BILLINGS - The Flint Creek Titans set off on a 600-mile trip across the state to Fairview in northeast Montana for a class C football playoff game last week. They spent the night at the Springhill Suites in Billings but woke up to an unwelcome surprise.
“I don’t know who would benefit from stinky high school football player gear but somebody was interested in that,” said Superintendent of Drummond Public Schools Dean Phillips.
Phillips was the one who found that their team trailer had been broken into. Three players’ duffel bags, filled with equipment, were stolen.
“Those kids wouldn’t get to participate in the game on Saturday,” said Phillips.
Phillips made a call to the Scheels store in Billings and explained what had happened. The Scheels team was more than happy to help.
“Initially they said that they would be at cost share, which I was completely fine with,” Phillips said.
Phillips and a Scheels manager were able to pick up all the equipment the team needed, but much to Phillips’ surprise, Scheels donated all the equipment at no cost.
“They ended up donating all of that, even to the point where you know three kids were missing shoes, they sent six pairs of shoes to make sure everybody had a pair that fit,” said Phillips.
The kindness didn’t stop there.
“During checkout, I was just kind of standing there waiting for everything to happen and a gentleman came up to me with a gift card and he said, hey you know I just overheard the story, here’s a gift card that you can put towards the cost,” Phillips said.
That gift card was worth $100, but to Phillips the act itself is priceless.
The Flint Creek football team went on to beat Fairview, but they’re in for another road trip this Saturday against Fort Benton.