“I had no idea the amount of devastation,” Bill Connelly, business manager for the Bengals, said about the village. “To see it in person is overwhelming.”
Connelly and other Bengals staff members and players helped move metal, wood and other debris from the yards of damaged homes to the street for several hours March 9.
The team also brought Bengals merchandise to share with workers and residents in the community.
“We heard about the storm but you don’t ever know the severity until you’re a part of it,” Rey Maualuga, linebacker for the Bengals, said.
Maualuga said it was a perfect opportunity for the team to help out alongside hundreds of people who have come together to assist the community.
“We feel great to be asked,” Maualuga said about volunteering. “Things like this we love to do. Hopefully we can help get the community back to what it used to be.”
Maualuga, along with teammates Leon Hall, DeQuin Evans, and Andrew Hawkins were all eager to help with clean-up efforts and also spent a little time talking to their fans in Moscow, including Andrew Hawkins, an 18-year-old resident whose home was destroyed by the tornado.
Clermont County Commissioner Bob Proud said he was glad the Bengals were able to assist in Moscow and told them their help meant a lot.
“We want to give a huge ‘Who Dey’ to the Bengals,” Proud said. “They are not just physically helping but they are also lifting morale.”