Aaron Rodgers donates $100,000 toward evacuees as Thompson Fire rages in California

Aaron Rodgers has cemented his status as one of the best quarterbacks to ever throw the football. However, he had been the target for many since he chose to miss the mandatory minicamp training ahead of the new season. Now that the QB is back, A-Rod is making his impact.

The Thompson Fire started on Tuesday and became tough for the authorities to contain. On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a state of emergency in Butte County as fires spread. Just 23 miles away from Butte County is the city of Chico, the birthplace of Aaron Rodgers.

The New York Jets QB chose to help out 28,000 evacuees from the area with a donation of $100,000. ESPN’s Rich Cimini on X (previously Twitter) wrote:

“Aaron Rodgers, in conjunction with a civic organization near his native home in Northern California, donated $100,000 to help wildfire evacuees.”

“The Thompson Fire, which started on Tuesday, has burned over 3,500 acres near Oroville and forced about 28,000 people to evacuate, per CBS News.”

As per the latest reports from CBS News, firefighters in the area have achieved 7 percent containment. However, 3,568 acres of land in Butte County and the City of Oroville are still engulfed in flames. The fire department has called on additional fire and law enforcement to help.

Aaron Rodgers makes a comeback

After attending three weeks of organized team activities with the Jets, Aaron Rodgers skipped the minicamp for a trip to Egypt, as per reports. This unexcused absence cost him more than $100K in fines from the Jets. However, last Sunday, Rodgers made his first public appearance.

Aaron Rodgers showed up in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena to witness UFC 305. Although some fans took potshots at the 2011 Super Bowl winner for his attendance at UFC’s International Fight Week, many expressed happiness at seeing the QB fit and healthy.

The fans and public will be able to witness A-Rod from July 27 to August 21 as the Jets start their mandatory full training camp. This schedule also has two joint training sessions with the Washington Commanders (August 8) and the New York Giants (August 21).