Community responds quickly to OMS uniform theft

GoFundMe campaign raises money immediately

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
January 25, 2020

The boy’s basketball team at Owen Middle School will have new away uniforms next season following a fundraiser held by the wife of the head coach. The Warcolts’ away uniforms were reportedly stolen out of a vehicle in front of the home of Jason and Hope Burk on Jan. 21. Photo by Fred McCormick

Just days after the away uniforms of the Owen Middle School basketball team were stolen from the car of their head coach, a GoFundMe campaign raised double what was needed to purchase new ones. 

The $1,300 will all go towards Warcolts basketball. 

OMS head coach Jason Burk and his wife Hope woke up Jan. 21 to find the vehicles in front of their home had been entered by an unknown person overnight. They were one of several households in the Charmeldee Acres-Sky Hi community just east of Black Mountain to report similar incidents. However, the only item taken from their vehicles was a maroon duffle bag containing the team’s away uniforms and warm-up shirts. 

The Burks contacted the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department and Hope searched the nearby roads to see if the bag was discarded. While the bag and its contents have yet to be located, Hope quickly realized within minutes of posting about the incident on Facebook that the community was interested in helping. 

“There were a few people who immediately offered to give money for new uniforms,” she said. “I decided to launch a GoFundMe page to collect donations.”

Hope launched the campaign Jan. 22 with a goal to raise $600 for new uniforms.

“Someone immediately said they’d give the whole amount,” she said. “But, by that time other people had also given the full amount.”

The new uniforms will be ordered soon but will not arrive in time for the 2020-21 season, which ends in a few days. While the theft of the uniforms was inconvenient, according to Hope, she was thankful for the response.

“It’s heartwarming,” she said. “If anybody had a doubt how great this community is, this just shows you why you shouldn’t.”