Ron Rivera House Fire: Panthers Coach Returns $5 To Child Who Offered It After Fire
Ron Rivera lost a lot in a house fire last month. Many people wanted to help the Panthers coach, including a 9-year-old girl who gave him $5. According to NBC Sports, Harmonie Frederick saved money from the tooth fairy and wanted to send it to Coach Rivera in hopes of helping him and his family during the rebuilding process.
It has now been reported that Rivera returned the money to the young girl with the following note.
“Thank you for your concern. We are all fine, our dogs included. I appreciate your five dollars but our insurance will cover the rebuilding of our house. Thanks, Coach Rivera.”
Ron Rivera’s house fire was devastating, but no one was hurt, which is the most important thing. Harmonie really wanted to do whatever she could to show that she cared and that she wanted to help Rivera, and her gesture was quite sweet. After getting her money back, Harmonie told the local media that she was going to save her $5 and put it toward her college fund. Rivera heard that news and took to his Twitter account to show his approval.
Thx Harmonie, glad u plan to save your tooth fairy money for college #educationfirst @Panthers @PanthersCR http://t.co/YmC6BIGXLw
— Ron Rivera (@RiverboatRonHC) February 8, 2015
According to CBS Sports, Rivera sent the Panthers fan some team gear to thank her for her thoughtfulness, which certainly did not go unnoticed.
The fire ripped through Ron Rivera’s house in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the wee hours of January 5. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Rivera was awoken by the smoke detectors in his home. Rivera was able to alert his wife, and they were able to get everyone out of the three-story home before the fire engulfed it. The two-alarm blaze was battled by 55 firefighters, who weren’t able to get the blaze under control until they put a hole in the roof of the brick house.
Officials believe that the fire was accidental and may have started in the attic. The majority of the damage was in the attic and the roof. Smoke and water damage is being remediated, but it is unclear when Rivera and his family will be able to move back into the house. The couple was able to re-enter the home briefly in order to grab some of their belongings. It’s unknown if other items were damaged, or how much of the home’s interior was considered a total loss.
[Photo courtesy of WLTX via CBS Sports]
