Heat send help: After building collapse, NBA team rallies
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 12: Tyler Herro #14 of the Miami Heat dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on January 12, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Heat 137-134. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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MIAMI (AP) — Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro was working out Thursday morning with assistant coaches Chris Quinn and Eric Glass, when they were told there was a more pressing need.
Before long, Herro, Quinn and Glass had left the team’s arena for the short drive north to Surfside, Florida, where a 12-story beachfront condo building collapsed around 1:30 a.m. At least one person was killed, dozens were unaccounted for and teams of rescuers were searching rubble with hope of finding anyone alive.
The Heat trio helped load a truck with water, food and other essentials.
“This is 12 miles from our arena,” Heat vice president and charitable fund executive director Steve Stowe said. “We heard about this, and our immediate reaction was that we had to find a way to help.”
Herro also addressed the frontline workers, thanking them for their heroism and efforts.
The Heat, through some of their corporate partners like World Central Kitchen and Direct Relief, were arranging for more help to arrive. Food trucks were secured to keep rescuers and other personnel at the scene fed through hot meals and grab-and-go boxes, and the team was working to help find accommodations for the displaced by the collapse.
“These are the moments when a community has to come together, rise up and help,” Stowe said.
