BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A youth sports team is asking for help after losing $35,000 worth of equipment and uniforms during a fire at a Merritt Island U-Haul storage facility this week.
Not much is left at the 7V7 Elite's 10x10 storage unit at their facility in Merritt Island.
"We were four spots away. We were one of the most affected units -- just burnt to a crisp for the most part," Nicholas Donahue told News 6.
Brevard County Fire Rescue responded to flames at the U-Haul facility on Fortenberry Road near the Merritt Island Mall parking lot on Wednesday. The fire torched about $35,000 worth of the sports program's footballs, uniforms, and other equipment.
"We were able to save maybe one tent and a couple of pylons, maybe. That's about it," Donahue added.
[VIDEO: Fire damages self-storage business in Brevard County]
Co-owners Nicholas Donahue and Lee Latner said they collected those items over the past five years. Last year was their biggest year, hosting around 7,000 young athletes. Now, they are in jeopardy of missing out on the upcoming season in January.
"In order to book the facilities that are large enough to do what we need them to do, we have to book them well in advance," Latner explained. "Those fields cost anywhere from $3,000 to $12,000 for the weekend. They don't just let you sign a piece of paper -- you have to put down money, if not the full amount."
Even though young athletes pay to participate in summer tournaments, it's still not enough to cover the loss.
"Each tournament is a break-even," Donahue said. "It's not like we're walking away with thousands of dollars when it's all said and done. We have 20 employees during tournaments."
The owners also said their storage unit wasn't insured, and they haven't heard from U-Haul staff since the blaze.
"I don't want to say it adds insult to injury," Latner said.
"You would just think that you would get some type of information, some type of email, some type of something. Saying I know you guys didn't have insurance on your stuff, but here are some things you could do. Some kind of guidance," Donahue said.
The owners are now hoping the community will step up and help so they can prepare for their upcoming season in January.
The team has created a GoFundMe to raise money that can be found here.
Get breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox.
Email AddressSign Up