$100,000 for Tahoe fire victims

Former NBA star Barkley toured blaze area last summer, increased his pledge from $25,000.

Associated Press

Last Updated 5:59 am PDT Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B3

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STATELINE, Nev. – Former NBA star Charles Barkley has made good on the promise he made at a celebrity golf tournament to donate $100,000 to victims of last summer's devastating wildfire at Lake Tahoe.

"While Charles might not have the greatest swing, he sure has a great heart. We appreciate his generosity," said Dick Schwarte, chairman of the Community Disaster Resource Center in South Lake Tahoe.

Barkley, now an NBA analyst for TNT, routinely is one of the worst golfers but one of the most popular at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship each July at Edgewood-Tahoe Golf Course.

Last summer, the Hall of Famer hosted a dinner for about 100 local firefighters and toured the area on the edge of South Lake Tahoe where the Angora fire destroyed 254 homes and caused $140 million damage in June.

He originally pledged $25,000 to the relief fund but upped the ante after getting a firsthand view of the fire zone he described as "unbelievable."

"If we stay over there at the golf and casino, we're not going to think anything is going on here," Barkley said at the time.

"That's why I wanted to come here with a camera. When you live in different parts of the country and they show you two houses burned down, you don't get the full effect."

Barkley's check arrived last week on the heels of a $130,000 contribution from Harrah's/Harveys hotel-casino chain.

Relief organizers said the money couldn't have come at a better time.

"This additional aid is coming at a time when the plight of the survivors has passed from many minds, and the need is greater than ever," Schwarte said Tuesday.

"There are so many families in the throes of trying to rebuild their lives so that they can stay here in South Lake, and these additional funds will enable us to assist those individuals in response to their requests," he said.

Barkley, who contributed $1 million to help rebuild homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2006, retired in 2000 after 16 seasons in the NBA.

He made the All-Star team 11 times and is one of only four players with 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists.

He was the league's MVP in 1993 with the Phoenix Suns, and he won gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as part of the original U.S. Dream Team.

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Firefighters watch a prescribed burn at the fire line in June 2007, while fighting the Angora fire in South Lake Tahoe. The blaze destroyed 254 homes and caused $140 million damage. When former NBA star Charles Barkley toured the area, he called the damage "unbelievable." Autumn Cruz / acruz@sacbee.com

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