Dallas

Cowboys Fan Who Lost Everything in Calif. Wildfire Fulfilling Thanksgiving Dream

Morgan said the only belongings readily available were tickets to Thursday's game

Not all is lost in Paradise, California.

Dale Morgan and his daughter lost their home in the California wildfires. A few of the items there were able to save before evacuating, however, were two tickets to see their favorite team play Thursday on Thanksgiving Day in Arlington.

Morgan has dreamed of cheering on the Cowboys inside of AT&T Stadium.

"Even though we don’t have anything to go back to, for the next few days, my daughter and I have something to look forward to,” said Morgan, a lifelong Cowboys fan.

His daughter followed suit, sporting Cowboys gear since she was a baby.

“This gives us both something to smile about,” he said.

Morgan has faced four wildfire evacuations, but nothing as devastating as the most recent fires in California.

“I was at work when we got the evacuation orders," Morgan recalled. "My daughter was still in Paradise. She called me on the phone and said, ‘Dad, what should I get?’ I said, ‘Don’t get anything, just get out of there! Get your stuff and get out!’"

Morgan said the only belongings readily available were tickets to Thursday's game against the Washington Redskins. "She grabbed the tickets, jumped in the car and left," he said.

His family made it out safely, but not without witnessing the wildfire destroy their relative's homes, schools and churches.

"While my daughter was stuck on the road she saw flames take over her grandmother’s home," he said.

Morgan said his family is among the thousands living in tents with nowhere to go.

A Heart Full of Thanks

Morgan and his daughter flew from California to San Antonio. On Wednesday, they will start their road trip to Arlington.

“We did not want to cancel the trip. Coming to Texas gives us something to look forward to and, for just a few days, we can live this dream we’ve been thinking about for so long," Morgan said.

They are both hoping to create new memories that will overshadow the loss they will have to face back home. The devastation has given them a new perspective.

“This Thanksgiving we are thankful just to be alive. We are thankful to have each other and to get a piece of happiness in the midst of the hard times,” he said.

Both father and daughter and hoping for a Cowboys win. The Dallas Cowboys will take on the Washington Redskins Thanksgiving Day. Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m.

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