A leader of the Washington Redskins Marching Band is looking for a home after a fire tore through his family's Manassas, Virginia, apartment.
Tony Cardenas said he, his wife and son were sleeping when the fire broke out in a neighbor's apartment the night of Saturday, June 11.
Smoke alarms woke him up and his son, Jason, got them out of the apartment. They had only a moment to get dressed and grab a few belongings, including his wife's oxygen machine.
Cardenas said he is grateful they made it out safely.
"I'm thankful for God. The blessing he gave us," Cardenas said
His family lost nearly everything and is living in a hotel.
A total of 18 units in the apartment building have been deemed a total loss, displacing dozens of other residents.
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Cardenas has been volunteering with the Washington Redskins Band for more than 35 years.
His band members are now trying to give back to the man they say has been "the very heart of our Washington Redskins Marching Band Family."
A GoFundMe page has been established created to help the Cardenas family find a home. So far, the page has raised more than $3,000 toward its $10,000 goal.
"I'm very humbled and overwhelmed by the generosity, the love, the care that they're giving me," Cardenas said.
Investigators said a tenant accidentally sparked the fire with a cigarette they put in a potted plant that had dry soil.
