Youth football team donates equipment to rival team in need

When the Lakota Tomahawks heard their rival football team, the Middletown Middies, needed equipment following a theft, they didn't hesitate to send over a donation.

More than $40,000 was stolen from the Middletown Youth Football and Cheer League in Middletown, Ohio, and the Tomahawks coaching staff wanted to help in any way possible. They donated shoulder pads, and another local nonprofit, Cleats for Kids, rounded up shoes and other items. "It always makes you feel good when somebody that is your competitor comes in to help you out," Middies coach Quincy Hightower told WCPO. "We hope to do the same and pay that forward in the future."

More than 170 elementary school kids are part of the Middletown Youth Football and Cheer League, and many of their families need assistance paying for their equipment. They've already held several fundraisers, including dinners and car washes, to make up for the stolen money, and they still need helmets so they can play in the fall. The league's former treasurer has been charged with two counts of felony theft in connection with the missing money.

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