Man Gives 25,000 Baseball Cards To Girl Whose Collection Was Burned in Wildfire [Video]

• When Reese and her family lost their home to the fire, it was a devastating experience. 
• But what made her sad even more was that all the baseball cards she had collected for three years got burned with their home. 
• Upon learning this, Kevin, a baseball card collector from San Jose, sent Reese his entire collection of 25,000 cards!

It was devastating for a young girl and her family after losing their home in the Creek Fire. But what saddens her further was that, along with it, she also lost her precious baseball card collection. 

Reese Osterberg, 9 years old, has always been a big fan of the San Francisco Giants. But not only that, she herself, also plays baseball and is good with the sport!

“She’s a fierce competitor, and loves baseball. Reese is a natural lefty with a swing as smooth as butter,” says CAL FIRE/Fresno County Fire department.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in the family. Everyone, including their livestock, were all safe — except for her beloved baseball cards which she’d collected for three years! 

“It’s been really tough because just thinking of the cards I owned brings back memories and stuff,” the young girl told KGO-TV.

That’s when the fire department stepped in and set a  “Step Up to the Plate” — a donation drive of baseball cards for Reese, along with her friends Grayson and Emmett, who also lost their homes. 

The initiative caught the attention of Kevin Ashford — a baseball card collector from San Jose, who had already collected 25,000 cards for over 25 years!

“I got to thinking about it, ‘What do I have out here in the garage?’” he told KNTV. “And I thought, ‘You know what? Rather than sell these on eBay, I’m just gonna donate them. I’m gonna donate them all and put a smile on a little girl’s face.’”

So he did! He collaborated with the department to give Reese his entire collection 25,000 cards — and best of all it includes Reese’s favorite Giants’ catcher, Buster Posey!

“He’s a catcher and I’m a pitcher, so one day I think it would be awesome if I could pitch it to him,” Reese told KGO.

Kevin said he was glad to make the little girl happy in his own way.  

“I would give anything to see the smile on her face when she receives them,” he said. 

Source: PEOPLE