Michael Cavenah stood in his front yard, trying to stop the fire with a garden hose, but the water barely reached six feet in front of him and the wind kept blowing embers toward his house.
At first, he planned to stay and protect his home. But as the flames got closer, he knew he had to leave. Cavenah ran inside, grabbed his house deed, called out for his cat, and took his two dogs. Then he drove away, not knowing what would be left behind.
A series of wildfires swept across Oklahoma beginning March 14, burning more than 170,000 acres, damaging or destroying more 400 homes and claiming at least four lives statewide, according to KOCO Channel 5. The hardest-hit towns included Mannford, a small community about 40 minutes west of Tulsa, where dozens of homes were lost in a matter of hours.
Fueled by extreme winds and dry conditions, multiple fires broke out across the state that day, straining emergency crews and leaving several Oklahoma towns in crisis.
Dr. Terry Shannon, an associate professor and director of the Sport Management program at Oral Roberts University, first learned about the situation in Mannford through his wife, who teaches at Mounds High School. Her colleague, Michael Cavenah, had lost his home in the fire. Moved by the news, Shannon wanted to help and asked if any of his students would be willing to join him.
It was spring break at ORU, and most students had left campus, but Shannon knew that several international athletes from the men’s soccer team were still in town. He reached out to team captain Jakub Grzesiak, a sports management major, who quickly passed the message along in the team’s group chat.
Five players responded without hesitation — all international students spending spring break in the dorms. They spent the day in Mannford clearing debris, moving belongings, and standing beside a family in need..
“We were there for about five hours,” Grzesiak said. “It was really hard to see everything burned like that. But helping reminded us how lucky we are and how important it is to give back.”
Their day included moving what was left of Cavenah’s belongings into a storage unit and cleaning up damage from the fire. The group also spent time listening to Cavenah’s stories — some about his family, others about what had been lost.
“They were wonderful young men,” Cavenah said. “They could’ve spent the day relaxing, but they were out here helping me. And they weren’t even from this country. That meant a lot.”
While fire crews and emergency responders acted quickly, much of the recovery has relied on the support of volunteers and local residents. That’s where members of the ORU community stepped in, putting the university’s mission into practice through hands-on service.
“These guys didn’t go out there to get credit,” Shannon said. “They just went to help. That’s the kind of people we’re raising at ORU.”
For the soccer players, the day in Mannford became more than a service project. It was a reminder of why they came to ORU and what kind of people they’re becoming.
“Doing something good for someone in need—it builds you,” Grzesiak said. “You never know when you’ll need help, too.”
Cavenah is rebuilding. With full insurance coverage, Cavenah plans to buy a new home and move forward with his family. But what stayed with him wasn’t just the loss—it was the people who showed up when he needed them most.
“Hopefully, someday, someone will return the favor to them,” he said.
