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Pittsburgh youth football team looking to bounce back after gear was stolen

HOMEWOOD, Pa. — After a canceled season, a local youth football league was ready to get back on the field. But they were faced with a setback when thousands of dollars worth of equipment was stolen.

The pandemic canceled the Homewood youth football league’s season last year. They were finally looking forward to getting back on the field.

When the coaches checked on their storage container, they noticed it was open and found it ransacked.

Boxes were ripped open and equipment was gone including helmets, shoulder pads and gloves.

The president of the football league says this program serves more than 150 kids. As important as this is for the players, it’s also big for the community.

“This is like the Mecca of Homewood; this is where three generations of families you’ll see at one time at this field,” explained President of Homewood Football, Mubarik Ismaeli.

The team has fellowships and mentor programs to provide a safe place for kids to escape.

The team recently started a GoFundMe page to get new equipment, and people have really stepped up to help.

So far, they’ve raised nearly $11,000. If you would like to help the team, you can do so by clicking here.

The season starts on June 28.