When tragedy and hardship strike, it is nice to know that there are those around you who will rally for you and come to your aid.

That was the case last week at Burlington Elementary for second grader Amiyah Moore.

Last month, Moore and her family lost their home in a fire.

Among their possessions destroyed was Amiyah’s prized Harlem Globetrotters jersey, signed by one of her favorite players , Brianna “Hoops” Green.

Amiyah had planned to wear the jersey as part of her costume in the school’s annual wax museum exhibit, where students dress up and pose as figures from history and the present.

It appeared her plans were thwarted by the fire, until school officials reached out to the Globetrotters, who rushed a replacement jersey to her with overnight shipping.

A few days after the wax museum exhibit, Amiyah received a bigger surprise, when Orlando “El Gato” Melendez, the power forward for the Globetrotters made a surprise visit to Burlington, surprising her at an assembly in the gym.

Melendez thanked the students and faculty for rallying around Amiyah and presented her with four tickets for her family to attend the team’s game in Huntington this week.

The school’s efforts to lift Amiyah’s spirits shows that teachers and faculty view the children at the school not just as students, but as family and community.

The school and the Globetrotters stepped in to make the burden Amiyah and her family faced after the fire a little more bearable and we commend their heartwarming gesture.