Fire wipes out NW Indiana youth football club's fieldhouse, destroying $50K worth of equipment, uniforms

HAMMOND, IND. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Leaders of a youth football program based in Hammond say they’ll get beyond what was a devastating loss over the weekend.

The Northlake Pop Warner Little Scholars Football and Cheerleading program lost everything in a fire at Pulaski Park in Hammond.

A fieldhouse where equipment was kept was gutted. New helmets, shoulder pads, jerseys, cheer pads, trophies, photos were all lost in the fire.

Di'Anthony Marshall, 9, told CBS News Chicago he didn’t know what to say when he saw what was left.

"It was just like a memory of me just fell apart,” he said.

Children from Hammond, East Chicago and Whiting are in the program.

"My heart is broken," team President Kaylee Tello said. "This place, especially during the season, this is our home."

The loss is estimated at around $50,000.

The program is asking for help on GoFundMe .

As of 11 a.m., nearly $24,000 was raised. They have a goal of $30,000. Other youth football programs are among the donors.

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