MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — The power of community was on full display Friday afternoon as hundreds of volunteers arrived at Marana High School for post-monsoon cleanup.
"Just having people from all over the Tucson community come in is so heartwarming and amazing," said the Principal of Marana High School Caitlyn Kauffma.
It all began with a social media post from Marana High School, seeking assistance to restore the school's brand new turf football field following damage caused by a powerful monsoon.
"Just to see what happened, you know it hurt a lot of people," said the school's head football coach Phillip Steward.
The field sustained damage after a strong monsoon on Thursday afternoon led the school to initiate a shelter-in-place due to a power outage.
"We didn't really know what to do, we just stayed inside safe," said senior Sophia Figueroa recalling Thursday afternoon's storm.
Coach Steward stated that the field had been installed on the same day before the monsoon hit the town.
He expressed his astonishment at the number of volunteers who turned up.
"Man, just seeing all these people come out here on such short notice is crazy," Steward said. "It’s hard not playing a home game your senior year, and I want to do it for these seniors. Being able to get them a home game their senior year."
School staff, students, residents and other schools all pitched in to clean up debris and roll out the field to assess the extent of the damage.
"It’s my senior year, and I feel like we should give back to our senior football players as well and let them have an opportunity to play on their home field," said Figueroa.
This is an opportunity that the Marana High Tigers are hoping for as the 2023 season is scheduled to start on September second against Mountain View.
"Things happen; we can't predict mother nature, but I think it’s all going to work out for them," Steward said. "Especially us coming together, I just think things like this make the story sweeter."
The schools says regardless of the extent of the field's damages, it should have no effect on the school's upcoming schedule.
RELATED: Monsoon damage causes Marana High School closure
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Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
