Oklahoma City Barons Providing Hope After Devastating Tornado

OKLAHOMA CITY -- How do you recover from something that destroys an entire community? It's a question that residents of Moore, Oklahoma are asking themselves after a F5 tornado ripped through their suburb on May 20. One of the things providing strength for the city is the Oklahoma City Barons, the AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. With the Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated from the NBA playoffs, the small hockey team is what the city will look to for hope. The Barons took a 2-1 series lead over the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL Western Conference Finals after a 4-1 victory in Game 3 on Wednesday. Oklahoma City will also have back-to-back home games on Friday and Saturday night for Games 4 and 5, in which residents of the areas effected by the twister can get into for free with proof of residency.

After a F5 tornado ripped through nearby Moore, Oklahoma, the Oklahoma
City Barons are assisting the community both financially and spiritually.
Photo Courtesy: Yahoo!

Despite the series lead in the Western Conference Finals, the big news may be what the Barons are doing off of the ice for the community. Following the tornado, the AHL announced that they would donate all ticket revenue back to the community through the United Way's Oklahoma relief fund. Before Game 3 of the AHL Western Conference Finals in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, the Barons placed 26 candles on the ice, one for each life claimed from the devastating twister. T-Shirts will also be available for purchase to go towards relief efforts in the community for a minimum $10 donation.

Despite the Oklahoma City community coming together, other areas have also greatly contributed. One of these companies is Meijer stores, located in Grand Rapids, MI who presented the Oklahoma City Barons with $50,000 before Game 2 in Grand Rapids.

Apart from the financial help, this team has the entire Oklahoma City community behind it. Sports are a way to distract people from tragic events, especially during playoff time. It may not be any big team with stars such as Kevin Durant, but it's a ray of hope, something for residents to look forward to, and something for the residents to follow as the rebuilding efforts get under way.