Sept. 15 marked the first official meeting between the Rincon Colts and the Effingham County Jaguars 8U and 10U football teams.

Although the rivalry buildup was intense, there was a far more important issue at hand. Hurricane Florence made landfall the night before in North Carolina, bringing unprecedented flooding, millions of dollars in damage and leaving thousands of residents without access to power, food, water and basic necessities.

Germaine Fields, coach of the 8U Jaguars, and his wife, Kellie, decided to act. They recruited help from his football team’s families while also reached out to the Colts in hopes of doubling donations for those affected in North Carolina.

When asked what motivated him to spring into action and include both organizations, Fields replied, “These kids are our future! What better way to motivate them to become mature, respectful adults?”

Just over 12 hours after asking for help via phone and a Facebook post, the four youth football teams showed up at Effingham County High School on game day and loaded the back of a pick-up with cases of water, baby formula, pantry goods, etc. The items were taken to North Carolina the following week.