MIAMI -- Heat guard Tyler Herro was working out Thursday morning with assistant coaches Chris Quinn and Eric Glass when they were told there was a more pressing need.
Before long, Herro, Quinn and Glass had left the team's arena for the short drive north to Surfside, Florida, where a 12-story beachfront condo building collapsed around 1:30 a.m. At least three people were killed, nearly a hundred were unaccounted for and teams of rescuers were searching the rubble with hope of finding anyone alive.
The Heat trio helped load a truck with water, food and other essentials.
The Heat weren't the only Miami-based professional sports franchise to offer help. The Miami Marlins announced that they sent three vans filled with meals and water for rescue workers and essential items for residents displaced by the collapse.
In support of our community during today's tragic event, we sent three vans filled with meals and water to the rescue workers and kits of essential items and toiletries to the residents who have been displaced and families who have been impacted. pic.twitter.com/OZshXdl7ft
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) June 24, 2021
"This is 12 miles from our arena," said Steve Stowe, Heat vice president and charitable fund executive director. "We heard about this, and our immediate reaction was that we had to find a way to help."
Herro also addressed the front-line workers, thanking them for their heroism and efforts.
The Heat, through corporate partners such as World Central Kitchen and Direct Relief, were arranging for more help to arrive. Food trucks were secured to keep rescuers and other personnel at the scene fed through hot meals and grab-and-go boxes, and the team was working to help find accommodations for people displaced by the collapse.
"These are the moments when a community has to come together, rise up and help," Stowe said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.