This Texas volleyball team is providing another example of how sports can go beyond the court and bring communities together.
The Trinity High School (Euless, Texas) girls volleyball team made cards and wristbands for teams from El Paso they would see in a tournament in Arlington, Texas, this weekend, according to the Star-Telegram.
The cards had messages for the teens who live in El Paso, the city in which a gunman shot and killed 22 people at a Walmart on Saturday.
Trinity fell to Franklin High School (El Paso, Texas) 2-1 and then presented the cards to the opponents.
On the outside was a silhouette of Texas with a heart where El Paso lies near the western border and a heart where Euless is, in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area.
The word “strong” was written over.
Inside, the message “if you ever need to talk, you’ve got a friend in Euless” was written, and the card included the athletes’ Instagram and Snapchat handles so the El Paso players could reach out.
Special thanks to Trinity volleyball from Euless, TX for their kind and loving support in this tough time! #elpasostrong pic.twitter.com/oQ9FeHY5pl
— FHS Volleyball (@franklinvolley1) August 8, 2019
The wristbands said “Euless Police” on them.
“Hopefully it will lift the spirits of someone hurting or maybe even provide a friendly shoulder in a time of need. Sometimes the best gift is just listening and human contact,” Trinity parent Jamie Zuege, who designed the cards, said to the Star-Telegram.
“That’s all it takes and it’s what this world needs so desperately. We’d like to challenge everyone reading this post to “reach out” to a stranger and let them know they’re loved.”
Trinity gave 15 cards to the Franklin team, whose school is less than 20 miles away from the Walmart that was shot.
The Euless school has more cards prepared for others in the area they might meet at the tournament.
