A former Gonzaga University baseball pitcher who now throws for the San Diego Padres has found himself at the center of a devastating loss. Alek Jacob and his family had called a house on the edge of Spokane’s Old Trails neighborhood home for two and a half decades.
The residence, which also functioned as an animal foster care center for rescued pets, was consumed by the fast‑moving flames that swept through the region last week. The fire destroyed not only the family’s belongings but also the makeshift sanctuary they had built for dozens of animals over the years.
Community Response and Calls for Assistance
In the aftermath, the Jacob family launched a GoFundMe campaign that, as of Friday evening, had attracted more than $29,000 in donations from supporters across the country. The outpouring of generosity reflects a broader solidarity that extends beyond the baseball world.
Colorado Rockies outfielder Troy Johnston, who shares a collegiate history with Jacob at Gonzaga, revealed that his own relatives were forced to evacuate the same fire zone. Johnston described the harrowing sight of his grandparents’ farm in Colville, Washington, where horses, cows and pigs once roamed, now threatened by the encroaching fire.
Joining Johnston in sharing his story, Gabriel Hughes, another former Gonzaga pitcher turned Rockies reliever, spoke of the emotional toll the disaster has taken on him and his peers, emphasizing the deep bonds formed on the diamond that now extend to real‑world hardship.
The intertwined narratives of Jacob, Johnston and Hughes illustrate how a tight‑knit baseball community is responding to a broader regional crisis, rallying both on and off the field to support those affected.