The facility where the LA Rams practice is less than five miles away from the bar in Thousand Oaks where a gunman killed 12 people and then himself on Wednesday evening.
To honor the dead and pay tribute to the survivors of the mass shooting, the Rams will be having a moment of silence before Sunday’s game at Los Angeles Coliseum.
But the team isn’t stopping there. Players on the Rams roster are organizing to offer their support to the Thousand Oaks community after the tragedy.
A full plan isn’t in place yet, but team captain Andrew Whitworth and coach Sean McVay have already discussed ways the Rams might help, financially or otherwise.
Players are hoping to be able to provide personal assistance if they can and the organization is also expected to establish a financial fund.
“You’re looking for an answer,” Whitworth said. “You’re looking for, what can we do to solve this? What can we do to help people who are going through this? There is no perfect way. The way I believe and operate, I just don’t believe that sitting there and wondering is the best. Find a way to put your feet on the ground and take action and get involved in some way.”
“I just don’t believe that sitting there wondering is the best way. Find a way to put your feet on the ground and take action and get involved in some way.” – @awhitworth77 pic.twitter.com/R4LoG78Mtv
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 9, 2018
The moment of silence will be the first step in the Rams’ plan for healing and then the team will move forward with subsequent steps after that.
“It’s something that makes you take a step back and gives you a perspective,” McVay said. “I know I’m very guilty of losing perspective. You’re almost in your own little world and it’s all football, all the time. Then you have things like this that kind of re-gather your priorities and perspective on what’s really important.”
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