags and stuff."

While some teammates picked up trash on the beach, and others put up the new sign, a third group pitched in to fill sandbags alongside community members.

Stokes said the timing proved critical.

"That day we filled the sandbags, that night was the night the storm hit, and the north shore got cut off," he said. "That was the only time we could do that."

The coach said he was grateful his players had the opportunity to serve others while traveling for athletics.

"I think everything happens for a reason," Stokes said. "I think maybe we were there at that time because we could help with that."

For the players, the experience left a lasting impression.

"It feels real good to know that we can help out somewhere other than Orem," Curtis said.

Representatives from the Lahui Foundation said the team's efforts made a meaningful difference for local families preparing for severe weather. The nonprofit, which has been assisting with flood-relief efforts, said residents were grateful that dozens of teenage athletes stopped to help protect their property before the storm arrived.

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