ROUND ROCK, Texas — The Mendez family in Round Rock are still coming to terms with the loss of their pets and belongings after a fire ripped through their home last month and left them with hundreds of thousand of dollars in damages.
On Monday, they were treated to a surprise when Round Rock native and Washington Nationals baseball player Travis Sykora met with the family and donated gifts to them for the holiday season.
Sykora said a recent sponsorship with footwear company New Balance gave him the opportunity to lend a helping hand to someone in need. Sykora, whose dad is a Round Rock firefighter, had told him the story of what happened to the Mendez family and it all came together.
“My dad actually fought that fire,” Sykora said. “He was there for it.”
According to the Round Rock Fire Department, fire crews there, along with crews from Hutto, were called to the home along Liam Aurora Lane on Nov. 12 at 4:21 p.m. and found flames in the second-floor bedroom. Twenty firefighters and two ambulances from Williamson County responded to the fire.
Anni Mendez said she and her husband were at home at the time, while their son was out riding his bike. Mendez said she smelled the smoke, and within minutes, the fire started spreading.
“It happened really, really fast,” said Mendez.
The family had three pets: a dog and two cats. Sadly, only one of the cats survived. Mendez added that the ashes of her father, who died in July, were also lost to the flames. Round Rock officials said the pets died from smoke inhalation.
Mendez said that home was the first she bought with her husband for her family.
“It was just a culmination of years and years of hard work, and you just literally see it go up in flames,” said Mendez. “It broke me.”
Mendez said the Round Rock community quickly rallied behind them, and when she heard of Sykora’s donation, it made her feel grateful that people could care so much.
The Round Rock Fire Department and the Round Rock Association of Professional Firefighters helped put the gathering together.
“A really great Christmas, despite everything that [my son] lost,” said Mendez, “The fire was mainly in his room and he lost everything, and he’s been so good about it. And so he really deserves to receive this gift from Travis.”
Sykora added, “It feels really good, [and] I’m just more excited to donate back to the family,” he said. “It’s truly – it’s not about me. It’s not about New Balance. It’s about the family … It’s a great thing.”
The family said they are working with the insurance company and contractors, but it will likely be another eight months before they can move back into their home. According to Round Rock officials, the damage was estimated at $110,000.
The cause was determined to be electrical due to an overloaded circuit.