Those of us outside of Washington State might not be aware of the fierce rivalry between the Washington State University Cougars and the University of Washington Huskies. Each year, the two school's football teams clash in The Apple Cup, which moves back and forth between the two school's stadiums. When the event is held at WSU, UW must travel over the mountains to the small town of Pullman, where weather can cause serious concerns.
I know OU vs. WVU game is on, but we’ve got a SNOW GAME going on in the Apple Cup right now. https://t.co/qFY8axTJVI— PewterReport (@PewterReport)1543028886.0
This year, on Thanksgiving day, snow caused a bus full of University of Washington marching band students to overturn in the town of George, Washington (real place).
UW Band charter bus involved in rollover crash on I-90 near George https://t.co/eB0vNyLNUm— KHQ Local News (@KHQ Local News)1542941931.0
Thankfully, no students were seriously injured, althougha "couple dozen" had to be treated for "cuts, concussions, and pain." Residents of George stepped up and cared for the injured band members, opening a local elementary school so that the nearly 300 people traveling with UW could treat their wounded and "regroup."
Had the opportunity to assist the UW Marching Band tonight in our hometown of George. They could not have been more… https://t.co/yB21Y5Q3Ao— C A R I H O R N I N G (@C A R I H O R N I N G)1542956273.0
The 500 residents of George, who all happen to be WSU fans, went above and beyond to share their Thanksgiving with the band in need.
When the WSU band learned of the accident and realized the UW band wouldn't be able to make it to the Apple Bowl, they knew they had to do something. In the less than 24 hours before the big game, they learned their rivals' fight song and used it to open the yearly battle. A section of the stadium was also left empty in honor of the band members who couldn't attend.
KHQADAM: RT KHQLocalNews: Absolutely love this! After the UW band's trip over to Pullman for the #AppleCup was can… https://t.co/4afJQBnaea— 590 KQNT (@590 KQNT)1543013143.0
So, my alma mater the Huskies (UW) and the Cougars (WSU) are rivals. The UW marching band’s bus got into a serious… https://t.co/lYp43twcK2— Sarah Emerson 🍂 (@Sarah Emerson 🍂)1543030290.0
The Cougars would go on to lose the Apple Cup, but they won the hearts of many people on Twitter:
@patstant I may root for the Cougs, but today I root for goodwill. It's nice to see social media being mobilized for a positive result.— Keith P. (@Keith P.)1542950953.0
@patstant Thank you George, Washington for coming to the aid of the Husky Marching Band and Staff. Thank goodness… https://t.co/zlJtZwxn8f— Bill Liley (@Bill Liley)1542955763.0
The Apple Cup talk gets ugly quite often. Hell, it’ll probably even get ugly tomorrow. But after seeing the UW fans… https://t.co/JaCywfiOM1— Austin Getz (@Austin Getz)1542944893.0
@patstant @KimGrinolds Aw man, that’s so cool. I love to see humans being humans! Truly a Happy Thanksgiving.— Lance Go (@Lance Go)1542963930.0
@wspd6pio From a parent that felt completely helpless from afar I’m so thankful to know that my son and the rest of… https://t.co/V5d1wJyG9W— Husky Band Mom (@Husky Band Mom)1542988523.0
@patstant My thoughts are with you, normally it's a Go Ducks but bigger things than football. Get some rest, grateful everyone is okay— Jesse (@Jesse)1542955339.0
@warhawker12 @patstant All the feels right now https://t.co/emZgfSQNg2— Kiss My Asterisk (@Kiss My Asterisk)1542955086.0
UW and WSU have taught us all that even the most bitter rivals can be there for each other when there is true need. The Apple Cup is cold every year, but our hearts have been sufficiently warmed.
H/T - Upworthy, Campus Safety
