In the aftermath of natural disasters, young survivors often face overwhelming stress, displacement, and loss. Task Force Breaks steps in with a simple yet powerful idea: the gift of sports cards.

DeWeather Cares distributes hand-sealed packs and individually selected cards directly to kids. Watching them open packs, discover their favorite players, and start trading with new friends creates an immediate spark of excitement and connection. These small cardboard treasures become tools for distraction, emotional recovery, and rebuilding social bonds—reminding children that people care and that play still matters, even in the hardest times.

The curation process for Task Force Breaks is deliberate and community-focused, ensuring every card feels personal and meaningful to the children receiving them. 

Before any distribution, DeWeather Cares volunteers identify the primary professional and (when applicable) college and university teams that children in the affected region grow up rooting for. In a Florida hurricane zone, for example, priority goes to Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Panthers, plus University of Florida, Florida State, and Miami Hurricanes alumni cards. In California wildfire areas, the focus shifts to Dodgers, Giants, Angels, Lakers, Warriors, 49ers, Chargers, and local college programs such as UCLA and USC.

Before deployments, DeWeather Cares volunteers do a final process of slipping in extra cards of the most beloved local stars to guarantee big reactions and encourage socializing and card trading immediately after the kids start opening packs together. The result: every pack or handful of cards feels like it was made for that exact community, maximizing smiles, conversation, and healing.